یخ

Persian

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *Háyxam, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyH-.

Compare Ossetian их (ix), Pashto يخ (yax), Lithuanian ýnis (“glazed frost”), Russian и́ней (ínej, “hoarfrost”), Ossetian их (ix, “ice”), German Eis, English ice.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ˈjax/

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [jäx]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [jäx]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [jäx]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [jäx]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [jæx]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [jäχ]

• Rhymes: -ax

Readings
Classical reading?	yax
Dari reading?	yax
Iranian reading?	yax
Tajik reading?	yax

Noun

Dari	یخ
Iranian Persian
Tajik	ях

یخ • (yax) (Tajik spelling ях)

1. ice

Adjective

یخ • (yax) (Dari)

1. cold
2. cool, chilly

Derived terms

• یخی (yaxi)
• یخچال (yaxčâl)
• یخ بستن (yax bastan)
• یخ زدن (yax zadan)
  • یخ‌زده (yax-zade)
  • یخ‌زن (yax-zan)

Descendants

• → Hindustani:

  Hindi: यख़ (yax)

  Urdu: یَخ (yax)

Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian یَخ (yax), in turn Derived from Proto-Iranian *Háyxam, ultimately derived from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eyH-. Cognate of English ice.

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /jəx/

Noun

یَخ • (yax) m (Hindi spelling यख़)

1. ice

   Synonym: برف (barf)

References

• “یخ”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “یخ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2026.