Hindu Kush

See also: Hindukush and Hindu-Kush

English

Alternative forms

• Hindu-Kush, Hindukush
• Hindoo-Kush, Hindoo-Koosh, Hindu-Coosh, Hindoo Coosh (obsolete)

Etymology

Ultimately derived from Classical Persian هِنْدُوکُش (hindūkuš), the etymology of which is uncertain.

• According to Ibn Battuta and popular etymology, from Classical Persian هِنْدُو (hindū, “Hindu”) +‎ کُش (kuš, present stem of کُشْتَن (kuštan, “to kill”)), literally “Hindu-killer”.
• According to others, a corruption of Classical Persian هِنْدُوکوه (hindūkōh), itself a compound of هِنْدُو (hindū, “Hindu”) +‎ کوه (kōh, “mountain”), literally “mountain of the Hindus”, in which case the name would be related to the term Hindkowan used to describe people living near the region who speak Hindko.

Attested in English from the 18th century.

Pronunciation

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʊʃ

Proper noun

Hindu Kush

1. A mountain range in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

   Synonym: Hindu Koh

Translations

mountain range

• Armenian: Հինդուկուշ (Hindukuš)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 興都庫什山脈 / 兴都库什山脉 (Xīngdūkùshí shānmài), (literary, historical) 縣度 / 县度 (zh) (Xiànduó)

• Czech: Hindúkuš m
• Estonian: Hindukuš
• Finnish: Hindukuš (fi)
• German: Hindukusch (de) m
• Gujarati: હિંદુકુશ m (hindukuś)
• Hindi: हिन्दु कुश (hindu kuś), हिन्दूकुश (hi) m (hindūkuś)
• Italian: Hindu Kush (it) m, Hindukush m
• Japanese: ヒンドゥークシュ山脈 (Hindūkushu sanmyaku)
• Latin: Paropamisus m, Paropanisus m
• Macedonian: Хиндукуш m (Hindukuš)
• Marathi: हिंदू कुश ? (hindū kuś)
• Persian:

  Dari: هندوکش (hindūkuš)

  Iranian Persian: هندوکش (hendukoš)

• Polish: Hindukusz (pl) m
• Portuguese: Hindu Kush m, Hindukush m, (uncommon) Indocuche m
• Russian: Гиндуку́ш (ru) m (Gindukúš)
• Tajik: Ҳиндукуш (Hindukuš)
• Turkish:

  Ottoman Turkish: هندوكش (hinduküş)

• Urdu: ہِنْدُوکُش m (hindūkuś)
• Uzbek: Hindukush

Portuguese

Alternative forms

• Hindukush
• Indocuche (uncommon)

Proper noun

Hindu Kush m

1. Hindu Kush (a mountain range in Afghanistan and Pakistan)