From Proto-Indo-European *h₂sews- (“to be dry”).
*Hsúškas
- dry, dried out
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *Hsúṣkas
- Sanskrit: शुष्क (śúṣka)
- Maharastri Prakrit: 𑀲𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀔 (sukkha)
- Magadhi Prakrit: 𑀲𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀔 (sukkha)
- Paisaci Prakrit:
- Pali: sukkha
- Sauraseni Prakrit: 𑀲𑀼𑀓𑁆𑀔 (sukkha)
- Unsorted formations:
- Proto-Iranian: *Hhúškah
- Central Iranian:
- Younger Avestan: 𐬵𐬎𐬱𐬐𐬀 (huška)
- Northeastern Iranian:
- Southeastern Iranian:
- Pashto: وچ (wəč, wuč), اچ (uč), اوچ (uč)
- Northwestern Iranian:
- Baluchi: [script needed] (hušk)
- Kurdish:
- Northern Kurdish: hişk (hišk/ḥišk)
- Central Kurdish: وِشک (wişk)
- Southern Kurdish: وِشک (wişk), ھِشک (hişk)
- Laki: ھوِشک (hwişk)
- Sivandi: fišk
- Zaza-Gurani:
- Southwestern Iranian:
- Old Persian: [script needed] (uška)
- Middle Persian: hwšk' (hušk)
- Classical Persian: خشک (xušk)
- Persian: خشک (xošk)
- Tajik: хушк (xušk)