افغان

افغان

See also: أفغان‎

Ottoman Turkish

Noun

افغان • (Afgan)

1. Afghan

Adjective

افغان • (Afgan)

1. Afghan

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Pashto

Etymology

From Persian افغان‎ (afğân).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /afɣɑn/

Noun

افغان • (afǧân) m

1. Afghan

Declension

declension of افغان

	singular		plural
direct	افغان (afǧân)		افغانان‎ (afǧânân)
oblique	افغان (afǧân)		افغانانو‎ (afǧânâno)
vocative	افغانه‎ (afǧâna)		افغانانو‎ (afǧânâno)

Related terms

• افغانستان‎ (afǧânistân)

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Persian

Pronunciation

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

• (Dari): IPA^(key): /afɣɒːn/

• (Iranian Persian): IPA^(key): /æfɢɒːn/
• (Tajik): IPA^(key): /afɣɔːn/

Etymology 1

From Bactrian αβαγανο (abagano), first attested in the fourth century CE, most likely a compound of *apāka- (“distant, faraway”) + [script needed] (-āna, “ethnic group”): "people from a distant land". The /b/ > /f/ shift represents a phonetic peculiarity of the Early New Persian dialect of Khorasan.[1]

Noun

Dari	افغان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	афғон (afġon)

افغان • (afğân) (plural افغان‌ها‎ (afğân-hâ))

1. Afghan
2. Pashtun

Derived terms

• افغانستان‎ (afğânestân)
• افغانی‎ (afğâni)

 

Etymology 2

From Sogdian [script needed] (ʾβγʾn /əfɣaːn/). Compare Middle Persian ʾbxwʾn- (abxwān-, “to call, cry”).

Alternative forms

• فغان‎ (fağân)

Interjection

Dari	افغان
Iranian Persian
Tajik	афғон (afġon)

افغان • (afğân)

1. alas
2. oh

Noun

افغان • (afğân)

1. lamentation, cry

   Synonyms: زاری‎ (zâri), فریاد‎ (faryâd)

Derived terms

• افغان برآوردن‎ (afğân bar-âvardan)
• افغان برداشتن‎ (afğân bar-dâštan)
• افغان برکشیدن‎ (afğân bar-kešidan)
• افغان کردن‎ (afğân kardan)

 

References

1. Johnny Cheung (2017), “On the Origin of the Terms "Afghan" & "Pashtun" (Again)”, in Enrico Morano, Elio Provasi & Adriano V. Rossi, editors, Studia Philologica Iranica: Gherardo Gnoli Memorial Volume, Rome, Italy: Scienze e Lettere, →ISBN, pages 31—51

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Urdu

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian افغان‎ (afğān).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /əf.ɣɑːn/
• Rhymes: -ɑːn
• Hyphenation: اَف‧غان

Noun

اَفْغان • (afġān) m (Hindi spelling अफ़्ग़ान)

1. Afghan; a person from Afghanistan
2. (historical) a person of Pashtun ethnicity

   Synonym: پَٹھان‎ (paṭhān)

Related terms

• افغانستان‎ (afġānistān)
• افغانی‎ (afġānī)

References

• “افغان”, in اُردُو لُغَت (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “افغان”, in Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2023.