روباه

روباه

See also: روباہ‎

Persian

یک روباهِ سرخ

Alternative forms

• روبَه‎ (rubah) (poetic)

Etymology

From Middle Persian fox (rōbāh) (compare Parthian rwbʾs‎ (rōbās)), from Old Persian *𐎼𐎢𐎱𐎠𐎰 (rawpāθa, “fox”), from Proto-Iranian *HrawpaHcáh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HlawpaHćás (compare Sanskrit लोपाक (lopāka)), diminutive of *lawpi- (compare Avestan 𐬭𐬀𐬋𐬞𐬌‎ (raōpi)), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂wl(o)p- ~ *h₂ulp- (“(red) fox”).

Compare Latin vulpēs, Lithuanian lãpė, Ancient Greek ἀλώπηξ (alṓpēx), Albanian dhelpër).

Pronunciation

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

• (Dari Persian) IPA^(key): /ɾoːbɑːh/

• (Iranian Persian) IPA^(key): /ɾuːbɒːh/

• (Tajik) IPA^(key): /ɾɵbɔh/

Noun

Dari	روباه
Iranian Persian
Tajik	рӯбоҳ (rüboh)

روباه • (rubâh) (plural روباهان‎ (rubâhân) or روباه‌ها‎ (rubâh-hâ))

1. fox
2. (figuratively) a cunning and sly person

   ‏من عمراً به این روباهِ پیر اعتماد نمی‌کنم!‎‎

   man omran be in rubâh-e pir e'temâd nemikonam

   I won't trust this sly old fox!

3. (figuratively, derogatory) The British Empire, the United Kingdom, or England

   ‏انگلیس یه روباه حقّه‌بازه!‎‎

   engelis ye rubâh-e hoğğe-bâze!

   England (UK) is a sly fox!

   See also: کار، کار انگلیسی‌هاست‎

Derived terms

• دم‌روباهی‎ (dom-rubâhi, “foxtail grass”)

Descendants

• → Malay: rubah
  • Indonesian: rubah
• → Ottoman Turkish: روباه‎ (rubah)

References

Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “روباه”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press