Words With Persian Origins

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65 Words

1 Afghan Relating to Afghanistan or its people and culture.
2 afghani The official currency of Afghanistan.
3 Afghanistan A landlocked country in Central and South Asia, with Kabul as its capital.
4 Armenia A landlocked country in the South Caucasus region, capital Yerevan.
5 Asif A male given name common among Persian- and Urdu-speaking communities.
6 bahadur A brave warrior, historically used especially of Turko-Mongol fighters.
7 begum A title of respect for a high-ranking Muslim woman, especially in South Asia.
8 bibi In South Asian English, an affectionate term for a grandmother.
9 biryani A South Asian rice dish cooked with spices and layered with meat, fish, or vegetables.
10 cha Informal British word for tea.
11 chai Spiced tea, especially the sweet, milky black tea flavored with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger.
12 chang A traditional harp-like stringed instrument played in Central and Southwest Asia.
13 Chirag A male given name of Persian origin, often used in India, meaning "lamp" or "light."
14 Dervish A member of a Sufi Muslim order known for ascetic living and, in some traditions, ritual spinning dances.
15 Esther A female given name, also the name of a book in the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament about a Jewish queen of Per...
16 Gujarat A state in western India, known for its coastline, industry, and distinct language and cuisine.
17 gul A flower-shaped medallion design found on Central Asian and West Asian rugs.
18 Helmand A river in Afghanistan, and the province named after it.
19 Hindi A major language of India, one of its official languages, written in the Devanagari script.
20 Hindu A follower of Hinduism, a major religion originating in India.
21 Hindustan A historical name for India, or for the northern region of the Indian subcontinent.
22 hodja A Muslim teacher or religious scholar, especially one who teaches at a traditional school.
23 Hyderabad The capital city of Telangana, India, also the name of a city in Sindh, Pakistan.
24 Iran A country in the Middle East, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Tehran as its capital.
25 Islamabad The capital city of Pakistan, a planned city built in the 1960s to replace Karachi as the seat of government.
26 Jahan A unisex given name of Persian origin, meaning "world."
27 Jasmin A feminine given name derived from the jasmine flower, ultimately from Persian.
28 Kashi An alternate name for the city of Kashgar in Xinjiang, China, based on its Mandarin name.
29 Kashmir A mountainous region in South Asia, long disputed between India, Pakistan, and China, prized for its valleys a...
30 Kazakhstan A large country spanning Central Asia and part of Eastern Europe, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan.
31 khaki A dull yellowish-brown colour, similar to dry dust or sand.
32 kuku An Iranian baked egg dish, thick with herbs or vegetables, somewhere between an omelette and a quiche.
33 Kurdistan The broad cultural and geographic region of West Asia where the Kurdish people are the majority, spanning part...
34 manticore A legendary monster with the body of a lion, a human-like face, and a scorpion's tail, said to devour people.
35 Megan A female given name, originally a Welsh short form of Margaret.
36 mirza A title of nobility or respect used historically in Persia, Turkey, and South Asia, denoting high rank or scho...
37 ney An end-blown reed flute used in traditional Middle Eastern and Central Asian music.
38 pajamas Loose, comfortable clothing worn for sleeping, usually a top and trousers.
39 Pakistani A person from Pakistan, or someone of Pakistani descent.
40 para A former small unit of currency used in parts of the Ottoman Empire, Turkey, and the Balkans.
41 parsa An old unit of distance used in Hebrew and Persian texts, roughly the distance a person can walk in about an h...
42 pasha A high-ranking title given to officials, governors, or military commanders in the Ottoman Empire.
43 peri In Persian folklore, a beautiful winged spirit or fairy-like being.
44 pilaf A rice (or other grain) dish cooked in seasoned broth, often with meat or vegetables mixed in.
45 Punjab A region of South Asia split between India and Pakistan, known for its fertile farmland and five major rivers.
46 Punjabi The main language of the Punjab region, spoken in parts of India and Pakistan.
47 pyjamas British spelling of loose clothing worn for sleeping, usually a top and trousers.
48 Roshan A masculine given name and surname meaning "light" or "radiance", of Persian and Sanskrit origin.
49 Roxanne A female given name, a popular variant spelling of Roxane.
50 Sardar A title of Persian origin historically given to military commanders and political leaders across South and Cen...
51 sarkar In South Asian usage, a term for "the government" or "the state."
52 Scheherazade A female given name of Persian origin.
53 serendipity A pleasant surprise — finding something good without looking for it.
54 shah A historical title for the king or ruler of Persia (modern-day Iran).
55 shawl A piece of fabric worn over the shoulders, neck, or head, especially by women.
56 Shiraz A dark-skinned grape variety used for making red wine, also called Syrah.
57 Shirin A feminine given name of Persian origin, meaning "sweet."
58 sitar A long-necked plucked string instrument from North India, traditionally with a gourd body, used widely in Hind...
59 Soraya A feminine given name of Persian origin, meaning "star cluster," referring to the Pleiades.
60 tandoori Cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven used in South Asian cooking.
61 Tehran The capital city of Iran.
62 Urdu An Indo-Aryan language, closely related to Hindi, spoken mainly in Pakistan and parts of North India.
63 Uzbekistan A landlocked country in Central Asia, whose capital is Tashkent.
64 veena A stringed instrument with a long fretted neck and gourd resonators, used in Indian classical music.
65 yaar A close friend, pal, or buddy (South Asian usage).