زنهار

Persian

Alternative forms

زینهار (zinhâr)

Etymology

From Middle Persian [script needed] (zynhʾl /⁠zēnhār⁠/), originally an imperative command of 𐭬𐭭 (MN /⁠az⁠/, “from, of”, modern ) + 𐭦𐭭𐭤 (ZNH /⁠ēn⁠/, “this”, modern ) + Proto-Iranian *hār- (“to guard; to observe”, from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to warn”)): "guard against this; beware of this", but used as a noun already in Middle Persian with the current meanings.

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /zin.ˈhaːɾ/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [zɪn.hɑ́ːɾ]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [zɪ.nɑ́ːɾ]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [zi.nɔ́ːɾ]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [zen.hɒ́ːɹ]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [zin.hɔ́ɾ]

Readings
Classical reading^?	zinhār
Dari reading^?	zinhār
Iranian reading^?	zenhâr
Tajik reading^?	zinhor

Interjection

زنهار • (zinhār / zenhâr) (Tajik spelling зинҳор) (literary)

beware
be careful; take care
- c. 1390, Shams-ud-Dīn Muḥammad Ḥāfiẓ, “Ghazal 11”, in دیوان حافظ [The Divān of Ḥāfiẓ]‎^[1]:
  ای باد اگر به گلشن احباب بگذری
  زنهار عرضه ده بر جانان پیام ما
  ay bâd agar ba gulšan-i ahbâb bigzarî
  zinhâr arza dih bar-i jânân payâm-i mâ
  O breeze, should you pass by the rose-field of the lovers,
  Take care to give my message to the bosom of my love.
  (Classical Persian transliteration)

Noun

زنهار • (zinhār / zenhâr) (Tajik spelling зинҳор) (literary)

caution
security; refuge; shelter (from something unpleasant)
Synonyms: امان (amân), پناه (panâh)
covenant
Synonym: عهد ('ahd)

Derived terms

زنهارخوار (zenhâr-xâr, “oath-breaker”)

Descendants

→ Ottoman Turkish: زنهار (zinhâr)
- Turkish: zinhar (“absolutely, exactly”)
→ Chagatai:
- Uyghur: زىنھار (zinhar)
- Uzbek: zinhor