چرا
Central Kurdish
Etymology
Compare Persian چراغ (čerâġ) and Parthian 𐫝𐫡𐫀𐫃 (crʾg, “lamp”).
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /t͡ʃəɾaː/
Noun
| Northern Kurdish | çira |
|---|
چرا (çira)
Derived terms
- چرادان (çiradan)
References
- Hejar (1990) “چرا”, in Henbane borîne[1], Tehran: Soroush, page 202
- Wahby, T., Edmonds, C. J. (1966) “chira”, in A Kurdish-English Dictionary, page 28
Persian
Etymology 1
From Middle Persian ME lʾd (čim rāy, “why”),[1] from Proto-Iranian *čim (“what”) + *rādi- (“reason, thing”), literally, “what reason”.[2] The former is from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kím ~ čím, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷím (“what”), while the latter is a lexicalization of the locative singular of Proto-Iranian *rād-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *HraHdʰ-, from Proto-Indo-European *Hreh₁dʰ- (“to think, arrange, accomplish”).[3] By surface analysis, چه (če, “what”) + رای (rây, “reason”).
Pronunciation
- (Classical Persian) IPA(key): /ˈt͡ʃi.ɾaː/
- (Dari, formal) IPA(key): [t͡ʃʰʊ́.ɾɑː]
- (Iran, formal) IPA(key): [t͡ʃʰé.ɹɒː]
- (Tajik, formal) IPA(key): [t͡ʃʰǽ.ɾɔ]
| Readings | |
|---|---|
| Classical reading? | čirā |
| Dari reading? | čurā |
| Iranian reading? | čerâ |
| Tajik reading? | čaro |
Adverb
| Dari | چرا |
|---|---|
| Iranian Persian | |
| Tajik | чаро |
چرا • (čerâ)
- why
- Synonyms: برای چه (barâye če), برای چی (barâye či), واسه چی (vâse či)
- چرا رفتی شیراز؟
- čerâ rafti širâz?
- Why did you go to Shiraz?
Alternative forms
Derived terms
- چرایی (čerâyi) philosophy; reason; cause
Etymology 2
Ellipsis of چرا که نه؟ (čerâ ke na?, “why not?”).
Interjection
چرا • (čerâ)
Etymology 3
From چر (čar, present stem of چریدن (čaridan, “to graze, pasture”)) + ـا (-â, “nominal suffix”).[4]
Noun
چرا • (čarâ)
Derived terms
- چراگاه (čarâ-gâh, “pasture, grassland”)
- چرا کردن (čarâ kardan, “to graze, pasture”)
References
- ^ MacKenzie, D. N. (1971) A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 22
- ^ Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 203
- ^ Edelʹman, D. I. (2020) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 6, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 451; 456
- ^ Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, pages 227-8