کیش

See also: كيس and گیس

Brahui

Etymology

Cognate with Tamil சீ (, pus), Kannada ಕೀ (, to become pus). (This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

کِیش (kīś)

  1. pus, snot

Further reading

Persian

Etymology 1

Inherited from Middle Persian 𐭪𐭩𐭱 (kyš /⁠kēš⁠/, faith; dogma).

Pronunciation

 

Readings
Classical reading? kēš
Dari reading? kēš
Iranian reading? kiš
Tajik reading? keš

Noun

کیش • (kêš)

  1. religion
  2. cult
Synonyms
Descendants
  • Urdu: کیش (kēš)

Etymology 2

Presumably onomatopoeic, used to scare off chickens, gaining the meaning of "go away, run" and then being used in chess to literally, (king) go away, referring how the king has to make a move to survive.[1]

Alternative forms

Noun

کیش • (kiš)

  1. (chess) check
Derived terms

Etymology 3

Proper noun

کیش • (kiš)

  1. Kish Island, an Iranian island in the Persian Gulf

References

Urdu

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Classical Persian کیش (kēš, religion).

Noun

کیش • (kešm (Hindi spelling केश)

  1. religion, faith; belief
    Synonyms: دین (dīn), ایمان (īmān)
  2. quality, nature
Derived terms
  • اِرادَت کیش (irādat-kēš, devoted)
  • بَد کیش (bad-kēš, evil-natured)
  • جفا کیش (jafā-kēš, disloyal)
  • سِتَم کیش (sitam-kēš, oppressor)
  • صَداقَت کیش (sadāqat-kēš, truthful)
  • صَفا کیش (safā-kēš, pious)
  • ظُلْم کیش (zulm-kēš, tyrant)
  • عَقیدَت کیش ('aqīdat-kēš, devoted)
  • مُرَوَّت کیش (muravvat-kēš, generous)
  • نِیاز کیش (nīyāz-kēš, obedient)
  • وَفا کیش (vafā-kēš, faithful)

Etymology 2

From Sanskrit केश (keśa).

Noun

کیش • (keśm (Hindi spelling केश)

  1. hair
    Synonyms: گیسو (gēsū), بال (bāl)

References

  • کیش”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
  • Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “کیش”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
  • کیش”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2025.