اسفند

Persian

Alternative forms

اسپند
سپند

Etymology 1

A contraction of اسفندارمذ , اسفندارمزد , from Middle Persian spndrmt’ (Spandarmad, literally “holy thought”); name of the fourth Amahraspand (divine deity) in Zoroastrianism and a Goddess. Compare Old Armenian սանդարամետ (sandaramet), սպանդարամետ (spandaramet), Iranian borrowings.

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʔis.ˈfand/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔɪs.fän̪d̪]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʔɪs.fän̪d̪]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʔis.fän̪d̪̥]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔes.fæn̪d̪̥]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʔis.fän̪d̪]

Readings
Classical reading^?	isfand
Dari reading^?	isfand
Iranian reading^?	esfand
Tajik reading^?	isfand

Audio (Iran): (file)

Proper noun

اسفند • (isfand / esfand) (Tajik spelling исфанд)

Esfand (the twelfth solar month of the Persian calendar)
Name of the fifth day of any month of the solar Persian calendar.

Coordinate terms

Persian monthsedit

فروردین (farwardīn / farvardin)
اردیبهشت (urdībihišt / ordibehešt)
خرداد (xurdād / xordâd)
تیر (tīr / tir)
مرداد (murdād / mordâd)
شهریور (šahrēwar / šahrivar)
مهر (mihr / mehr)
آبان (ābān / âbân)
آذر (āzar / âzar)
دی (day / dey)
بهمن (bahman)
اسفند (isfand / esfand)

Etymology 2

From Middle Persian [script needed] (spand), ultimately from Proto-Iranian *cwantaH (“holy”) (compare Avestan 𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀 (spəṇta, “holy”), because the plant is used in fumigation against evil eye. Ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwen-. Cognate to Pashto سپېلني (spelaní).

Noun

اسفند • (esfand)

wild rue

Descendants

→ Ottoman Turkish: اسفند