سر و برگ

Persian

FWOTD – 3 September 2024

Etymology

From (sar, “head; (here) intention, desire”) +‎ (o, “and”) +‎ (barg, “preparation, means, wealth, intention”).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /sa.ru ˈbarɡ/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [sä.ɾʊ.báɾɡ]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [sä.ɾʊ.báɾɡ]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [sä.ɾu.báɾɡ̥]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [sæ.ɹo.bǽɹɡʲ̥]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [sä.ɾu.báɾɡ]

Readings
Classical reading^?	saru barg
Dari reading^?	sarubarg
Iranian reading^?	sarobarg
Tajik reading^?	sarubarg

Noun

سر و برگ • (sar o barg)

equipment, apparatus, means (of doing something)
desire, inclination, preference
- c. 1380, Jahān Malik Khātūn, “Ghazal 267”, in دیوان جهان [Divān-i Jahān]‎^[1]:
  گفتم بکنی به ما نظر گفت
  ما را سر و برگ هر گدا نیست
  guftam bikunī ba mā nazar guft
  mā rā sar u barg-i har gadā nēst
  I said, "Look at me!" He said,
  "I am not inclined towards any beggar."
  (Classical Persian romanization)

Descendants

→ Hindustani:
Hindi: सर-ओ-बर्ग (sar-o-barg)

Urdu: سَرْ و بَرْگ (sar o barg)