شیرفش

Persian

FWOTD – 4 May 2021

Alternative forms

شیروَش (širvaš)

Etymology

From (šir, “lion”) +‎ (faš, “-like”).

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): /ʃeːr.ˈfaʃ/

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʃeːɾ.fäʃ]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃiːɹ.fæʃ]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃeɾ.fäʃ]

Readings
Classical reading^?	šērfaš
Dari reading^?	šērfaš
Iranian reading^?	širfaš
Tajik reading^?	šerfaš

Adjective


Iranian Persian	شیرفش
Dari	شیرفش
Tajik	шерфаш

شیرفش • (širfaš)

(archaic, literary) lionlike, leonine
- 10th Century CE, Ferdowsi, Shahnameh
  c. 977-1010, ابوالقاسم فردوسی توسی [Abu l-Qāsim Firdawsi Tūsi], شاهنامه [šāhnāma, Shahnameh]‎^[1]:
  سپاهی که دیدند کوپال اوی / بر و مِغفَر و شیرفش یال اوی
  sepâhi ke didand kupâle 'uy / bar o meqfar o širfaš yâle 'uy
  The (enemy) army then saw his (formidable) mace, / his (colossal) build, his (mighty) helmet, and his leonine mane of hair
  (Classical Persian romanization)
(figurative, literary) courageous, valiant, or violent
- 10th Century CE, Ferdowsi, Shahnameh
  c. 977-1010, ابوالقاسم فردوسی توسی [Abu l-Qāsim Firdawsi Tūsi], شاهنامه [šāhnāma, Shahnameh]‎^[2]:
  بیارم یکی لشکرِ شیرفَش / برآرم شما را سر از خوابِ خَوش
  biaram yeki laškare širfaš / bar-âram šomâ râ sar az xâbe xaš
  I shall gather a valiant army / and disrupt your peaceful sleep
  (Classical Persian romanization)
Synonyms: اَرغَند (arġand), شُجاع (šojâ'), دِلیر (delir)

Related terms

اژدهافَش (aždahâfaš), دیوفَش (divfaš), کوه‌فَش (kuh-faš)

References

Dehkhoda, Ali-Akbar (1931–), “شیرفش”, in Dehkhoda Dictionary Institute, editors, Dehkhoda Dictionary (in Persian), Tehran: University of Tehran Press.