چالاک

Persian

Etymology

Related to چلیدن (čalidan, “to walk proudly, saunter”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷel-.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃɑː.ˈlɑːk]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɑː.lɑ́ːk]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɑː.lɑ́ːk]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɑː.lɑ́ːk]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɔː.lɔ́ːk]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɒː.lɒ́ːkʲ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [t͡ʃʰɔ.lɔ́k]

Readings
Classical reading?	čālāk
Dari reading?	čālāk
Iranian reading?	čâlâk
Tajik reading?	čolok

Adjective

چالاک • (čâlâk) (comparative چالاک‌تَر (čâlâk-tar), superlative چالاک‌تَرین (čâlâk-tarin))

1. nimble; quick

   Synonyms: چست (čost), جلد (jald), چابک (čâbok)

   • c. 1260, Saʿdī, “Ghazal 70”, in دیوان سعدی [The Divān of Saʿdī]‎^[1]:

     ای که از سرو روان قد تو چالاکترست
     دل به روی تو ز روی تو طربناکترست

     ay ki az sarw-i rawān qadd-e tu čālāktar ast
     dil ba rōy-i tu zi rōy-i tu tarabnāktar ast

     O you whose stature is nimbler than the swaying cypress,
     Thanks to your face, my heart has more delight than [even] your face.

     (Classical Persian transliteration)

2. clever; smart

   Synonym: زرنگ (zerang)

Descendants

• → Ahirani: चलाक (calāk)
• → Bengali: চালাক (calak)
  • → Assamese: চালাক (salak)
• → Central Kurdish: چالاک (çalak)
• → Gojri: چالاک (cālāk)
• → Gujarati: ચાલાક (cālāk)
• → Hindustani: cālāk

  Hindi: चालाक

  Urdu: چَالَاکْ (cālāk)

• → Kalasha: čalak
• → Kannada: ಚಾಲಾಕು (cālāku)
• → Konkani: चलाख (calākh)
• → Malay: calak
  • Indonesian: calak
• → Malvi: चालाक (cālāk)
• → Marathi: चलाख (calākh)
• → Odia: ଚଲାକ (côlakô)
• → Punjabi:

  Gurmukhi script: ਚਲਾਕ (calāk)

  Shahmukhi script: چَلاک (calāk)

• → Sindhi: چالاڪُ
• → Tamil: சாலக்கு (cālakku)
• → Telugu: చలాకు (calāku)
• → Varhadi: चलाख (calākh)
• → Ushojo: چالاک (čalāk)

Noun

چالاک • (čâlâk)

1. (Dari) cunning person; quick wit; trickster
2. (obsolete or Dari) thief; scammer

Ushojo

Adjective

چالاک (čalāk)

1. fast and furious