درفش

Persian

Etymology

Inherited from Middle Persian [Book Pahlavi needed] (dlpš /⁠drafš⁠/, “banner”), perhaps from a hypothetical Proto-Iranian *drafš- (“to "behave" like a banner, fly up, shine, tremble”), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *drep- (“to cut, tear off (a piece)”). Cognate with Parthian 𐫅𐫡𐫜𐫢 (drfš /⁠drafš⁠/), Avestan 𐬛𐬭𐬀𐬟𐬱𐬀- (drafša-), Sogdian [script needed] (ʾrδʾšp), Sanskrit द्रप्स (drapsá); outside Indo-Iranian, compare in particular Late Latin drappus (“piece of cloth”). Akin to the borrowings: Old Armenian դրաւշ (drawš), Old Georgian დროშაჲ (drošay), დრაუჟი (drauži), Ossetian тырыса (tyrysa), туруса (turusa), Classical Syriac ܕܪܦܫܐ (drap̄šā).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [di.ɾafʃ], [da.ɾafʃ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.ɾäfʃ], [d̪ä.ɾäfʃ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.ɾäfʃ], [d̪ä.ɾäfʃ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.ɾäfʃ], [d̪ä.ɾäfʃ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [d̪i.ɾäfʃ], [d̪ä.ɾäfʃ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪e.ɹæfʃ], [d̪æ.ɹæfʃ]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪i.ɾäfʃ], [d̪ä.ɾäfʃ]

Readings
Classical reading?	dirafš, darafš
Dari reading?	dirafš, darafš
Iranian reading?	derafš, darafš
Tajik reading?	dirafš, darafš

Noun

درفش • (derafš)

1. standard, ensign, colours, banner

Descendants

• → Urdu: دُرَفش (durafš)

References

• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971) “դրօշ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume I, Yerevan: University Press, page 697ab
• Horn, Paul (1893) Grundriss der neupersischen Etymologie (in German), Strasbourg: K.J. Trübner, § 553, page 123
• Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume II, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 348
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “درفش”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul
• Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*dram”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 75

Urdu

Etymology

From Classical Persian درفش (dirafš, “standard; banner”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /d̪ʊ.ɾəfʃ/, /d̪ə.ɾəfʃ/, /d̪ɪ.ɾəfʃ/

Noun

دُرَفش • (durafš) ? (Hindi spelling दुरफ़श)

1. standard; flag, banner

   Synonyms: پَرچَم (parcam), جَھنڈا (jhaṇḍā)

2. light; glimmer, shine

   Synonyms: روشنی (rošnī), چَمَک (camak)

Adjective

دُرَفش • (durafš) (Hindi spelling दुरफ़श)

1. shiny, glimmering

   Synonym: روشن (rošan)

Derived terms

• دُرَفشاں (durafšã, “bright”)
• دُرَفشِ کاوا (durafš-e-kāvā, “Kayanian standard”)

References

• “درفش”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.