English Explanatory Dictionary

-stan

English dictionary entry

Meanings

suffix
  1. Used in the names of regions in the Middle East and Central Asia which were historically influenced by Persian and Turkic cultures.
  2. Used to form fictitious or metaphoric country names, often with a connotation of it being an exotic or hostile country.
  3. Used after European and American place names to emphasize that many Middle Easterners or Muslims reside there.
noun
  1. Alternative letter-case form of stan. (second etymology)

Pronunciation

/stæn/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl--stan.wav

Word forms

-stan -istan -estan

Etymology

From Classical Persian ـستان (-istān), from Middle Persian -stʾn' (-estān), from Old Persian 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎴 (s-t-a-n /⁠stāna⁠/), from Proto-Iranian *stáHnam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *stʰáHnam, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”). Compare Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬁𐬥𐬀 (stāna), Sanskrit स्थान (sthā́na), Russian стан (stan) (< Proto-Slavic *stanъ), Armenian -ստան (-stan), English stay, stand, state, stead, Latin status.

Related words

Afghanistan Baluchistan Balochistan Bashkortostan Dagestan Hindustan Karakalpakstan Kazakhstan Khalistan Khuzestan Kurdistan Kyrgyzstan Lorestan Pakistan Rajasthan Tajikistan Tatarstan Turkestan Turkmenistan Uzbekistan
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