science

List of geographic names of Iranian origin

List of geographic names of Iranian origin is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand List of geographic names of Iranian origin rather than just read about it. In short: This is a list of geographic names of Iranian origin. This list also includes geographic names which are in part derived from Iranian languages.

Key takeaways

List of geographic names of Iranian origin belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect List of geographic names of Iranian origin to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of List of geographic names of Iranian origin from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

This is a list of geographic names of Iranian origin. This list also includes geographic names which are in part derived from Iranian languages.

Africa

Somalia Mogadishu Bandar Beyla Bandar Qaasim

Tanzania Zanzibar

Tunisia Kairouan The name (ٱلْقَيْرُوَان Al-Qairuwân) is an Arabic deformation of the Persian word کاروان kârvân, meaning "military/civilian camp".

Central Asia Amudarya Syrdarya Khwarezm Pamir Mountains Turkistan Formed with the Persian suffix -istan, literally meaning "land of the Turks" in Persian.

Afghanistan Afghanistan

Formed with the Old Persian suffix -stan, cognate with sthāna from Sanskrit, meaning 'land', it literally means "Land of Afghans".

Cities Herat Jalalabad Mazar-i Sharif

Kazakhstan Formed with the Persian suffix -istan, literally meaning "land of the Kazakh or Ghazagh" in Persian.

Cities Astana Shymkent Taraz Lenger Shardara

Kyrgyzstan Formed with the Persian suffix -istan.

Cities Jalal-Abad Osh Batken Isfana Uzgen Aravan Khaidarkan Kadamjay Nooken District

Tajikistan Tajikistan Tajik combined with Persian suffix -stan. Literally meaning "Land of Tajiks" in Persian.

Cities and regions

Dushanbe The name is derived from the Persian word for "Monday" (du two + shamba or shanbe day, lit. "day two") and refers to the fact that it was a popular Monday marketplace. Garm The name is derived from the Gharmi people, and Iranian people. Kofarnihon The name comes from the Persian کافر نهان, literally meaning "place where unbelievers hide". Murghab Derived from the Persian word مرغاب meaning "river of the birds". Panjakent Persian پنج‌کند which means Five Cities. Its older name was Panj-deh (Five Villages). Kent or Kand is Iranian city or fortress. like Samarkand and Tashkand. Qurghonteppa Derived from the Persian word گرگان تپه meaning "Hills of Gurgan".

Turkmenistan Ashgabat The name is believed to derive from the Persian Ashk-ābād meaning "the City of Arsaces." Another explanation is that the name comes from the Arabic عشق (ishq, meaning "love") and the Persian آباد (ābād meaning "cultivated place" or "city"), and hence loosely translates as "the city of love."

Cities Abadan Chardzhou Mary Merv Türkmenabat

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan Uzbek combined with Persian suffix -stan, originally from Sanskrit 'sthan' meaning 'land'. Literally meaning "Land of Uzbeks" in Persian.

Cities and regions

Afrasiab Derived from the Persian afrāsiyāb (Persian: افراسياب; Avestan: Fraŋrasyan; Pahlavi: Frāsiyāv, Frāsiyāk and Freangrāsyāk), the name of the mythical King and hero of Turan and an archenemy of Iran. Bukhara Encyclopædia Iranica mentions that the name Bukhara is possibly derived from the Soghdian βuxārak. Another possible source of the name Bukhara may be from "a Turkic (Uighur) transfer of the Sanskrit word 'Vihara'" (monastery), and may be linked to the pre-Islamic presence of Buddhism (especially strong at the time of the Kushan empire) originating from the Indian sub-continent, and to the presence of some Turkish rulers in the 6th Century. Dehkanabad Formed with Persian suffix -abad. Guliston Formed with the Persian suffix -istan. Jizzakh The name "Jizzahk", derives from the Sogdian word for "small fort" and the present city is built of the site of the Sogdian town of Usrushana. Karakalpakstan Formed with the Persian suffix -istan. Namangan and Namangan Province Derived from the local salt mines (in Persian: نمک‌کان namak kan). Panjakent In Sogdian, the native local Iranian language in pre-Islamic times, kanθ means town, which is derived from Old Persian kanda, meaning a town or a region. In this case, Khanda has been manipulated into "kent". Samarkand The name Samarkand is derived from Persian meaning "Stone Town". In Greek it was known as Marakanda. In Sogdian, the native local Iranian language in pre-Islamic times, kanθ means town, which is derived from Old Persian kanda, meaning a town or a region. Shahrisabz Its name (شهر سبز/Šahr e Sabz) means "green city" in Persian. Surxondaryo Tashkent In medieval times the town and the province were known as "Chach". Later, the town came to be known as Chachkand/Chashkand, meaning "Chach City." (Kand, qand, kent, kad, kath, kud—all meaning a city, are derived from the Old Iranian, kanda, meaning a town or a city. Xorazm Yarkand In Sogdian, the native local Iranian language in pre-Islamic times, kanθ means town, which is derived from Old Persian kanda, meaning a town or a region. Zeravshan From the Persian word زر افشان, meaning "the sprayer of Gold".

Geographical features Zeravshan mountains From the Persian word زر افشان, meaning "the sprayer of Gold".

East Asia China The English name of China comes from the Qin dynasty, possibly in a Sanskrit form; the pronunciation "China" came to the western languages through the Persian word چین "Chin". Korea (both north and south)

After the Goryeo dynasty, the first Korean dynasty visited by Persian merchants who referred to Koryŏ (Goryeo) as Korea.

Brunei Bandar Seri Begawan

Indonesia Banda Aceh The first part of its name comes from the Persian bandar (بندر) and means "port" or "haven". It is also proudly referred to as the "port to Meccah", as Islam first arrived in Aceh and spread throughout Southeast Asia. Bandar Lampung Bandar (in Persian بندر) is a Persian word meaning "port" and "haven". Etymologically it combines Persian بند Band (enclosed) and در dar (gate, door) meaning "an enclosed area" (i.e. protected from the sea). The word travelled with Persian sailors over a wide area leading to several coastal places in Iran and elsewhere having Bandar (haven) as part of their names.

Malaysia Bandar Sri Damansara

Bandar Seri Putra

Bandar Baru Bangi

Bandar Samariang

Southern Asia

Bangladesh Bandar Upazila Bandar Thana

India India

The name India is derived from Indus, which is derived from the Old Persian word Hind. This is the name of the Indus River in Old Persian. The word Hindu also originates from the Old Persian, meaning people who live beyond the Indus River, and it originally referred to the people, not the religion. Furthermore, the name "Hindustan", a name for historical India, is Persian derived.

Punjab

Pakistan Pakistan Formed from the Persian meaning "Land of the Pure"; "Pāk-" meaning "pure" and the Persian suffix "-istān" meaning "land" Punjab formed from Persian meaning "land of the five streams"; "Panj-" meaning "five" and "-āb" meaning "waters"

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with List of geographic names of Iranian origin

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what List of geographic names of Iranian origin claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to List of geographic names of Iranian origin before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about List of geographic names of Iranian origin ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of List of geographic names of Iranian origin

In research: List of geographic names of Iranian origin appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses List of geographic names of Iranian origin in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: List of geographic names of Iranian origin is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Azerbaijan geography-related lists, Iran geography-related lists, Toponymy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for List of geographic names of Iranian origin outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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Frequently asked questions

What is List of geographic names of Iranian origin in simple terms?

This is a list of geographic names of Iranian origin. This list also includes geographic names which are in part derived from Iranian languages.

Why does List of geographic names of Iranian origin matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study List of geographic names of Iranian origin?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on List of geographic names of Iranian origin.