Abstractions
   

Adjectives and nouns (substantives) are abstracted by the additions of the enclitic [-i].  An enclitic is a character that has no meaning on its own, until it is joined with another word.

good → goodness xub → xubi [tag resources abstractions_01]خوب ← خوبی[/tag]
great → greatness bozorg → bozorgi [tag resources abstractions_02]بزرگ ← بزرگی[/tag]
man → manhood mard → mardi [tag resources abstractions_03]مرد ← مردی[/tag]
friend → friendship deust → deusti [tag resources abstractions_04]دوست ← دوستی[/tag]

As you see, the Persian suffix of abstraction [-i] may be compared with the English suffixes of state or quality ([-ness], ‘happiness,’ [-ship] ‘friendship’), rank and domain ([-dom], ‘dukedom,’ ‘kingdom’), or state, condition, classification ([-hood], ‘fatherhood,’ ‘priesthood’):

happy → happiness xošhāl → xošhāli [tag resources abstractions_05]خوشحال ← خوشحالی[/tag]
leader → leadership rahbar → rahbari [tag resources abstractions_06]رهبر ← رهبری[/tag]
king → kingdom šah → šahi [tag resources abstractions_07]شاه ← شاهی[/tag]
brother → brotherhood barādar → barādari [tag resources abstractions_08]برادر ← برادری[/tag]

In addition, it also determines office, utilization:

fire fighter → fire department ātaš nešān → ātaš nešāni [tag resources abstractions_09]آتش نشان ← آتش نشانی[/tag]
book seller → book store ketābforuš → ketābforuši [tag resources abstractions_10]کتابفروش ← کتابفروشی[/tag]
chief of police (literally, ‘the protector of the city’)
→ police headquarters		 šahrbān → šahrebāni [tag resources abstractions_11]شهربان ← شهربانی[/tag]
sheriff → precinct, police department kalāntar → kalāntari [tag resources abstractions_12]کلانتر ← کلانتری[/tag]
mayor → mayor’s office šahrdār → šahrdāri [tag resources abstractions_13]شهردار ← شهرداری[/tag]
launderer → washing machine raxtšu → māšin-e raxtšui [tag resources abstractions_14]رختشو ← ماشین رختشویی[/tag]
dishwasher → dishwashing machine zarfšu → māšin-e zarfšui [tag resources abstractions_15]ظرفشو ← ماشین ظرفشویی[/tag]
to eat → tablespoon (literally, ‘eating spoon’) γazā xordan → qāšoq-e γazā xori [tag resources abstractions_16]غذا خوردن ← قاشق غذا خوری[/tag]
fork → desert-fork (literally, ‘fruit-eating fork’) cangāl → cangāl-e mive xori [tag resources abstractions_17]چنگال ← چنگال میوه خوری[/tag]

In dealing with the terminal vowels this ی keeps to the following orthographic and euphonic rules:

After the long [ā] and long [u] an euphonic [y] intervenes:

[tag resources abstractions_18]زیبا ← زیبایی[/tag]
zibā → zibāi
‘beautiful, pretty’ → ‘beauty’

[tag resources abstractions_19]دانا ← دانایی[/tag]
dānā → dānāi
‘learned; wise, sagacious’ → ‘wisdom; knowledge’

[tag resources abstractions_20]ظرفشو ← ماشین ظرفشویی[/tag]
zarfšu → māšin-e zarfšui
‘dishwasher’ → ‘dishwashing machine’

[tag resources abstractions_21]زانو ← زانویی[/tag]
zānu → zānui
‘knee’ → ‘knee-shaped, a goose-neck, sleeve-coupling, a siphon’

Normally adjectives with a final [i] are already a result of this construction, to begin with; such as., کار , noun ‘work, deed, job’ → کاری, adjective ‘effective; efficient, hard-working.’ Therefore they usually do not take this ”ی“ enclitic; instead they are used in a phrasal construction with the verb “to be”:

[tag resources abstractions_22]غنی ← غنی بودن[/tag]
γani → γani budan
‘rich’ → ‘being rich, richness’

[tag resources abstractions_23]کاری ← کاری بودن[/tag]
kāri → kāri budan
‘effective; efficient, hard-working’ → ‘effectiveness; efficiency’

Since in words of Persian origin the terminal [-e] (the silent /h, that is) represents the historical development an [-ag] suffix, in the process of abstraction the [-g] is reintroduced as a (sort of) means of euphony, which replaces the terminal [-e] and orthographically, the [-h]:

[tag resources abstractions_24]بچّه ← بچّگی[/tag]
bacce → baccegi
‘child’ → ‘childhood; childishness’
[tag resources abstractions_25]خانه ← خانگی[/tag]
xāne → xānegi
‘house, home’ → ‘belonging to the household’

An abstracted adjective could be used in the phrase به این/آن…ـی be in/ān abstracted adjective. i as the Persian counterpart for the English ‘so + adjective’ or ‘such a + adjective’ phrase:

[tag resources abstractions_26]به این زودی می روید؟[/tag]
be in zudi miravid?
“Are you going so soon?”

[tag resources abstractions_27]مردی به این خوبی ندیده بودم[/tag]
mardi be in xubi nadide budam
“I have never seen such a good man.”

An abstracted adjective could be used in the phrase به…ـی این/آن be abstr. adj. + –e in/ān as the Persian counterpart for the English “as…as…”:

[tag resources abstractions_28]این به خوبی آن نیست[/tag]
in be xubi-ye ān nist
“This is not as good as that.”

[tag resources abstractions_29]آن ماشین به بزرگی این نیست[/tag]
ān māšin be bozorgi-ye in nist
“That car is not as big as this (one).”