{"id":157,"date":"2008-07-03T14:42:19","date_gmt":"2008-07-03T19:42:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/?page_id=157"},"modified":"2009-04-16T13:45:17","modified_gmt":"2009-04-16T19:45:17","slug":"silent-letters-vav","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/phonology\/silent-letters-vav\/","title":{"rendered":"The Silent Letter v\u0101v<\/em>"},"content":{"rendered":"

In some words of Iranian origin, a \u0648 v\u0101v<\/strong> preceded by a \u062e [x] and followed by a long vowel is silenced in Modern Persian<\/strong>: Middle Persian \u062e\u0648\u0627\u0628 xw\u0101b<\/em> \u2018sleep; dream\u2019, is now pronounced x\u0101b<\/em>; \u062e\u0648\u06cc\u0634 ~ Middle Persian xw\u0113\u0161<\/em> \u2018self, one\u2019s own self\u2019, is now pronounced x\u012b\u0161<\/em>, etc.<\/p>\n

In words of earlier Iranian origin with xwa-<\/em> (short \/a\/) segment, normally the \u0648 is shortened as [o]: \u062e\u0648\u062f Middle Persian: xwad<\/em> \u2018self,\u2019 Modern Persian: xod<\/em>; \u062e\u0648\u0634 Middle Persian: xwa\u0161<\/em> \u2018pleasant, sweet, nice,’ Modern Persian: xo\u0161.<\/em><\/p>\n

Note that in dialects more conservative than Standard Persian the inclusion of the [w] in the articulation of this class of words has been retained, as in Dari (of Afghanistan) xwa\u0161, xw\u0101har<\/em> \u2018sister.\u2019<\/p>\n

The omission of the \u0648 only pertains to words of Persian origin; in the loan words (most probably from Arabic or Turkish, because of x<\/em>), \u0648 is pronounced as written: \u062e\u0648\u0627\u0635\u0651 \u2018the elite\u2019 is pronounced in Persian as xav\u0101s<\/em> (Arabic xaw\u0101ss<\/em>, with Persian \/v\/ for Arabic \/w\/).<\/p>\n

Here is a partial list of the most common words in this class:<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_01a]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0628[\/tag]
\nx\u0101b<\/em>
\n\u2018sleep, asleep; dream; the nap (of a cloth)\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_02]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0628\u06cc\u062f\u0646[\/tag]
\nx\u0101bidan<\/em>
\ninfinitive: ‘to sleep, lie down\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_01]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0628 \u062f\u06cc\u062f\u0646[\/tag]
\nx\u0101b didan<\/em>
\ncomparative verb: \u2018to dream\u2019; literally, \u2018to see a dream\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_04]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u062c\u0647[\/tag]
\nx\u0101je<\/em>
\n\u2018a man of distinction; a venerable or a wealthy man; master\/owner; also, eunuch\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_06]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0631[\/tag]
\nx\u0101r<\/em>
\n\u2018despised, contemptible, abject\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_06]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0631[\/tag]
\nx\u0101r<\/em>
\n\u2018man-eating\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_05]\u0622\u062f\u0645\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0631[\/tag]
\n\u0101damx\u0101r<\/em>
\nadjective suffix: \u2018-eater\/-drinker; -eating\/-drinking\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_08]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0631\u0632\u0645[\/tag]
\nx\u0101raz<\/em>
\n\u2018Chorezmia\u2019 (a region in ancient Iran)<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_07]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0633\u062a [\/tag]
\nx\u0101st<\/em>
\nnoun: \u2018wish, will\u2019 (also 3rd singular simple past tense of the verb)<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_09]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0633\u062a\u0646[\/tag]
\nx\u0101stan<\/em>
\ninfinitive: \u2018to wish, desire, want\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_11]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0633\u062a\u06af\u0627\u0631[\/tag]
\nx\u0101stg\u0101r<\/em>
\n\u2018a gentleman caller; a gentleman seeking a young lady\u2019s hand\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_12]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0646\u0627[\/tag]
\nx\u0101n\u0101<\/em>
\n\u2018legible\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_13]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0646\u062f\u0646[\/tag]
\nx\u0101ndan<\/em>
\ninfinitive: \u2018to read; to sing; to call (upon), to convoke\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_14]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0647\u0631[\/tag]
\nx\u0101har<\/em>
\n\u2018sister; (slang) a (male) homosexual\u2019<\/p>\n

[tag resources silentvav_15]\u062e\u0648\u0627\u0647\u0634[\/tag]
\nx\u0101he\u0161<\/em>
\nnoun: \u2018a request, desire; begging; asking for\u2026\u2019<\/h5>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In some words of Iranian origin, a \u0648 v\u0101v preceded by a \u062e [x] and followed by a long vowel is silenced in Modern Persian: Middle Persian \u062e\u0648\u0627\u0628 xw\u0101b \u2018sleep; dream\u2019, is now pronounced x\u0101b; \u062e\u0648\u06cc\u0634 ~ Middle Persian xw\u0113\u0161 \u2018self, one\u2019s own self\u2019, is now pronounced x\u012b\u0161, etc. In words of earlier Iranian origin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":289,"featured_media":0,"parent":52,"menu_order":10,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-157","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/157","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/289"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=157"}],"version-history":[{"count":36,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/157\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3551,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/157\/revisions\/3551"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/52"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sites.la.utexas.edu\/persian_online_resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}