Middle Persian

Alternative forms

• KNYA (arameogram)

Noun

nʾd • ‎(nā̆y)

1. reed, cane
2. tube, flute, clarion
3. pole, perch (10 ft.)

Derived terms

• nʾd pzd- ‎(nāy pazd-, “to play flute”)
• KNYAstʾn' ‎(nayestān)
• nʾyck' ‎(nāyīzag)
• nʾdslʾd ‎(nāy-srāy)

Descendants

• Persian: نای ‎(nây), نی ‎(ney)
  • > Arabic: ناي ‎(nāy)
  • > Azeri: ney / نی
  • > English: ney, nay, nai
  • > Hindustani:

    Urdu: نای ‎(nāy)

  • > Ottoman Turkish: نای ‎(nây), نی ‎(ney)
    • Turkish: ney
  • > Uyghur: نەي ‎(ney)
  • > Uzbek: nay

References

• MacKenzie, D. N. (1971), “nay; nāy”, in A concise Pahlavi dictionary, London, New York, Toronto: Oxford University Press, page 58
• Ačaṙean, Hračʿeay (1971–1979), “նետ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Dictionary of Armenian Root Words] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, Yerevan: University Press, published 1926–1935
• Cheung, Johnny (2007) Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-15496-4, pages 276–277