Dear Persophones,
Young and old, this has been a subject which has been on my mind for a while and it pertains to the magically metaphorical and poetic nature of the language. Gher or Ger, whichever way you want to transliterate it (to avoid confusing the term with گھیر which is how some 2nd and 3rd generation diaspora Iranians pronounce the term) is just one such sneak peak into that. It especially when used with the verb daadan I.e. دادن describes seductive hip movements whether they are gentle shimmies and sways or more exaggerated gyration and hip rolls. This is a term which is used ad nauseum by Persophones abroad thence I wanted to dig deeper into its origins and etymology.
Now my question with regard to the term is a two-part one 1. firstly which one out of غر or قر is the standard spelling of the term? This won't matter much from a practical perspective as Iranian Perso-phones would pronounce them identically regardless. Online I have come to find that قر is the popular way of writing it and there are multiple songs based on the theme, some more popular than others. One of them which is moderately popular is titled قر کمر I.e. gher E kamar, seductive swaying of the waist. There isn't much available in online sources but this is what I was able to gather from Hayyim on the term:
غر (gher) Noun Colloq. 1. A moving of the hips or of the loins in Persian dancing [something of the nature of what the French call danse du ventre]. 2. Fig. Coquettish or flippant gestures. [Spelled also قر].
غر دادن Intransitive and transitive To move (one's hips, etc. in dancing). Fig. To walk or act coquettishly or flippantly.
2. Secondly, what is the etymology and rationale behind this colloquialism which by no means is new and has spanned at least one century, if not two or more? Good old (or bad old) Steingass whichever way you look at it has this to say that a) قر and thereby qirr/qir was how the term was originally written and pronounced and b) the term derives from the Arabic term for monkey in qird.
قر qir, qirr (prob. for A. قرد qird), An ape, monkey, baboon; — qirr dādan, To coquette about, sway the body as in a dance (m.c.).
If indeed that is the case what is the semantic or metaphorical connection between monkeys and seductive hip swaying or coquettish behaviour? Would anyone care to take a crack at explicating how this term has come to being that is now part and parcel of the Persian language and extends to any seductive hip movement that could correlate to rhthmic dance?
I look forward to hearing/reading your expert advice.
Regards,
Sheikh
Young and old, this has been a subject which has been on my mind for a while and it pertains to the magically metaphorical and poetic nature of the language. Gher or Ger, whichever way you want to transliterate it (to avoid confusing the term with گھیر which is how some 2nd and 3rd generation diaspora Iranians pronounce the term) is just one such sneak peak into that. It especially when used with the verb daadan I.e. دادن describes seductive hip movements whether they are gentle shimmies and sways or more exaggerated gyration and hip rolls. This is a term which is used ad nauseum by Persophones abroad thence I wanted to dig deeper into its origins and etymology.
Now my question with regard to the term is a two-part one 1. firstly which one out of غر or قر is the standard spelling of the term? This won't matter much from a practical perspective as Iranian Perso-phones would pronounce them identically regardless. Online I have come to find that قر is the popular way of writing it and there are multiple songs based on the theme, some more popular than others. One of them which is moderately popular is titled قر کمر I.e. gher E kamar, seductive swaying of the waist. There isn't much available in online sources but this is what I was able to gather from Hayyim on the term:
غر (gher) Noun Colloq. 1. A moving of the hips or of the loins in Persian dancing [something of the nature of what the French call danse du ventre]. 2. Fig. Coquettish or flippant gestures. [Spelled also قر].
غر دادن Intransitive and transitive To move (one's hips, etc. in dancing). Fig. To walk or act coquettishly or flippantly.
2. Secondly, what is the etymology and rationale behind this colloquialism which by no means is new and has spanned at least one century, if not two or more? Good old (or bad old) Steingass whichever way you look at it has this to say that a) قر and thereby qirr/qir was how the term was originally written and pronounced and b) the term derives from the Arabic term for monkey in qird.
قر qir, qirr (prob. for A. قرد qird), An ape, monkey, baboon; — qirr dādan, To coquette about, sway the body as in a dance (m.c.).
If indeed that is the case what is the semantic or metaphorical connection between monkeys and seductive hip swaying or coquettish behaviour? Would anyone care to take a crack at explicating how this term has come to being that is now part and parcel of the Persian language and extends to any seductive hip movement that could correlate to rhthmic dance?
I look forward to hearing/reading your expert advice.
Regards,
Sheikh
