Persian: -āvar/-āvor

[seitt]

Hi
Table of Contents - Persian Morphology | Word Formation and Derivation is an excellent site, but seems to miss out one important suffix I remember: -āvar/-āvor.
I hope I have the right form: I think it must be from the verb آوردن 'to bring'. What is the correct pronunciation, -āvar or -āvor? Or does it vary? I think one example of the suffix is in جاناور 'beast'. (Literally "bringing i.e. having a soul"?) Can you give some other examples, please?
Also, how would you define this suffix? Can it be a synonym for the suffix دار? Would it be a very bad mistake to use it instead of دار? E.g. instead of سکان دار?
I ask because Armenian has a word ղեկավար ġekavar (ġek+avar), which would correspond to سکان آور literally. I am unable to trace the Armenian prefix -avar and am inclined to link it with -āvar.
So I would be very very grateful for some insight into the suffix -āvar/-āvor and examples of its usage, please?
Best Wishes
Simon

 

[mannoushka]

Hello, seitt. The pronunciation is correctly represented by ‘aavar’, that is, a long ‘a’ (as in car) followed by ‘v’ followed by a short ‘a’ (as in ran), culminating in an ‘r’. The suffix attaches itself to nouns to make up nouns or adjectives that suggest ‘bringing something forth’, ‘inducing some effect’. Examples are, دارویِ خواب‌آوَر (sleeping medication), گازِ اَشک‌آور (tear gas), یاد‌آورِ (reminiscent of), پیام‌آور (messenger). دار implies possessing a quality, a thing, or some feature (طایِ دسته‌دار, a T with a handle, the name for the letter ط in the alphabet), being in charge of something (سکان‌دار, helmsman).

 

[mannoushka]

Seitt, thank you for introducing the Jahanshiri site. I am sure I am going to benefit by reading through it.

 

[PersoLatin]

I think one example of the suffix is in جاناور 'beast'. (Literally "bringing i.e. having a soul"?) Can you give some other examples, please?

This one is جانور meaning “ living thing, beast”, the suffix on it is ور/var and not آور, a related word is جاندار "one possessing life, living thing". Other examples شناور/floating, کینه ور/spiteful پیشه ور/craftsman/woman, غوطه ور/sinking.

I hope I have the right form: I think it must be from the verb آوردن 'to bring'. What is the correct pronunciation, -āvar or -āvor? Or does it vary?

There is no -āvor as a suffix but آوردن colloquially is pronounced āvordan, e.g. formally آوردم/âvardam and colloquially آوردم/ âvordam (I brought/carried)

mannoushka provided great examples، here are a few more : دردآور (pain-inducing/painful), رنج آور (brings misery), شادی آور (brings happiness), اشتها آ ور (appetiser), نشاط آ ور (bring cheerfulness, cheerful)

 

[seitt]

Many thanks, so very helpful.

This one is جانور meaning “ living thing, beast”, the suffix on it is ور/var and not آور, a related word is جاندار "one possessing life, living thing". Other examples شناور/floating, کینه ور/spiteful پیشه ور/craftsman/woman, غوطه ور/sinking.

A knowledge of Turkish mostly helps a lot if one wishes to learn Persian, but one disadvantage is that the Turkish equivalent of جانور is canavar; the meaning is also somewhat changed, i.e. into "monster". Even in this usually marvellous etymological dictionary, the same mistake is made:
canavar - Nişanyan Sözlük

canavar

KTü: [ Codex Cumanicus, 1303] animal [hayvan]: tinle [tinli, i.e. canlı], ianauar (...) bestia - Fa: ayuan - Tr: yanauar.[ Meninski, Thesaurus, 1680] cānver vul. canavar: Animal, fera, & pec. aper. [hayvan, yabani hayvan, özellikle yaban domuzu] ~ Fa cānvar/cānāvar جانور canlı yaratık, her çeşit hayvan → can, +aver

I'll just translate the relevant bit from this entry on the etymology of "canavar" as a Turkish word:
~ Fa cānvar/cānāvar جانور canlı yaratık, her çeşit hayvan
~ Farsi cānvar/cānāvar جانور living creature (literally "souled creature" i.e. having a soul), every kind of animal

 

[PersoLatin]

Iranian Turkish speakers too, pronounce it جاناور but جانور when they speak Persian.

the meaning is also somewhat changed

The monster/beast sense also exists in Persian and in fact is more prevalent than its primary sense, at least in modern times.

 

[seitt]

Iranian Turkish speakers too, pronounce it جاناور but جانور when they speak Persian.

How absolutely fascinating! So might one speak of a new language we might call "Tersian" or "Tarsi"?

 

[clamor]

I ask because Armenian has a word ղեկավար ġekavar (ġek+avar), which would correspond to سکان آور literally. I am unable to trace the Armenian prefix -avar and am inclined to link it with -āvar.

A bit off-topic but there is an Armenian suffix, -աւոր, which stems from *bʰer- (bear, bring). It corresponds to your hypothesis regarding اور-

 

[PersoLatin]

A bit off-topic but there is an Armenian suffix, -աւոր, which stems from *bʰer- (bear, bring). It corresponds to your hypothesis regarding اور-

ղեկավար ġekavar (ġek+avar),

ղեկավար as a word means chief, head, leader, and separately, ղեկ means "rudder" and ավար means "plunder booty, the spoil", also Avar, the equestrian nomads, not the one in question, the suffix -աւոր doesn't seem to be in ղեկավար, anyway another word ղեկապետ means "navigator" so سکان دار makes sense, have I got this right? I am not at all familiar with the script so I might be talking nonsense.

 

[seitt]

ղեկավար as a word means chief, head, leader, and separately, ղեկ means "rudder" and ավար means "plunder booty, the spoil", also Avar, the equestrian nomads, not the one in question, the suffix -աւոր doesn't seem to be in ղեկավար, anyway another word ղեկապետ means "navigator" so سکان دار makes sense, have I got this right? I am not at all familiar with the script so I might be talking nonsense.

ղեկավար, I have just discovered, is from ղեկ + this verb:
վարել [vɑˈɾɛl] = to plough, till; to conduct, direct, manage; to drive, conduct (operate a wheeled motorized vehicle)
պետ is cognate with Sanskrit पति (pati) and English "possess" and so many other Indo-European words. It means 'lord, master'. So very good for a navigator, showing high status.