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-stan

Persian-language suffix used for place names From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

-stan
For other uses, see Stan (disambiguation).

stan (Persian: ستان stân,[n 1] estân or istân[n 2]; Sanskrit: स्तान् stān or स्थानम् sthānam) has the meaning of "a place abounding in"[1] or "place where anything abounds" as a suffix.[2] It is widely used by Iranian languages (mainly Persian) and the Indic languages (mainly Sanskrit, Prakrit and Hindustani) as well as the Turkic languages (excluding Siberian Turkic), Dravidic languages (mainly Brahui and Kannada) and other languages. The suffix appears in the names of many regions throughout West, Central and South Asia, and parts of the Caucasus and Russia.[3]

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  Countries whose name in English has the suffix -stan
  Other countries that have first-level divisions whose names in English have the suffix -stan.
  Countries whose name in their native language has the suffix -stan.

Etymology and cognates

See also: Oikonyms in Western and South Asia

The suffix -stan is analogous to the suffix -land, present in many country and location names. The suffix is also used more generally, as in Persian and Sanskrit which are rigestân (ریگستان, ऋगेस्तान), "place of sand, desert"; golestân (گلستان, गोलेस्तान), "place of flowers, garden"; gurestân (گورستان, गुरेस्तान), "graveyard, cemetery";[4] and Hendostân/Hindustan (هندوستان, हिन्दुस्तान), "Land of the Indus (India)".[5]

Originally an independent noun, this morpheme evolved into a suffix by virtue of appearing frequently as the last part in nominal compounds. It is of Indo-Iranian and ultimately Indo-European origin. It is cognate with the English word stead, Polish stan (estate, or New World first-level subdivisions), and with Sanskrit sthā́na (स्थान [stʰaːnɐ]), meaning "the act of standing", from which many further meanings derive, including "place, location; abode, dwelling". This meaning is ultimately related to Proto-Indo-Iranian *sthāna-,[6] partly loaned into Ancient Greek as Ancient Greek: -στήνη (-stēnē).

Countries

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Perspective

Countries adopting the -stan suffix in both English and these countries' national languages include:

Some of these nations were also known with the Latinate suffix -ia during their time as Soviet republics: Turkmenistan was frequently Turkmenia, Kyrgyzstan often Kirghizia, and even Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were very occasionally Uzbekia and Tajikia.[7][8] In addition, the native name of Armenia is Hayastan, hay being the endonym of Armenians and India is Hindustan, hindu being the endonym of Hindus. The largest -stan country by area is Kazakhstan.

Country names in various languages

More information English Name, Persian name ...
English NamePersian name Sanskrit

name

 Turkish nameArmenian nameAzerbaijani nameKazakh nameTurkmen nameTatar nameUyghur nameBashkir nameHindustani name Uzbek name
 ArmeniaArmanestân – ارمنستان Armānistān – अरमनिस्तान्ErmenistanHayastan – Հայաստան (native term: Hayk' – Հայք) Ermənistan—ErmenistanÄrmänstan – Әрмәнстан—Ärmänstan – ӘрмәнстанArmanistān – अर्मनिस्तान – ارمنستانArmaniston - Арманистон
 BulgariaBulgharestân – بلغارستان Bölgārestān – बोलगारेस्तान्Bulgaristan—Bolqarıstan——Bolğarstan – Болгарстан—Bolğarstan – БолғарстанBulġaristān – बुल्ग़रिस्तान – بلغارستان —
 China— Sènāhstān – सेनाहस्तान्—Čʿinastan – Չինաստան——————— —
 Croatia— –Hırvatistan————-
(alternative Xırwatstan – Хырватстан)		—Xırwatstan – ХыруатстанK͟Hirvatistān – ख़िरवतिस्तान – خروتستان —
 EnglandEngelestân – انگلستان Angârêzstān – अङ्गरेजस्तान् — — — — — — — — Iṅglistān – इङ्ग्लिस्तान - ان٘گلستان —
 Ethiopian Empire

( Ethiopia and  Eritrea)

 — – -
(formerly Habeşistan)		 -
(formerly Habešstan – Հաբեշստան)		 -
(formerly Həbəşistan)		 — — -
(formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан)		 -
(formerly Hebeshistan –

ھەبەشىستان)

 -
(formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан)		 Habśistān – हब्शिस्तान – حبشستان -
(formerly Habashiston - Ҳабашистон)
 GeorgiaGorjestân – گرجستان –GürcistanVrastan – Վրաստան (native term: Virk' – Վիրք)Gürcüstan——Görcistan – Гөрҗистан—Görjöstan – ГөржөстанGurjistān – गुर्जिस्तान – گرجستانGurjiston - Гуржистон
 Greece— Yāvanstān – यावनस्तान्YunânıstanHunastan – ՀունաստանYunânıstan——Yunanstan – Юнанстан—Yunanstan – Юнанстан— Yunoniston - Юнонистон
 HungaryMajârestân – مجارستان Māhyūrstān – मह्युरस्तान्Macârıstan—MacârıstanMajarstan – МажарстанMajarystanMacarstan – Маҗарстан—МажарстанMajāristān – मजारिस्तान – مجارستانMojariston - Можаристон
 IndiaHendostân – هندوستان Hindustan –

हिन्दुस्तान्

 HindistanHndkastan – ՀնդկաստանHindistanÜndıstan – ҮндістанHindistanHindstan – ҺиндстанHindustan – ھىندىستانHindostan – ҺиндостанHindustān – हिन्दुस्तान – ہِنْدُوْسْتانHindiston - Ҳиндистон
 MongoliaMogholestân – مغولستان Mangōlastān – मंगोलास्तान्Moğolistan—————Mağulstan – МағулстанMaṅgōlistān – मङ्गोलिस्तान – من٘گولستانMoʻgʻuliston - Мўғулистон
 PolandLahestân – لهستان Léchîstān – लेचिस्तान्-
(formerly Lehistan)		Lehastan – Լեհաստան———Läxstan – ЛәхстанLehistan – لەھىستانLähstan – ЛәhстанLahistān – लहिस्तान – لہستان —
 Russia— –—Ṙusastan – Ռուսաստան——————— —
 Saudi Arabia'Arabestân-e Sa'udi – عربستان سعودی 'Arabèstān Sa'udî – अरबिस्तान् साउदीSuudi Arabistan—Səudiyyə Ərəbistanı—Saud ArabystanySögüd Gäräbstanı – Согуд ГарәбстаныSe'udi Erebistan – سەئۇدى ئەرەبىستانSäğüd Ğäräbstanï – Сәғүд Ғәрәбстаны—Saudiya Arabistoni - Саудия Арабистони
 SerbiaSerbestân – صربستان Srbèndastān – सृबिन्दस्तान्Sırbistan————-
(alternative Sırbstan – Сырбстан)		—Sırbstan – СырбстанSarbistān – सर्बिस्तान – صربستان —
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Administrative divisions

The following table lists the subnational entities of different countries that end with -stan.

More information Country & first level of division, Country subdivision name ...
Country & first level of divisionCountry subdivision name
Provinces of AfghanistanNuristan
Districts of AzerbaijanGobustan
States of IndiaRajasthan[n 3]
Provinces of IranGolestan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Sistan, Baluchestan
Regions of KazakhstanTurkistan
Provinces of PakistanBalochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan
Republics of RussiaBashkortostan, Dagestan, Tatarstan
Regions of UzbekistanKarakalpakstan
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Administrative subdivisions

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Perspective

The following list shows some examples of some second-level, third-level, and fourth-level subdivisions inside different countries that have their names ending in a -stan-like suffix.

In Afghanistan

  1. Various places share this name.

In Armenia

In India

In Iran

  1. Various places share this name.
  2. In the Persian language, Shahrestan is also a common noun that means "county". It is in the names of the counties of Iran.

Dehestan is the name of an administrative division in Iran.

In Pakistan

In Tajikistan

In other countries

Regions

Historical regions

  • Frangistan – a historical term used (by Muslims and Persians in particular) to refer to Western or Christian Europe.
  • Funjistan (Funj) - a historical empire ubicated in modern-day Sudan
  • Kabulistan – a historical name of the territory centered around present-day Kabul Province of Afghanistan.
  • Lazistan – a historical and cultural region of the Caucasus and Anatolia, traditionally inhabited by the Laz people.
  • Moghulistan (Mughalistan) – a historical area in Central Asia that included parts of modern-day Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Xinjiang
  • Tabaristan – a historical mountainous region located on the Caspian coast of Northern Iran.
  • Zabulistan – a historical region roughly corresponding to today's Zabul Province in southern Afghanistan.

Proposed names

Fictional

Other

  • Absurdistan – sometimes used to satirically describe a country where everything goes wrong
  • Angyalistan – a micronation that claims garbage patches in international waters
  • Autistan – the "metaphorical country" of the autistic people
  • Bailoutistan (or Bailoutistan 2.0) - sarcastic term for Greece following the European Union bail out packages, coined by Yanis Varoufakis in his book 'Adults in the Room: My Battle With the European and American Deep Establishment'
  • Bimaristan – a kind of hospital in medieval Persia and the medieval Islamic world
  • Bradistan – a moniker for Bradford, England, owing to its large population of Pakistani worker migrants
  • Canuckistan (full name being The People's Republic of Soviet Canuckistan) – epithet for Canada, used by Pat Buchanan on 31 October 2002, on his television show on MSNBC in which he denounced Canadians as anti-American and the country as a haven for terrorists. He was reacting to Canadian criticisms of US security measures regarding Arab Canadians[15]
  • Cavaquistan (Cavaquistão in Portuguese) – a name coined after the former Portuguese President and Prime-Minister Aníbal Cavaco Silva, referring to the regions of Portugal where he achieved landslide victories in the elections held in the late 1980s and early 1990s (especially in the Viseu District[16]); intended pun with Kazakhstan (Cazaquistão in Portuguese[17])
  • Dalitstan.org – a Dalit advocacy website active until mid-2006,[18] one of 18 websites that were blocked by the Indian government to check for hate messages following the 2006 Mumbai train bombings.[19]
  • Extremistan and Mediocristan – used by author Nassim Nicholas Taleb to illustrate concepts of black swan theory in The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable
  • Filmistan – a film-production company
  • Fondukistan or Fondoqestān – an early medieval settlement and Buddhist monastery in Afghanistan
  • Gazimestan – name of a monument commemorating the historical Battle of Kosovo
  • Hookturnistan – satirical name of Melbourne, Victoria, due to the large number of hook turns on city roads
  • Hamastan – a concept of a Palestinian Islamic government with Sharia as law
  • Iranistan – a pseudo-orientalist mansion built for P. T. Barnum in 1848 in Connecticut
  • Islamistan – means 'Land of Islam', used in various contexts
  • Londonistan – French counter-terrorism agents gave the British/English capital of London this sobriquet. Sometimes used derogatorily to refer to the large immigrant, especially Muslim, population in London.
  • Muristan – a complex of streets and shops in the Christian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem
  • New Yorkistan – the title of the cover art for the 10 December 2001, edition of The New Yorker magazine
    • The New Yorkistan map itself included various districts ending in -stan, e.g., Bronxistan, Cold Turkeystan, Fuhgeddabouditstan, Gaymenistan, Taxistan, Youdontunderstandistan, etc.
  • Orbánistan – a derogatory term for Hungary under the rule of Viktor Orbán[20]
  • Paganistan – the pagan/neo-pagan community of Minneapolis-Saint Paul in Minnesota[21]
  • Quebecistan – a term coined by Barbara Kay in 2006 in reference to Quebec, Canada.
  • Sarvestan – a Sasanian-era palace in the Iranian province of Sarvestan
  • Shabestan – an underground space, usually found in the traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Persia
  • Shahrestan (several meanings)
  • Skateistan – a skateboarding/educational organization based in Kabul, Afghanistan
  • Swedistan – a derogatory term for Sweden due to its growing immigration from Islamic countries. It is sometimes used by internet users to attack or offend Swedish Muslims.
  • Talibanistan – a name for the government of Afghanistan under the Taliban
  • Zaqistan – a micronation currently in Nevada

See also

Notes

  1. [n 1]
    Applies after a vowel, e.g. Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan.
  2. [n 2]
    Applies after a consonant, e.g Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan.
  3. [n 3]
    The suffix -sthan is through Indic, not Iranic.

References

Sources

Further reading

External links

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