Etymology Explorer › Arabic

Where does “مَهْر” come from?

مَهْر (Arabic) comes from Old Persian 𐎷𐎰𐎼, from Avestan 𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀, from Proto-Iranian miθráh, from Proto-Indo-Iranian mitrás, from Proto-Indo-European mēy- — soft, tender, dear.

مَهْر (Arabic): marriage portion; dowry

Definitions

  1. marriage portion; dowry

Ancestry of “مَهْر”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Old Persian𐎷𐎰𐎼—
2Avestan𐬨𐬌𐬚𐬭𐬀contract; agreement; pact
3Proto-Iranianmiθráh—
4Proto-Indo-Iranianmitráscovenant; treaty; agreement
5Proto-Indo-Europeanmēy-soft, tender, dear

Words derived from “مَهْر”

  • mahr
  • mahari
  • mahar
Every word from Proto-Indo-European mēy- →