Etymology Explorer › Classical Persian

Where does “نشان” come from?

نشان (Classical Persian) comes from Middle Persian nyšʾn', from Proto-Iranian ni-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ní, from Proto-Indo-European ni — down.

Ancestry of “نشان”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Persiannyšʾn'mark, sign; banner
2Proto-Iranianni-down
3Proto-Indo-Iraniannídown, downwards; in, into
4Proto-Indo-Europeannidown
Every word from Proto-Indo-European ni →