Where does “अफ़्ग़ानिस्तान” come from?
अफ़्ग़ानिस्तान (Hindi) comes from Persian افغانستان, from Persian ـستان, from Middle Persian -stʾn', from Proto-Indo-Iranian stáHnam, from Proto-Indo-European stéh₂-no-m, from Proto-Indo-European steh₂- — to stand.
Ancestry of “अफ़्ग़ानिस्तान”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Persian | افغانستان | — |
| 2 | Persian | ـستان | -istan, -estan, -stan |
| 3 | Middle Persian | -stʾn' | makes nouns of places; of indeterminate function |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | stáHnam | the act of standing; position, location, place |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | stéh₂-no-m | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | steh₂- | to stand |