Where does “ख़ुदा हाफ़िज़” come from?
ख़ुदा हाफ़िज़ (Hindi) comes from Persian خدا حافظ, from Persian خدا, from Classical Persian خدای, from Middle Persian hwtʾy, from Proto-Iranian *hwatā́wHā.
ख़ुदा हाफ़िज़ (Hindi): goodbye; farewell
Ancestry of “ख़ुदा हाफ़िज़”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Persian | خدا حافظ | Alternative form of خداحافظ; May the Lord be your... |
| 2 | Persian | خدا | God, god; lord; patron |
| 3 | Classical Persian | خدای | — |
| 4 | Middle Persian | hwtʾy | lord |
| 5 | Proto-Iranian | *hwatā́wHā | — |