Where does “Жабайхан” come from?
Жабайхан (Kazakh) comes from Kazakh жан, from Persian جان, from Middle Persian yʾn', from Proto-Iranian *wyaHnáH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian wyaHnás, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁‑ — to breathe.
Ancestry of “Жабайхан”, step by step
Жабайхан traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Kazakh жан
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kazakh | жан | side, flank |
| 2 | Persian | جان | soul; being; life |
| 3 | Middle Persian | yʾn' | — |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | *wyaHnáH | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | wyaHnás | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁‑ | to breathe |
via Kazakh жабайы
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kazakh | жабайы | simple, ordinary, usual |