Where does “جان” come from?
جان (Old Anatolian Turkish) comes from Persian جان, from Middle Persian yʾn', from Proto-Iranian *wyaHnáH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian wyaHnás, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁‑ — to breathe.
جان (Old Anatolian Turkish): soul, spirit
Definitions
- soul, spirit
Ancestry of “جان”, step by step
جان traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.
via Persian جان
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Persian | جان | soul; being; life |
| 2 | Middle Persian | yʾn' | — |
| 3 | Proto-Iranian | *wyaHnáH | — |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | wyaHnás | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | h₂enh₁‑ | to breathe |
via Classical Persian جان
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Classical Persian | جان | — |
| 2 | Middle Persian | HYA | soul, ghost |
| 3 | Proto-Sino-Tibetan | *pV-rja(k) | hundred |