Where does “شہر” come from?
شہر (Urdu) comes from Classical Persian شهر, from Middle Persian 𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩, from Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶, from Proto-Iranian xšaθram, from Proto-Indo-Iranian kšatrám, from Proto-Indo-European tk-e-tróm, from Proto-Indo-European teḱ- — to sire, beget.
شہر (Urdu): city; town
Ancestry of “شہر”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Classical Persian | شهر | — |
| 2 | Middle Persian | 𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩 | land, country; city |
| 3 | Old Persian | 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎶 | realm, province; kingship, sovereignty, kingdom |
| 4 | Proto-Iranian | xšaθram | — |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | kšatrám | kingdom, dominion, empire; rule, reign |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | tk-e-tróm | — |
| 7 | Proto-Indo-European | teḱ- | to sire, beget |