-stan
From Free net encyclopedia
Template:Table Suffixes The suffix -stan or -sthan is Persian for "home of" and Sanskrit for "place".
It appears in the names of many countries and regions, especially in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent which are the areas where Persian and related languages have historically been used. It is the Persian equivalent to the Latin ending -ia and the Germanic -land.
The -stan form of the suffix is spelled ـستان in Arabic script, and is derived from a Persian suffix which came from an Indo-Iranian root expressing "place" or "where one stands". This, in turn, was derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sta, "to stand" (which is the source of the English word "stand" and, via Latin, "state").
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Countries
- Afghanistan
- Arabestan (Persian for Saudi Arabia)
- Armanestan (Persian name for Armenia)
- Bulgaristan (Turkish name for Bulgaria)
- Chinastan (Armenian for China)
- East Pakistan (or East Bengal, historic name for Bangladesh)
- Ermenistan (Turkish name for Armenia)
- Hayastán (Armenian name for Armenia)
- Hindustan (India)
- Hırvatistan (Persian and Turkish name for Croatia)
- Hunastan (Armenian name for Greece)
- Gurjistan (Persian and Turkish name for Georgia)
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Lehastan (Armenian and Persian for Poland)
- Lekhistan (an archaic name for Poland, used mostly by Ottoman officials)
- Macaristan (Turkish name for Hungary, in Persian Majarestan)
- Pakistan
- Rusastan (Armenian name for Russia)
- Sırbistan (Persian and Turkish name for Serbia)
- Tajikistan
- Turkmenistan
- Uzbekistan
- Vrastan (Armenian name for Georgia)
- Yunanistan (Turkish name for Greece)
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Regions
- Balochistan or Baluchistan
- Sistan and Baluchistan, province of Iran
- Baltistan (in Kashmir)
- Bantustan - Apartheid-era South African black 'homelands'
- Bashkortostan - constituent republic of the Russian Federation
- Chechenestan (Persian and Turkish name for Chechnya)
- Chuvashstan - constituent republic of the Russian Federation (rarely used)
- Dagestan - constituent republic of the Russian Federation, literally "place of mountains"
- Engelestan (Persian word for England)
- Frengistan - Central Asian term for Europe, based on the word "France" (Cf in the Levant, Europeans are traditionally all known as Franks)
- Gulistan ("rose garden" in Persian, an Iranian province; compare with Gulistan Palace in Tehran and the poem by Saadi)
- Kafiristan - ("land of the infidels"), historic region in Afghanistan until 1896, now known as Nuristan
- Karakalpakstan - constituent republic of Uzbekistan
- Khalistan - proposed Sikh homeland / proposed state
- Khuzestan - a region of southwestern Iran
- Kurdistan - Kurdish region
- Lazistan - another name for Colchis, a region in the Caucasus
- Lorestan or Luristan - a region of western Iran
- Nuristan - province of Afghanistan, formed in 2001
- Pashtunistan - the Afghan-dominated areas of Pakistan
- Rajasthan - Indian state
- Registan - historic site in Samarkand, meaning "place of sand"
- Seistan or Sistan - region of Iran and Afghanistan
- Srbistan - Turkish name for Serbia, constituent republic of Serbia & Montenegro
- Takestan or Takistan, region of Iran [1]
- Tatarstan - constituent republic of the Russian Federation
- Turkestan - ethnolinguistic region encompassing Central Asia, northwest China, parts of the Caucasus and Asia Minor
- Uyghuristan - proposed ethnic name for Xinjiang, People's Republic of China
- Walistan - part of the Indian sub-continent
- Waziristan - region of northwest Pakistan
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