stan (Persian: ستان stân,[n 1] estân or istân[n 2]) has the meaning of "a place abounding in"[1] or "a place where anything abounds" as a suffix.[2] It is widely used by Iranian languages as well as the common Turkish languages (excluding Siberian Turkic) and other languages. The suffix appears in the names of many regions throughout West, Central and South Asia, and parts of the Caucasus and Russia.[3]
See also: Oikonyms in Western and South Asia |
The suffix -stan is analogous to the suffix -land, present in many country and location names. The suffix is also used more generally, as in Persian rigestân (ریگستان) "place of sand, desert", golestân (گلستان) "place of flowers, garden", gurestân (گورستان) "graveyard, cemetery",[4] Hendostân (هندوستان) "Land of the Indus (India)".[5]
Originally an independent noun, this morpheme evolved into a suffix by virtue of appearing frequently as the last part in nominal compounds. It is of Indo-Iranian and ultimately Indo-European origin. It is cognate with the English word state, Polish stan (state), and with Sanskrit sthā́na (Devanagari: Sanskrit: स्थान [stʰaːnɐ]), meaning "the act of standing", from which many further meanings derive, including "place, location; abode, dwelling", and ultimately descends from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sthāna-,[6] partly loaned into Ancient Greek as Ancient Greek: -στήνη (-stēnē).
Countries adopting the -stan suffix in both English and these countries' national languages include:
Some of these nations were also known with the Latinate suffix -ia during their time as Soviet republics: Turkmenistan was frequently Turkmenia, Kyrgyzstan often Kirghizia, and even Uzbekistan was very rarely Uzbekia.[7][8] In addition, the native name of Armenia is Hayastan, hay being the endonym of Armenians. The largest -stan country by area is Kazakhstan.
English Name | Persian name | Turkish name | Armenian name | Azerbaijani name | Kazakh name | Turkmen name | Tatar name | Uyghur name | Bashkir name | Hindi name | Urdu name | Uzbek name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Armanestân – ارمنستان | Ermenistan | Hayastan – Հայաստան (native term: Hayk' – Հայք) | Ermənistan | — | Ermenistan | Ärmänstan – Әрмәнстан | — | Ärmänstan – Әрмәнстан | Armanistān – अर्मनिस्तान | Armanistān – ارمنستان | Armaniston - Арманистон |
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Bulgharestân – بلغارستان | Bulgaristan | — | Bolqarıstan | — | — | Bolğarstan – Болгарстан | — | Bolğarstan – Болғарстан | Bulġaristān – बुल्ग़रिस्तान | Bulġaristān – بلغارستان | — |
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— | — | Čʿinastan – Չինաստան | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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— | Hırvatistan | — | — | — | — | - (alternative Xırwatstan – Хырватстан) |
— | Xırwatstan – Хыруатстан | K͟Hirvatistān – ख़िरवतिस्तान | K͟Hirvatistān – خروتستان | — |
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Engelestân – انگلستان | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | Iṅglistān – इङ्ग्लिस्तान | Iṅglistān – ان٘گلستان | — |
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— | - (formerly Habeşistan) |
- (formerly Habešstan – Հաբեշստան) |
- (formerly Həbəşistan) |
— | — | - (formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан) |
- (formerly Hebeshistan – ھەبەشىستان) |
- (formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан) |
Habśistān – हब्शिस्तान | H̤abśistān – حبشستان | - (formerly Habashiston - Ҳабашистон) |
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Gorjestân – گرجستان | Gürcistan | Vrastan – Վրաստան (native term: Virk' – Վիրք) | Gürcüstan | — | — | Görcistan – Гөрҗистан | — | Görjöstan – Гөржөстан | Gurjistān – गुर्जिस्तान | Gurjistān – گرجستان | Gurjiston - Гуржистон |
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— | Yunânıstan | Hunastan – Հունաստան | Yunânıstan | — | — | Yunanstan – Юнанстан | — | Yunanstan – Юнанстан | — | — | Yunoniston - Юнонистон |
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Majârestân – مجارستان | Macârıstan | — | Macârıstan | Majarstan – Мажарстан | Majarystan | Macarstan – Маҗарстан | — | Мажарстан – Мажарстан | Majāristān – मजारिस्तान | Majāristān – مجارستان | Mojariston - Можаристон |
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Hendostân – هندوستان | Hindistan | Hndkastan – Հնդկաստան | Hindistan | Ündıstan – Үндістан | Hindistan | Hindstan – Һиндстан | Hindustan – ھىندىستان | Hindostan – Һиндостан | Hindustān – हिन्दुस्तान | Hindustān – ہِنْدُوْسْتان | Hindiston - Ҳиндистон |
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Mogholestân – مغولستان | Moğolistan | — | — | — | — | — | Mağulstan – Мағулстан | Maṅgōlistān – मङ्गोलिस्तान | Maṅgōlistān – من٘گولستان | Moʻgʻuliston - Мўғулистон | |
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Lahestân – لهستان | - (formerly Lehistan) |
Lehastan – Լեհաստան | — | — | — | Läxstan – Ләхстан | Lehistan – لەھىستان | Lähstan – Ләhстан | Lahistān – लहिस्तान | Lahistān – لہستان | — |
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— | — | Ṙusastan – Ռուսաստան | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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'Arabestân-e Sa'udi – عربستان سعودی | Suudi Arabistan | — | Səudiyyə Ərəbistanı | — | Saud Arabystany | Sögüd Gäräbstanı – Согуд Гарәбстаны | Se'udi Erebistan – سەئۇدى ئەرەبىستان | Säğüd Ğäräbstanï – Сәғүд Ғәрәбстаны | — | — | Saudiya Arabistoni - Саудия Арабистони |
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Serbestân – صربستان | Sırbistan | — | — | — | — | - (alternative Sırbstan – Сырбстан) |
— | Sırbstan – Сырбстан | Sarbistān – सर्बिस्तान | S̤arbistān – صربستان | — |
The following table lists the subnational entities of different countries that end with -stan.
The following list shows some examples of some second-level, third-level, and fourth-level subdivisions inside different countries that have their names ending in a -stan-like suffix.
Dehestan is the name of an administrative division in Iran.