Countries whose name in English has the suffix -stan
  Other countries that have first-level divisions whose names in English have the suffix -stan.
  Countries whose name in their native language has the suffix -stan.

-stan (Persian: ـستان; 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 originated in the Persian language, but is widely used by other Iranian languages as well as the Shaz Turkic languages (excluding Siberian Turkic) and other languages historically influenced by Persian. The suffix appears in the names of many regions throughout West, Central and South Asia, and parts of the Caucasus and Russia.[3]

The derived suffix -standar (or ostandar) was used for administrative titles of -stan governors in Iran when the country was led by the Sasanian dynasty.[4][5]

Etymology and cognates

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",[6] Hindustân (هندوستان) "Land of the Indus".[7]

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-,[8] partly loaned into Ancient Greek as Ancient Greek: -στήνη (-stēnē).

Countries

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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.[9][10] In addition, the native name of Armenia is Hayastan, hay being the endonym of Armenians.

Country names in various languages

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
 Armenia Armanestân – ارمنستان Ermenistan Hayastan – Հայաստան (native term: Hayk' – Հայք) Ermənistan — Ermenistan Ärmänstan – Әрмәнстан — Ärmänstan – Әрмәнстан Armanistān – अर्मनिस्तान Armanistān – ارمنستان Armaniston/Арманистон
 Bulgaria Bulgharestân – بلغارستان Bulgaristan — Bolqarıstan — — Bolğarstan – Болгарстан — Bolğarstan – Болғарстан Bulgharistān – बुल्ग़रिस्तान Bulgharistān – بلغارستان —
 China — — Čʿinastan – Չինաստան — — — — — — — — —
 Croatia — Hırvatistan — — — — -
(alternative Xırwatstan – Хырватстан)		 — Xırwatstan – Хыруатстан — — —
 England Engelestân – انگلستان Iṅglistān — इङ्ग्लिस्तान Iṅglistān — انگلستان
 Ethiopian Empire

( Ethiopia and  Eritrea)

— -
(formerly Habeşistan) 		-
(formerly Habešstan – Հաբեշստան) 		-
(formerly Həbəşistan) 		— — -
(formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан) 		-
(formerly Hebeshistan – ھەبەشىستان) 		-
(formerly Xäbäşstan – Хәбәшстан) 		— — -

(formerly Habashiston/Ҳабашистон)

 Georgia Gorjestân – گرجستان Gürcistan Vrastan – Վրաստան (native term: Virk' – Վիրք) Gürcüstan — — Görcistan – Гөрҗистан — Görjöstan – Гөржөстан Gurjistān – गुर्जिस्तान Gurjistān – گرجستان Gurjiston/Гуржистон
 Greece — Yunanistan Hunastan – Հունաստան Yunanıstan — — Yunanstan – Юнанстан — Yunanstan – Юнанстан — — Yunoniston/Юнонистон
 Hungary Majârestân – مجارستان Macâristan — Macarıstan Majarstan – Мажарстан Majarystan Macarstan – Маҗарстан — Мажарстан – Мажарстан Majāristān – मजारिस्तान Majāristān – مجارستان Mojariston/Можаристон
 India Hindustan – هندوستان Hindistan Hndkastan – Հնդկաստան Hindistan Ündıstan – Үндістан Hindistan Hindstan – Һиндстан Hindustan – ھىندىستان Hindostan – Һиндостан Hindustān – हिन्दुस्तान Hindustān – ہِنْدُوْسْتان Hindiston/Ҳиндистон
 Mongolia Mogholestân – مغولستان Moğolistan — — — — — Mağulstan – Мағулстан Maṅgōlistān – मङ्गोलिस्तान Maṅgōlistān – منگولستان Moʻgʻuliston/Мўғулистон
 Poland Lahestân – لهستان -
(formerly Lehistan)		 Lehastan – Լեհաստան — — — Läxstan – Ләхстан Lehistan – لەھىستان Lähstan – Ләhстан Lahistān – लहिस्तान Lahistān – لہستان —
 Russia — — Ṙusastan – Ռուսաստան — — — — — — — — —
 Saudi Arabia 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
 Serbia Serbestân – صربستان Sırbistan — — — — -
(alternative Sırbstan – Сырбстан)		 — Sırbstan – Сырбстан — — —

Administrative divisions

The following table lists the subnational entities of different countries that end with -stan.

Country & first level of division Country subdivision name
Provinces of Afghanistan Nuristan
Districts of Azerbaijan Gobustan
States of India Rajasthan[n 3]
Provinces of Iran Golestan, Khuzestan, Kurdistan, Lorestan, Sistan, Baluchestan
Governorates of Iraq Kurdistan Region
Regions of Kazakhstan Turkistan
Provinces of Pakistan Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan
Republics of Russia Bashkortostan, Dagestan, Tatarstan
Regions of Uzbekistan Karakalpakstan

Administrative subdivisions

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.

In Afghanistan

  1. ^ Various places share this name.

In Armenia

In India

In Iran

  1. ^ a b Various places share this name.
  2. ^ In the Persian language, Shahrestan is also a common noun that means "county". It is in the names of the counties of Iran.

Dehestan is the name of an administrative division in Iran.

In Pakistan

In Tajikistan

In other countries

Regions

Historical regions

Proposed names

Fictional

Other

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Applies after a vowel.
  2. ^ Applies after a consonant.
  3. ^ The suffix -sthan is through Indic, not Iranic.

References

  1. ^ Hayyim, Sulayman (1892), "ستان", New Persian-English Dictionary, vol. 2, Tehran: Librairie imprimerie Béroukhim, p. 30, archived from the original on 28 October 2020, retrieved 25 October 2020 Quote= ستان (p. V2-0030) ستان (۲) Suffix meaning 'a place abounding in'. Ex. گلستان a flower or rose-garden. Syn. زار See گازار Note. This suffix is pronounced stan or setan after a vowel, as in بوستان boostan, a garden, and هندوستان hendoostan, India; and estan after a consonant. Ex. گلستان golestan, and ترکستان torkestan. However, for poetic license, after a consonant also, it may be pronounced setan. Ex. گلستان golsetan
  2. ^ Steingass, Francis Joseph, "ستان", A Comprehensive Persian-English Dictionary, p. 655, archived from the original on 28 October 2020, retrieved 25 October 2020, stān (after a vowel), istān (after a consonant), Place where anything abounds, as ḵẖurmāstān, A palm-grove, gulistān, A flower-garden, &c.
  3. ^ Ford, Matt (7 February 2014). "Kazakhstan's President Is Tired of His Country's Name Ending in 'Stan'". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on 25 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  4. ^ Daryaee 2014, p. 126.
  5. ^ Ghereghlou 2018.
  6. ^ Moshiri, Leila (1988). "English-Persian Glossary". Colloquial Persian. Routledge. p. 150. ISBN 0-415-00886-7.
  7. ^ Kapur, Anu (2019). Mapping Place Names of India. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-0-429-61421-7.
  8. ^ Macdonell, A. A. (1929). A practical Sanskrit dictionary with transliteration, accentuation, and etymological analysis throughout. London: Oxford University Press. p. 365. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  9. ^ "Uzbekia, Kirgizia, Turkmenia, Tajikia". Google Ngram. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023.
  10. ^ Becker, Seymour (2004). Russia's Protectorates in Central Asia: Bukhara and Khiva, 1865–1924. Routledge. p. 553. ISBN 1-134-33582-2. As early as June 1920, Lenin had toyed with the idea of dividing Russian Turkestan into three national regions: Uzbekia, Kirgizia and Turkmenia.
  11. ^ "Turmoil in the North East: The demand for Bangalistan". SabrangIndia. 28 January 2020. Archived from the original on 28 January 2020. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  12. ^ "Lebanese solution " 15 Jul 1978 " The Spectator Archive". The Spectator Archive. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018. Retrieved 19 August 2018.
  13. ^ "Lojbnaistan". lojban wiki. 4 November 2013. Archived from the original on 31 March 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  14. ^ Cowan, John Waldemar (1997). "1". The Complete Lojban Language (First ed.). Fairfax, VA, US: The Logical Language Group. p. 3. ISBN 0-9660283-0-9. Archived from the original on 2 April 2017. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
  15. ^ "Stanistan (TV Movie 2015) - IMDb". IMDb.
  16. ^ Stuart, Keith (31 May 2019). "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare returns to tread a moral minefield". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Archived from the original on 25 September 2019. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  17. ^ Allan, Chantal (2009). Bomb Canada: And Other Unkind Remarks in the American Media. Athabasca University Press. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-1-897425-49-7. soviet%20canuckistan%20arab%20canadians.
  18. ^ "Cavaquistão continua irredutível e a votar laranja ("Cavaquistan remains unyielding and voting orange") (in Portuguese)". Visão. 6 October 2019. Archived from the original on 3 October 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  19. ^ Carla Fernandes (2016). Multimodality and Performance. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 978-1-4438-9465-4. Archived from the original on 10 April 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2020.
  20. ^ Dibyesh Anand (15 October 2011). Hindu Nationalism in India and the Politics of Fear. Palgrave Macmillan. pp. 34–. ISBN 978-0-230-36263-5.
  21. ^ "Govt blocks 18 sites to check hate messages". The Times of India. 19 July 2006. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  22. ^ "The Ruler of Orbánistan". Aspen Institute Central Europe (in Czech). Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
  23. ^ Pizza, Murphy (2009). "Schism as midwife: how conflict aided the birth of a contemporary Pagan community". In Lewis, James R.; Lewis, Sarah M. (eds.). Sacred schisms: how religions divide (PDF). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 249–261. ISBN 978-0-511-58071-0. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011. [...] the Pagan community of the Minnesota Twin Cities, otherwise known by members as 'Paganistan.'

Sources

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