波斯

Chinese

		phonetic
simp. and trad. (波斯)		波	斯

Etymology

Borrowed from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (Pārsa) (alternatively, from a Sogdian term); first used during the Northern Wei dynasty to refer to the Sasanian Empire.

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): Bōsī

  (Zhuyin): ㄅㄛ ㄙ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): bo¹ si¹
• Southern Min (Hokkien, POJ): Pho-su / Pho-sir

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• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: Bōsī
    • Zhuyin: ㄅㄛ ㄙ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: Bosih
    • Wade–Giles: Po¹-ssŭ¹
    • Yale: Bwō-sz̄
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: Bosy
    • Palladius: Босы (Bosy)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pu̯ɔ⁵⁵ sz̩⁵⁵/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: bo¹ si¹
    • Yale: bō sī
    • Cantonese Pinyin: bo¹ si¹
    • Guangdong Romanization: bo¹ xi¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /pɔː⁵⁵ siː⁵⁵/
• Southern Min
  • (Hokkien: Xiamen, Zhangzhou, General Taiwanese)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pho-su
    • Tâi-lô: Pho-su
    • Phofsit Daibuun: phoisw
    • IPA (Kaohsiung): /pʰɤ⁴⁴⁻³³ su⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Xiamen, Zhangzhou): /pʰo⁴⁴⁻²² su⁴⁴/
    • IPA (Taipei): /pʰo⁴⁴⁻³³ su⁴⁴/
  • (Hokkien: Quanzhou)
    • Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Pho-sir
    • Tâi-lô: Pho-sir
    • IPA (Quanzhou): /pʰo³³ sɯ³³/

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• Middle Chinese: pa sje

Rime
Character	波	斯
Reading #	1/1	1/1
Initial (聲)	幫 (1)	心 (16)
Final (韻)	戈 (95)	支 (11)
Tone (調)	Level (Ø)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Closed	Open
Division (等)	I	III
Fanqie	博禾切	息移切
Baxter	pa	sje
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/puɑ/	/siᴇ/
Pan Wuyun	/puɑ/	/siɛ/
Shao Rongfen	/puɑ/	/sjɛ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/pwa/	/siə̆/
Li Rong	/puɑ/	/sie/
Wang Li	/puɑ/	/sǐe/
Bernard Karlgren	/puɑ/	/sie̯/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	bō	sī
Expected Cantonese Reflex	bo1	si1

Proper noun

波斯

1. (historical) Persia

   • 波斯國，都宿利城，在忸密西，古條支國也。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     波斯国，都宿利城，在忸密西，古条支国也。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 551-554, 魏書 (Book of Wei) by Wei Shou, 卷一百二　列傳第九十　(西域) (Volume 102, Biographies 90: Western Regions)

     Bōsī guó, dōu Sùlì chéng, zài Niǔmì xī, gǔ Tiáozhī guó yě. [Pinyin]

     The state of Persia [Sasanian Empire]: its capital is Istakhr. It is located west of Niumi [in the Anxi Protectorate]. It was formerly the state of Tiaozhi [perhaps Seleucia].

   • 極惡風俗，婚姻交雜。納母及姊妹為妻。波斯國亦納母為妻。 [Literary Chinese, trad.]
     极恶风俗，婚姻交杂。纳母及姊妹为妻。波斯国亦纳母为妻。 [Literary Chinese, simp.]

     From: c. 728, 《往五天竺國傳》 (Account of the Journey to the Five Indias)

     Jí'è fēngsú, hūnyīn jiāozá. Nà mǔ jí zǐmèi wéi qī. Bōsī guó yì nà mǔ wéi qī. [Pinyin]

     An extremely evil custom [in these lands] is that their marriage practices are filthy. They take their mother and sisters as wives. In the country of Persia, they also take their mothers as wives.

Derived terms

• 波斯人 (Bōsīrén, “Persian (person)”)
• 波斯國／波斯国 (Bōsī Guó)
• 波斯地毯
• 波斯帝國／波斯帝国
• 波斯教
• 波斯灣／波斯湾 (Bōsī Wān, “Persian Gulf”)
• 波斯皁莢／波斯皂荚
• 波斯菊
• 波斯語／波斯语 (bōsīyǔ)
• 波斯貓／波斯猫 (bōsīmāo)

 

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (波斯):

• → Japanese: 波斯(はし) (Hashi)
• → Korean: 파사(波斯) (Pasa)
• → Vietnamese: Ba Tư (波斯)

See also

• 伊朗 (Yīlǎng)

Japanese

Etymology 1

Kanji in this term
波	斯
は Grade: 3	し Jinmeiyō
on'yomi

From Middle Chinese 波斯 (MC pa sje), ultimately from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (Pārsa).

First cited to the Utsubo Monogatari of the late 900s.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ha̠ɕi]

Proper noun

波(は)斯(し) • (Hashi) 

1. [from late 900s] (archaic, possibly obsolete) Persia, especially ancient Persia

Usage notes

Usage might be restricted to contexts about ancient China.

Derived terms

Derived terms with 波斯

• 波(は)斯(し)国(こく) (Hashikoku)
• 波(は)斯(し)匿(のく) (Hashinoku)
• 波(は)斯(し)匿(のく)王(おう) (Hashinokuō)

Etymology 2

Kanji in this term
波	斯
はるしゃ
Grade: 3	Jinmeiyō
jukujikun

Kanji in this term
波	斯
はるしあ
Grade: 3	Jinmeiyō
jukujikun

Borrowed from Dutch Perzië (“Persia”) during the Edo period.

First cited in 1708.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ha̠ɾɯ̟ɕa̠]

Proper noun

波斯(ハルシャ) or 波斯(ハルシア) • (Harusha or Harushia) 

1. [from 1708] (historical, Edo) Persia

Derived terms

Derived terms with 波斯

• 波斯(ハルシャ)革(がわ) (Harusha-gawa)
• 波斯(ハルシャ)菊(ぎく) (Harusha-giku)

Etymology 3

Kanji in this term
波	斯
ぺるしゃ Grade: 3	ぺるしあ Jinmeiyō
jukujikun

Borrowed from English Persia.

First cited in 1839.

Pronunciation

• (Tokyo) ぺるしゃ [péꜜrùshà] (Atamadaka – [1])
• IPA^(key): [pe̞ɾɯ̟ɕa̠]

Proper noun

波斯(ペルシャ) or 波斯(ペルシア) • (Perusha or Perushia) 

1. [from 1839] Persia

Usage notes

• The kanji spelling 波斯 is uncommon in modern usage.
• Both forms ペルシャ (Perusha) and ペルシア (Perushia) are attested. The former is preferred in various resources.

Vietnamese

chữ Hán Nôm in this term
波	斯

Proper noun

波斯

1. chữ Hán form of Ba Tư (“Persia”).