یغما

Persian

FWOTD – 15 November 2024

Etymology

Borrowed from Turkic, probably from Proto-Turkic *yag- (“to fall from the sky (of rain, snow, etc.)”) with a figurative sense of "to fall upon, to attack, to raid", which then transferred to "the outcome of a raid; booty, pillage". Compare Turkish yağma (“raiding, looting; sack, pillage”).

Attested in Persian since the eleventh century.

Pronunciation

(Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [jaɣ.ˈmɑː]

(Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [jäɣ.mɑ́ː]
- (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [jäɣ.mɑ́ː]
- (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [jäɣ.mɔ́ː]

(Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [jæɢ.mɒ́ː]

(Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [jäʁ.mɔ́]

Readings
Classical reading^?	yağmā
Dari reading^?	yağmā
Iranian reading^?	yağmâ
Tajik reading^?	yaġmo

Noun

یغما • (yağmâ)

booty; plunder
- c. 1911, Mohammad Hossein Âğuli Torki-ye Shirâzi, دیوان ترکی شیرازی‎^[1]:
  چشم تو و خط و خالت ای بت رعنا
  برده زمن عقل و صبر و هوش به یغما
  čašm-e to o xat o xâl-at ey bot-e ra'nâ
  borde zaman-e aql o sabr o huš be yağmâ
  Your eye and your down and your beauty-mark, o beautiful idol,
  Has carried off as plunder the time for reason and patience and wisdom.

Derived terms

یغماگر (yağmâgar)
یغمایی (yağmâyi)

Proper noun