# Persian: The suffix خوار



## Qureshpor

As a child I remember stories being told where there were آدم خور (cannibals) who were so خون خوار that they would not spare even the شیرخوار !!
I can understand the خور  formation but can someone please explain how خوار fits in with all this. I am not aware of any other such formation where an alif is inserted between the component parts of the root. For example, we don't get سواز  
from سوز .


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## Jervoltage

cannibal = آدمیخوار ; colloquially آدمخوار, آدمخور, آدمخواره, آدمخوره

خوار = food

شیر خوار = Literally one whose food is milk; suckling
خونخوار = Literally one whose food is blood; bloodthirsty, cruel


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## Qureshpor

Jervoltage said:


> cannibal = آدمیخوار ; colloquially آدمخوار, آدمخور, آدمخواره, آدمخوره
> 
> خوار = food
> 
> شیر خوار = Literally one whose food is milk; suckling
> خونخوار = Literally one whose food is blood; bloodthirsty, cruel



Thank you! I did n't know خوار meant "food". I was under the impression that خورندۂ آدم = آدم خور


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## Jervoltage

QURESHPOR said:


> Thank you! I did n't know خوار meant "food". I was under the impression that خورندۂ آدم = آدم خور



Yes, you're right about _*خور*_ being formed by dropping the agentive of _*خورنده*_.


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## Qureshpor

Jervoltage said:


> خوار = food



Steingass's dictionary gives the following entries for خوار. For the meaning that you have provided, it appears that the word is "xuvaar"
 خوار_ḵẖẉār, Contemptible, abject; poor, distressed, abandoned, friendless, wretched; few, small, little; easy, without effort; soft, tender; erect, straight; name of a place near Ray; (in comp.) eating or drinking; [ḵẖẉār dāshtan (shumurdan, kardan, giriftan), To hold in contempt, despise;]--*ḵẖuwār, Victuals.*_


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## Jervoltage

QURESHPOR said:


> Steingass's dictionary gives the following entries for خوار. For the meaning that you have provided, it appears that the word is "xuvaar"
> خوار_ḵẖẉār, Contemptible, abject; poor, distressed, abandoned, friendless, wretched; few, small, little; easy, without effort; soft, tender; erect, straight; name of a place near Ray; (in comp.) eating or drinking; [ḵẖẉār dāshtan (shumurdan, kardan, giriftan), To hold in contempt, despise;]--*ḵẖuwār, Victuals.*_



The original pronunciation of آدمخوار is also /ādamxovār/.


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## seitt

But what about in Colloquial Persian? Isn’t خوار pronounced as ‘khār’ or even sometimes as ‘khor’?

Or does it have to spelt as 'خور' before it can be pronounced as ‘khor’?


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## Jervoltage

seitt said:


> But what about in Colloquial Persian? Isn’t خوار pronounced as ‘khār’ or even sometimes as ‘khor’?
> 
> Or does it have to spelt as 'خور' before it can be pronounced as ‘khor’?



_*خوار*_ in Modern Persian is pronounced as /xār/.

Also _*خور*_ /xor/.


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## seitt

Ah, so if I see *خوار* in print, it is definitely wrong for me to read it as ‘khor’, isn't it?


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## Jervoltage

seitt said:


> Ah, so if I see *خوار* in print, it is definitely wrong for me to read it as ‘khor’, isn't it?



_*خوار*_ (= food) by itself is pronounced as /xovār/, but in Modern Persian in combinations such as _*شیرخوار*_, etc. it's pronounced as /xār/.

Note that _*خوار*_ has several meanings with different pronunciations.


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## searcher123

seitt said:


> Ah, so if I see *خوار* in print, it is definitely wrong for me to read it as ‘khor’, isn't it?



No, it isn't!. In modern Persian, "Khaar" is formal and "Khor" is colloquial pronunciation of خوار.


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## Qureshpor

Forgive me Jervoltage if I am mistaken but I think you might have misunderstood my enquiry about xvaar/xuvaar.

I am fully aware that the classical xvaar is now pronounced as xaar exactly like xaar for thorn. Steingass, however is providing one set of meanings for xvaar and at the end of the entry he gives "xuvaar, Victuals", meaning food. 

http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.2.steingass.1266149

Steingass is just as human as the rest of us and he could be at fault. He seems to be suggesting two separate words, xvaar and xuvaar (x with a pesh +alif as opposed to xv with a zabar +alif).


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## Jervoltage

QURESHPOR said:


> Forgive me Jervoltage if I am mistaken but I think you might have misunderstood my enquiry about xvaar/xuvaar.
> 
> I am fully aware that the classical xvaar is now pronounced as xaar exactly like xaar for thorn. Steingass, however is providing one set of meanings for xvaar and at the end of the entry he gives "xuvaar, Victuals", meaning food.
> 
> http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/contextualize.pl?p.2.steingass.1266149
> 
> Steingass is just as human as the rest of us and he could be at fault. He seems to be suggesting two separate words, xvaar and xuvaar (x with a pesh +alif as opposed to xv with a zabar +alif).



There's nothing wrong with that; _*لغت نامه ی دهخدا*_ also gives [خ ُ وار] as the pronunciation of _*خوار*_ meaning 'victuals'.


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## arsham

"xwâr-" is obtsined by lengthening the short vowel "a" in xwar-, in Contemporary Persian pronounced xor-. Besides Middle Persian had two distinct verbs, xwardan to eat/drink and xwârdan to drink. The latter has survived in the shape of the suffix xwâr- while the former is still used as a verb. They are both derived from Avestan hvar-


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## Qureshpor

arsham said:


> "xwâr-" is obtsined by lengthening the short vowel "a" in xwar-, in Contemporary Persian pronounced xor-. Besides Middle Persian had two distinct verbs, xwardan to eat/drink and xwârdan to drink. The latter has survived in the shape of the suffix xwâr- while the former is still used as a verb. They are both derived from Avestan hvar-




aaqaa-ye-Arsham. You have solved this mystery for me in a way that even "Columbo" would be quite proud of. I am grateful, as always.

aaqaa-ye-Jervolatage. Thank you very much indeed for your contributions.


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## arsham

You are most welcome Sahib Qureshpor.


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## Jervoltage

Glad the mystery's been solved. Arsham, would you name the source you used for the answer?


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## arsham

Mackenzie's pahlavi dictionary available online (google it) and the avestan dictionary available at www.avesta.org


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## Jervoltage

arsham said:


> Mackenzie's pahlavi dictionary available online (google it) and the avestan dictionary available at www.avesta.org



Thank you, sound like good sources.


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## arsham

www.avesta.org/avdict/avdict.html
for mackenzie's pahlavi dictionary, either google or go to titus project website you'll find the link


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## arsham

arsham said:


> www.avesta.org/avdict/avdict.html
> for mackenzie's pahlavi dictionary, either google or go to titus project website you'll find the link


it is
www.avesta.org/avdict/avdict.htm


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