Etymograph

English

Nowruz

Nowruz comes from Iranian Persian نُوروز, from Middle Persian 𐭩𐭥𐭬 ‘day’, and ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’.

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwk-osreconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*ráwčas‘light’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*ráwčah‘light’reconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEr-u-c-htransliteratedoriginal script r-u-c-h, a transliteration‘day’
  6. Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CE𐭩𐭥𐭬yʿm‘day’
  7. Middle Persian, derivedc. 300 BCE–900 CEnwklwc
  8. Iranian Persianmodernنُوروزnowruz
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2026Nowruz

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Proto-Indo-Europeanc. 4500–2500 BCE*lewk-‘bright’reconstructed
  2. Proto-Indo-European, derivedc. 4500–2500 BCE*léwk-osreconstructed
  3. Proto-Indo-Iranianc. 2500–1800 BCE*ráwčas‘light’reconstructed
  4. Proto-Iranianprehistoric (reconstructed)*ráwčah‘light’reconstructed
  5. Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEr-u-c-htransliteratedoriginal script r-u-c-h, a transliteration‘day’
  6. Middle Persianc. 300 BCE–900 CE𐭩𐭥𐭬yʿm‘day’
  7. Middle Persian, derivedc. 300 BCE–900 CEnwklwc
  8. Iranian Persianmodernنُوروزnowruz
  9. Englishearliest quotation 2026Nowruz

Earliest quotation: 2026, Genevieve Ko, ‘This Is the Best Dish I Have Ever Made From NYT Cooking’: “The importance of Nowruz is reflected in an elaborate…”

The story

The first element is a distant cognate of English new, while the second is a distant cognate of English light, both being derived from different formations of the Proto-Indo-European roots *new- and *lewk-, respectively.

Linked words

through Proto-Indo-European *lewk- ‘bright’

light, link, low, los, lucy, ounce, lunar, luna, lea, illumination, lux, illuminate, lucid, translucent, lumen, lynx, luminous, luce, lumia, luminosity, lum, lune, loach, leucine, luminescent, luminary, luminal, 75 more

Today it means

name The New Year in the Iranian and Zoroastrian calendars, celebrated on the spring equinox.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Proto-Indo-European *lewk- / Nowruz

Shirt and support for this word