Etymology

Afghanistan

Af·ghan·i·stan
A1F4G2H4A1N1I1S1T1A1N1

Today it means: A landlocked country between Central Asia and South Asia. Official name: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Capital and largest city: Kabul. Full definition →

Classical Persian اَفْغَانِسْتَان (afġānistān) ← Proto-Indo-Iranian *stáHnam ← Proto-Indo-European *os
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The story

  1. Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
  2. Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
  3. Proto-Indo-European*h₂épo
  4. Proto-Indo-Iranian*Hápa
  5. Proto-Iranian*Hápa
  6. Bactrian*apāka-
  7. Bactrianαβαγανο (abagano)
  8. Classical Persianافغان (afġān /afġân)
  9. Proto-Indo-European*steh₂-
  10. Proto-Indo-European*os
  11. Proto-Indo-Iranian*stáHnam
  12. Classical Persianـستان (-istān /-estân)
  13. Classical Persianاَفْغَانِسْتَان (afġānistān)
  14. English todayAfghanistan

From Classical Persian اَفْغَانِسْتَان (afġānistān), from اَفْغَان (afġān, “Afghan”) + ـِسْتَان (-istān, “-istan: land of”), equivalent to Afghan + -istan.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1768 A landlocked country between Central Asia and South Asia. Official name: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Capital and largest city: Kabul.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.