شفاف
شفاف (shafâf) means transparent or clear, describing something you can see through. Borrowed from Arabic, it is used for glass, water, fabric, and in abstract senses like transparent governance.
Glossary
براق
براق (borâq) means shiny or glossy, describing a surface that reflects light clearly. It is an Arabic loanword from the root meaning “to flash” or “lightning,” and is the direct opposite of مات (mât, matte).
مات
مات (mât) means matte or dull, describing a surface that absorbs light rather than reflecting it. Borrowed from Arabic, it is the direct opposite of براق (borâq, shiny) and is widely used in design, painting, and everyday speech.
پستهای
پستهای (peste-i) means pistachio green, the pale, dusty yellow-green colour of a pistachio kernel. It is a distinctly Persian colour term built on one of Iran’s most iconic foods.
فیروزهای
فیروزهای (firuze-i) means turquoise, the blue-green colour of the precious stone that Iran has mined and prized for thousands of years. It is one of the most distinctly Iranian colour words in the language.
نقرهای
نقرهای (noqre-i) means silver or silver-coloured in Persian. It comes from نقره (noqre, silver metal), which Persian borrowed from Arabic نُقْرَة (nuqra). Used for anything with a metallic silver sheen.
نیلی
نیلی (nili) means indigo or deep blue in Persian. It comes from نیل (nil), the indigo plant and dye, a word inherited through Middle Persian from Sanskrit nīla (dark blue). The word was not borrowed from Arabic; Persian passed the term outward, not inward.
قهوهای
قهوهای (qahve-i) means brown in Persian. It is named after the colour of coffee: قهوه (qahve), which Persian borrowed from Arabic قَهْوَة (qahwa), likely via Ottoman Turkish kahve.
بنفشهای
بنفشهای (banafshe-i) means violet or purple in Persian. It derives from بنفشه, the violet flower, a word inherited from Middle Persian wanafšag, of uncertain ultimate origin. Arabic بَنَفْسَج (banafsaj) was borrowed from Persian, not the other way around. Used for shades from lilac to deep violet.
آهنگساز
آهنگساز (âhangsâz) means “composer” or “music producer” in Persian. Both halves of this compound, آهنگ and ساز, are native Persian, making it a fully homegrown word.