لکلک
لکلک (laklak) is the Persian word for stork, borrowed from Arabic laqlaq, an onomatopoeic word with ancient Semitic roots naming the large migratory wading bird famous for its white plumage.
Glossary
هدهد
هدهد (hodhod) is the hoopoe, an Arabic-origin word for a crested bird that became one of the most celebrated symbols of wisdom and spiritual guidance in Persian Sufi poetry.
چلچله
چلچله (chelcheleh) is the Persian word for the barn swallow or martin, a specific swallow species whose name is formed by reduplication of چل (speckled), a native Persian root.
تمساح
تمساح (temsâh) is the Persian word for crocodile or alligator, borrowed directly from Arabic. It names a large aquatic reptile that Iranians encounter mainly through nature media and zoos.
سوسمار
سوسمار (susmâr) is the Persian word for monitor lizard, or a large lizard generally. It is a very old word in Persian that appears in classical texts and names one of the most striking reptiles of the Iranian plateau.
افعی
افعی (af’i) is the Persian word for viper, borrowed directly from Arabic. It refers to a venomous snake and carries a strong sense of danger in both literal and figurative speech.
خزنده
خزنده (khazande) is the Persian word for reptile, or any crawling creature. It is a pure Persian participial noun formed directly from the verb “to crawl” and covers snakes, lizards, and related animals.
کفشدوزک
کفشدوزک (kafsh-duzak) is the Persian word for ladybird, or ladybug. The name literally means “little shoe-stitcher” and is a pure Persian compound beloved by children.
سنجاقک
سنجاقک (sanjâghak) is the Persian word for dragonfly. The name literally means “little pin” and refers to the insect’s long, needle-like body darting over water.
شبپره
شبپره (shab-pare) is the Persian word for moth, literally “night wing.” It is a compound of shab (night) and pare (wing or fragment), naming the insect by its nocturnal habit.