Kourosh

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Kourosh
PronunciationPersian: [kuːˈɾoʃ]
GenderMale
Origin
Word/namePersian
Region of originIran
Other names
Related namesCyrus

Kourosh (Persian: کوروش; also spelled as Koorosh or Kurosh), also spelt Koroush, is a Persian male name common in Iran. Kourosh is composed of kouro- [sun] + -sh - [proprietorial suffix], meaning "Lord of the sun".

It was the throne name of Cyrus the Great and some other kings of the Achaemenid dynasty, historically translated into English and Latin as "Cyrus".

Etymology[edit]

The name Cyrus is a Latinized form derived from the Greek Κῦρος, Kỹros, itself from the Old Persian Kūruš.[1][2] The name and its meaning has been recorded in ancient inscriptions in different languages. The ancient Greek historians Ctesias and Plutarch noted that Cyrus was named from Kuros, the Sun, a concept which has been interpreted as meaning "like the Sun" (Khurvash) by noting its relation to the Persian noun for sun, khouro, while using -sh as a proprietorial suffix.[3] This may also point to a relationship to the mythological "first king" of Persia, Jamshid, whose name also incorporates the element "sun" ("shid").

Karl Hoffmann has suggested a translation based on the meaning of an Indo-European-root "to humiliate" and accordingly "Cyrus" means "humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest".[2] In the Persian language and especially in Iran, Cyrus's name is spelled as کوروش [kuːˈɾoʃ]. In the Bible, he is known as Koresh (Hebrew: כורש).[4]

People with the given named Kourosh[edit]

Notable people with the name include:

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Schmitt, Rüdiger. "Cyrus (name)". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 8 February 2016.
  2. ^ a b Schmitt 2010, p. 515.
  3. ^ ; Plutarch, Artaxerxes 1. 3 classics.mit.edu; Photius, Epitome of Ctesias' Persica 52 livius.org Archived 2016-11-23 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Tait 1846, p. 342-343.

Works cited[edit]