Tuesday, October 20, 2009

A List... Sometimes (-dar)

Apparently, "-dar" is a suffix derived from the Persian verb dash tan which means to hold, to own. A word like "ZAMINDAR" for example, was created by adding the suffix "-dar" to "ZAMIN" which means land. So a "ZAMINDAR" is a landowner. The word "GAYDAR"though was not formed with the help of the Persian suffix. It is just a blend of the words "GAY" and "RADAR", not a very politically correct word. Neither were the words "GOSPODAR" and "HOSPODAR", words which were created with the help of the suffix "-ar", "a suffix appended to words to create a masculine noun, usually denoting a profession, person who does something or an animal". "KALENDAR" and "CALENDAR" come from the Latin "CALENDAE"( the first day of the month). " CHEDDAR", the cheese most of us love and some of us hate, was named after a village in England. So not all the words ending in "-dar" are formed with the assistance of the Persian suffix "-dar".
Here are some words ending in "-dar":
6 Letter Words
BANDAR+I,S = a rhesus monkey
BORDAR+S = a cottager subject to a lord
CHADAR+S = a large shawl, also CHADOR [n CHADARS or CHADRI]
DEODAR+A,S = an East Indian cedar, also DEODARA
GAYDAR+S = the ability to recognize that a person is homosexual
PANDAR+S = to act as a procurer, also PANDER [v -ED, -ING, -S]
QINDAR+S = n Albanian currency, also QINTAR, QUINTAR [n QINDARS or QINDARKA]
SARDAR+S= a person of rank in India, also SIRDAR
SIRDAR+S = a person of rank in India, also SARDAR
7 Letter Words
AMILDAR+S = an Indian manager, also AUMIL
CHADDAR+S = a type of large veil
CHEDDAR+S,Y = a type of cheese
CHOBDAR+S = an usher
CHUDDAR+S = a large square shawl, also CHUDDAH, CHUDDER
JAMADAR+S = an Indian police officer
JEMADAR+S = an Indian army officer, also JEMIDAR
JEMIDAR+S = an Indian army officer, also JEMADAR
KHADDAR+S = a cotton cloth, also KHADI
SUBADAR+S = a governor of a subah, also SUBAHDAR, SUBEDAR
SUBEDAR+S = a governor of a subah, also SUBAHDAR, SUBADAR
TANADAR+S = an officer in charge of a tana [n -S]
8 Letter Words
CALENDAR+S =to schedule, also KALENDAR [v -ED, -ING, -S]
CHOKIDAR+S = a watchman (a man employed to stand guard)
CHURIDAR+S = pl long tight-fitting trousers (Hindi) [n -S] s
GOSPODAR+s = a Russian address, equivalent to Mr, also GOSPODA, GOSPODIN, HOSPODAR
HAVILDAR+S =an Indian sergeant
HOSPODAR+S = a Russian address, equivalent to Mr, also GOSPODA, GOSPODAR. GOSPODIN
KALENDAR+S = to schedule, also CALENDAR [v -ED, -ING, -S]
KILLADAR+S= in India, the commandant of a fort
RISALDAR+S = a commander of Indian cavalry
SILLADAR+S = an irregular cavalryman
SUBAHDAR+S,Y = a governor of a subah, also SUBADAR, SUBEDAR
TABERDAR+S= a scholar of Queens College Oxford
TALUKDAR+S=the holder of a taluk
THANADAR+S= on officer in charge of a thana
ZAMINDAR+I,S,Y = a tax collector in India, also ZEMINDAR
ZEMINDAR+I,S,Y = a tax collector in India, also ZAMINDAR

If there is something you would like to add, please feel free to do it. I would be interested to find out more about these fascinating words.

2 comments:

  1. The Oxford English Dictionary (my favourite source) indicates that "-dar" means "possessing" or "lord" in Persian. Here I am, talking about Scrabble... Must be contagious. Please consider this a sample of my tendency to verify sources again and again. The Wife

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  2. I got this message from David Sutton, who gave me permission to post it:

    Hi Adrian

    Re the -DAR words on your latest blog entry: thought you might be interested
    in a quote from Kipling's bravura poem 'Ballad of East and West' that
    features RESSALDAR (variant of RISALDAR):

    'So, thou must eat the White Queen's meat, and all her foes are thine,
    And thou must harry thy father's hold for the peace of the Border-line,
    And thou must make a trooper tough and hack thy way to power --
    Belike they will raise thee to Ressaldar when I am hanged in Peshawur'.

    I did your two quizzes and got 9/10 in both. The nine I got I got instantly,
    once I'd alphagrammatised them, but for some reason I just couldn't get RICE HEAD
    or SOME GRIN, though I know both words perfectly well - in fact I remember
    failing on CHARIDEE several times before, so I really ought to get it by
    now.

    Regards
    David

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