شاید

See also: سائد

Persian

Etymology

From Middle Persian šʾ(d)yt’ (šāyēd, “one can, it is possible”), grammaticalised form of the third person singular indicative form of the verb šʾd-stn’ (šāyistan, “to be able, to be worthy”) (whence Persian شایستن (šāyistan)), further from Proto-Iranian *xšáyati, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *kšáyati (“he rules, he has power over”) (whence Sanskrit क्षयति (kṣáyati)), probably from Proto-Indo-European *tek- (“to gain power over, gain control over”); compare Ancient Greek κかっぱτたうᾰ́ομαι (ktáomai, “to get, obtain”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [ˈʃɑː.jað]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɑ́ː.jäd̪]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɑ́ː.jäd̪]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [ʃɑ́ː.jäd̪]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [ʃɔ́ː.jäd̪̥]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɒ́ː.jæd̪̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [ʃɔ́.jäd̪]

Readings
Classical reading?	šāyaḏ
Dari reading?	šāyad
Iranian reading?	šâyad
Tajik reading?	šoyad

Adverb

شاید • (šâyad)

1. (with subjunctive) maybe; perhaps; probably (expresses a possibility or assumption)

   فرشته: «اونها کجان؟ چرا نرسیدن؟»

   مینو: «شاید گم شده باشن.»

   Ferešteh: "Un-â kojân? Čerâ naresidan?"

   Minū: "Šâyad gom šode bâšan."

   Fereshte: "Where are they? Why haven't they arrived?"

   Minū: "Maybe they got lost."

Verb

شاید • (šâyad) (optative, infinitive شایستن)

1. May (something) be worthy; may (something) befit (someone)

References

• Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*xšaH”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 451-452

Urdu

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /ʃɑː.jəd̪/

Adverb

شاید • (śāyad) (Hindi spelling शायद)

1. maybe, perhaps