Azadi
/ɑːzɑːˈdiː/noun
Freedom or independence, especially in Persian, Urdu, and South Asian political usage.
Did you know?The word became a powerful political cry through the Persian and Urdu slogan “Azadi,” meaning “freedom,” especially in anti-colonial, independence, and protest movements.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵenh₁-
“to beget, give birth, or produce; the ancient root underlying the birth-related element in the word”
Old Iranian
Old Iranian
*ā-zāta-
“born forth or of noble birth”
Avestan
Avestan
ā-zāta
“noble or free-born”
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
āzād
“free, noble, or of free status”
Classical Persian
Persian
āzādī
“freedom or liberty, formed from āzād with the abstract-noun suffix -ī”
Modern English
English
azadi
“freedom or independence, commonly retained from Persian or Urdu in political and cultural contexts”