Dushman
/ˈdʊʃmən/noun
An enemy, especially a hostile fighter or insurgent in South or Central Asian usage.
Did you know?The word’s second element is related to the ancient Indo-European root behind English “mind,” turning “enemy” into a strikingly literal description of hostile intention.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dus-men-
“A reconstructed formation combining an element meaning “bad” or “difficult” with a root associated with thought or mind.”
Ancient Iranian
Avestan
duš.manah-
““Evil-minded” or “having a bad mind”; an early Iranian expression for hostile intent.”
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
dušmān
“Enemy or adversary.”
Classical and Modern Persian
Persian
došman / dušman
“Enemy, foe, or hostile person.”
19th–20th Century
English
dushman
“A borrowed term for an enemy, commonly used in accounts of Afghanistan, Central Asia, and South Asia.”