Ardabil
/ˌɑːrdəˈbiːl/
noun
Origin
Old Persian
Arta-wil — Holy place / Sacred place
Overview
Meaning Now
- A major city in northwestern Iran, historically significant as a center for trade and the origin of the Safavid dynasty.
Literal older meaning
Holy Place or High Place
Language path
Old Persian → Middle Persian → Persian
Earliest form
Arta-wil
Earliest period
Pre-Islamic period
Journey
Ardabil is famous for the Shrine of Sheikh Safi al-Din, a UNESCO World Heritage site and the ancestral burial ground of the Safavid dynasty which unified Iran in the 16th century.
Evolution
- Old Persian
Arta-wil
“Sacred place”
- Middle Persian
Ardabil
“Holy city”
- Modern Persian
Ardabil
“City in Iran”
Standard contemporary name.
Connections
Word parts
Arta
root
truth, holy, sacred
wil
root
place, town
Related across languages
Avestan
Arta
Truth/Order
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.