Khosrow
/ˈkoʊsroʊ/
noun
Origin
Old Persian
Husravah — having a good reputation
Overview
Meaning Now
- A male given name of Persian origin, historically associated with several Sasanian kings.
- A title or regal name denoting a monarch or sovereign ruler in the context of the Persian tradition.
Literal older meaning
King
Language path
Old Persian → Middle Persian → New Persian → English
Earliest form
Husraw
Earliest period
Sasanian Empire
Journey
The name is famously associated with Khosrow I Anushirvan, one of the most powerful and celebrated Sasanian kings of Persia. The name evolved into a symbolic archetype of the ideal, just, and powerful ruler in Persian epic literature, most notably in the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi.
Evolution
- Old Persian
Husravah
“having a good reputation”
- Middle Persian
Husraw
“King/Sovereign”
Title adopted by Sasanian rulers
- Classical Persian
Khosrow
“Monarch”
Development of the standard New Persian form
Connections
Word parts
hu-
prefix
good
sravah
root
fame
Related across languages
Greek
Chosroes
Hellenized rendering of the Sasanian royal name
Arabic
Kisra
Arabicized form used for Sasanian monarchs
Avestan
Husravah
Having good fame; the legendary Kavi Husravah
Related words
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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.