دماغ

Arabic

Etymology

Blend of دَم (dam, “blood”) +‎ مُخّ (muḵḵ, “brain”), compare Arabic دَمْع (damʕ, “tears”) of the same relation with عَيْن (ʕayn, “eye”). While دَمْع (damʕ, “tears”) traces its formation back to Proto-Semitic, the present term is only parallelled by Ethiopian Semitic, Ge'ez ድማሕ (dəmaḥ), ድማኅ (dəmaḫ), ድማህ (dəmah, “head; crown of the head; skull; summit”), Amharic ድማኅ (dəmaḫ, “top of the head”), Argobba ድማኅ (“head”), Gafat dəmʷä (“head”), Silt'e ዱም (dum), Wolane ዱሚ (dumi, “head; hair of head”), Tigre ደምቀት (dämḳät, “crown of the head”), apparently back-formed from later plurals ድማቅ (dəmaḳ), ድመቅ (dəmäḳ), with presumable Gurage borrowings Awngi ዱሚ (dūmī, “top”), Oromo dumi (“head”). While borrowing of at least a part of the terms is manifest, the preservation of guttural fricatives unassimilated in voicedness to the second radical against Arabic points to either inheritance from Proto-West Semitic or borrowing from Old South Arabian whose names of body parts use to be poorly attested.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /di.maːɣ/

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

دِمَاغ • (dimāḡ) m (plural أَدْمِغَة (ʔadmiḡa) or دُمُغٌ (dumuḡun)) (countable)

1. (anatomy) brain (control center of the central nervous system)

   Hypernyms: مُخّ (muḵḵ, “the cerebrum”), مُخَّيْخ (muḵḵayḵ, “the cerebellum”)

Declension

Declension of noun دِمَاغ (dimāḡ)

Singular	basic singular triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	دِمَاغ dimāḡ	الدِّمَاغ ad-dimāḡ	دِمَاغ dimāḡ
Nominative	دِمَاغٌ dimāḡun	الدِّمَاغُ ad-dimāḡu	دِمَاغُ dimāḡu
Accusative	دِمَاغًا dimāḡan	الدِّمَاغَ ad-dimāḡa	دِمَاغَ dimāḡa
Genitive	دِمَاغٍ dimāḡin	الدِّمَاغِ ad-dimāḡi	دِمَاغِ dimāḡi
Dual	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	دِمَاغَيْن dimāḡayn	الدِّمَاغَيْن ad-dimāḡayn	دِمَاغَيْ dimāḡay
Nominative	دِمَاغَانِ dimāḡāni	الدِّمَاغَانِ ad-dimāḡāni	دِمَاغَا dimāḡā
Accusative	دِمَاغَيْنِ dimāḡayni	الدِّمَاغَيْنِ ad-dimāḡayni	دِمَاغَيْ dimāḡay
Genitive	دِمَاغَيْنِ dimāḡayni	الدِّمَاغَيْنِ ad-dimāḡayni	دِمَاغَيْ dimāḡay
Plural	broken plural triptote in ـَة (-a)‎; basic broken plural triptote
	Indefinite	Definite	Construct
Informal	أَدْمِغَة‎; دُمُغ ʔadmiḡa‎; dumuḡ	الْأَدْمِغَة‎; الدُّمُغ al-ʔadmiḡa‎; ad-dumuḡ	أَدْمِغَة‎; دُمُغ ʔadmiḡat‎; dumuḡ
Nominative	أَدْمِغَةٌ‎; دُمُغٌ ʔadmiḡatun‎; dumuḡun	الْأَدْمِغَةُ‎; الدُّمُغُ al-ʔadmiḡatu‎; ad-dumuḡu	أَدْمِغَةُ‎; دُمُغُ ʔadmiḡatu‎; dumuḡu
Accusative	أَدْمِغَةً‎; دُمُغًا ʔadmiḡatan‎; dumuḡan	الْأَدْمِغَةَ‎; الدُّمُغَ al-ʔadmiḡata‎; ad-dumuḡa	أَدْمِغَةَ‎; دُمُغَ ʔadmiḡata‎; dumuḡa
Genitive	أَدْمِغَةٍ‎; دُمُغٍ ʔadmiḡatin‎; dumuḡin	الْأَدْمِغَةِ‎; الدُّمُغِ al-ʔadmiḡati‎; ad-dumuḡi	أَدْمِغَةِ‎; دُمُغِ ʔadmiḡati‎; dumuḡi

Derived terms

• دِمَاغِيّ (dimāḡiyy, “cerebral”)

Descendants

• → Chagatai: دماغ
  • Uyghur: دىماغ (dimagh)
  • Uzbek: dimogʻ (“pharynx”)
• → Crimean Tatar: dimağ
• → Middle Armenian: տիմաղ (timaġ)
• → Ottoman Turkish: دماغ (dimağ)
  • → Turkish: dimağ (archaic)
• → Persian: دماغ
  • → Bengali: দেমাগ (demag)
  • → Hindi: दिमाग़ (dimāġ)
  • → Urdu: دِمَاغ (dimāġ)
  • → Khalaj: damâğ

References

• Corriente, Federico, Pereira, Christophe, Vicente, Angeles, editors (2017), Dictionnaire du faisceau dialectal arabe andalou. Perspectives phraséologiques et étymologiques (in French), Berlin: De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 478
• Leslau, Wolf (1991) Comparative Dictionary of Geʿez (Classical Ethiopic), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Otto Harrassowitz, →ISBN, page 134
• Militarev, Alexander, Kogan, Leonid (2000) “*dimāγ-”, in Semitic Etymological Dictionary, volumes I: Anatomy of Man and Animals, Münster: Ugarit-Verlag, →ISBN, page 50 No. 52
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1884) “دماغ”, in The Student's Arabic–English Dictionary‎^[1], London: W.H. Allen

Chagatai

Etymology

From Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ).

Noun

دماغ (damāğ)

1. brain

Descendants

• Uyghur: دىماغ (dimagh)
• Uzbek: dimogʻ (“pharynx”)

References

• András J. E. Bodrogligeti, A Grammar of Chagatay

Egyptian Arabic

Noun

دماغ • (dimāḡ) f

1. (countable) the upper front part of the body of an animal, the head

   ضربت الصرصار على دماغ كسّمه! ― I bashed the cockroach on its fucking head!

   شغّلي دماغك معايا بقا! ― Come on! Use your head, girl!

   Synonym: راس (rās)

   1. (of humans) the crown of the head; the scalp

      رحتله علشان يحلقلك دماغك. ― I/you went to him to get your head shaved.

2. (uncountable) mind; intelligence; reason

   عاملّي فيها راجل دماغه متفتّحه! ― And you are/he is acting and pretending to be such an open-minded man!

   دا طلع عنده دماغ فعلا. ― It seems that he really has a head after all.

   كبّر دماغك. ― Never mind it./Ignore it./Don't worry about it. [Literally, "Enlarge/expand your head"]

   Synonym: عقل (ʕaʔl)

3. (countable, uncommon) the brain

   Synonym: مخ (muḵḵ)

4. (uncountable, informal) the state or feeling of being under the effect of a drug; euphoria, excitement, or stupor from narcosis; being, looking, sounding, or feeling high or stoned

   دا شكله عامل دماغ. ― He looks high.

Ottoman Turkish

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ, “brain”).

Noun

دماغ • (dimağ)

1. brain, the organ which controls the central nervous system

   Synonyms: بینی (beyni), مخ (muh), مغز (mağz)

2. encephalon the area of central nervous system enclosed within the skull
3. (by extension) mind, sense, understanding, consciousness

Descendants

• Turkish: dimağ

Further reading

• Çağbayır, Yaşar (2007) “dimağ”, in Ötüken Türkçe Sözlük (in Turkish), volume 1, Istanbul: Ötüken Neşriyat, page 1226
• Kélékian, Diran (1911) “دماغ”, in Dictionnaire turc-français‎^[2], Constantinople: Mihran, page 581
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1687) “Cerebrum”, in Complementum thesauri linguarum orientalium, seu onomasticum latino-turcico-arabico-persicum, simul idem index verborum lexici turcico-arabico-persici, quod latinâ, germanicâ, aliarumque linguarum adjectâ nomenclatione nuper in lucem editum‎^[3], Vienna, column 170
• Meninski, Franciszek à Mesgnien (1680) “دماغ”, in Thesaurus linguarum orientalium, Turcicae, Arabicae, Persicae, praecipuas earum opes à Turcis peculiariter usurpatas continens, nimirum Lexicon Turkico-Arabico-Persicum‎^[4], Vienna, column 2135
• Redhouse, James W. (1890) “دماغ”, in A Turkish and English Lexicon‎^[5], Constantinople: A. H. Boyajian, page 914

Persian

Etymology

Borrowed from Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ, “brain”).

Pronunciation

• (Classical Persian) IPA^(key): [di.ˈmɑːɣ]

 

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.mɑ́ːɣ]

• (Dari, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.mɑ́ːɣ]
  • (Kabuli) IPA^(key): [d̪ɪ.mɑ́ːɣ]
  • (Hazaragi) IPA^(key): [d̪i.mɔ́ːɣ]

• (Iran, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪æ.mɒ́ːɢ̥]

• (Tajik, formal) IPA^(key): [d̪i.mɔ́ʁ]

Readings
Classical reading?	dimāğ
Dari reading?	dimāğ
Iranian reading?	damâğ
Tajik reading?	dimoġ

Noun

Dari	دماغ
Iranian Persian
Tajik	димоғ

دماغ • (damâğ)

1. (Iran or uncommon) nose

   Synonyms: بینی (bini), پوز (pôz)

2. (Iran) figurative senses
   1. vanity, pride
   2. strong inclination
   3. disposition, condition, mood

      Synonym: حال (hâl)

3. (Dari, otherwise archaic) brain, conceit

   Synonyms: مغز (mağz), ذهن (zehn)

Descendants

• → Bengali: দেমাগ (demag)
• → Hindi: दिमाग़ (dimāġ)
• → Urdu: دِمَاغ (dimāġ)
• → Khalaj: damâğ

Further reading

• Hayyim, Sulayman (1934) “دماغ”, in New Persian–English dictionary, Teheran: Librairie-imprimerie Béroukhim
• Steingass, Francis Joseph (1892) “دماغ”, in A Comprehensive Persian–English dictionary, London: Routledge & K. Paul
• Vullers, Johann August (1855) “دماغ”, in Lexicon Persico-Latinum etymologicum cum linguis maxime cognatis Sanscrita et Zendica et Pehlevica comparatum, e lexicis persice scriptis Borhâni Qâtiu, Haft Qulzum et Bahâri agam et persico-turcico Farhangi-Shuûrî confectum, adhibitis etiam Castelli, Meninski, Richardson et aliorum operibus et auctoritate scriptorum Persicorum adauctum‎^[6] (in Latin), volume I, Gießen: J. Ricker, page 901

South Levantine Arabic

Etymology

From Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dmaɣ/, [dmæːɣ]

• Audio (Ramallah):

  (file)

Noun

دماغ • (dmāḡ) f (plural أدمغة (ʾadmiḡa))

1. brain

   Synonym: مخ (muḵḵ)

Southwestern Fars

Etymology

From Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ).

Noun

دماغ (domâğ)

1. (Masarm, Deh Sarv, Kuzarg) nose

Urdu

Picture dictionary

دماغ

کھوپڑی

دماغ

آنکھ

ہونٹ

ناک

منہ

ٹھوڑی

جبڑا

کنپٹی

کان

گردن

Click on labels in the image.

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian دماغ (dimâgh, “brain, conceit”), from Arabic دِمَاغ (dimāḡ, “brain”).

Pronunciation

• (Standard Urdu) IPA^(key): /d̪ɪ.mɑːɣ/

• Audio (Pakistan):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɑːɣ
• Hyphenation: دِ‧ماغ

Noun

دِماغ • (dimāġ) m (Hindi spelling दिमाग़)

1. (anatomy) brain, cerebrum

   Synonyms: بھیجا (bhejā), مَغْز (maġz)

2. brain (intellect), mind

   Synonym: ذَہْن (zahn)

3. conceit, pride

   Synonyms: گُھمَنْڈ (ghumanḍ), غُرُور (ġurūr)

Declension

Declension of دماغ
	singular	plural
direct	دِمَاغ (dimāġ)	دِمَاغ (dimāġ)
oblique	دِمَاغ (dimāġ)	دِمَاغوں (dimāġõ)
vocative	دِمَاغ (dimāġ)	دِمَاغو (dimāġo)

Further reading

• “دماغ”, in اُردُو لُغَت (urdū luġat) (in Urdu), Ministry of Education: Government of Pakistan, 2017.
• “دماغ”, in ریخْتَہ لُغَت (rexta luġat) - Rekhta Dictionary [Urdu dictionary with meanings in Hindi & English], Noida, India: Rekhta Foundation, 2024.
• Qureshi, Bashir Ahmad (1971) “دماغ”, in Kitabistan's 20th Century Standard Dictionary‎, Lahore: Kitabistan Pub. Co.
• Platts, John T. (1884) “دماغ”, in A dictionary of Urdu, classical Hindi, and English, London: W. H. Allen & Co.
• S. W. Fallon (1879) “دماغ”, in A New Hindustani-English Dictionary, Banaras, London: Trubner and Co.
• John Shakespear (1834) “دماغ”, in A dictionary, Hindustani and English: with a copious index, fitting the work to serve, also, as a dictionary of English and Hindustani, 3^rd edition, London: J.L. Cox and Son, →OCLC