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The suffix -stan or -sthan is Persian for "home of/place of".

It appears in the names of many countries and regions, especially in central Asia and the Indian subcontinent which are the areas where Persian and related languages have historically been used. It is the Persian equivalent to the Latin ending -ia and the Germanic -land.

The -stan form of the suffix is spelled ـستان in Arabic script, and is derived from a Persian suffix which came from an Indo-Iranian root (which also led to Indo-Aryan sthān(a), as found in place names like Rajasthan) expressing "place" or "where one stands". This, in turn, was derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *sta, "to stand" (which is the source of the English word "stand" and, via Latin, "state").

Countries

Regions

Parodic, fictional, and cultural -stans

  • Absurdistan - sometimes used to satirically describe a country where everything goes wrong. Originally used by Eastern European dissidents to refer to parts (or all) of the Soviet Union. *
  • Aldestan - a fictional former Soviet republic from Generals.
  • Ancapistan- a theoretical country ruled by anarchocapitalism.
  • Avgatiganistan - a pun of 'Afghanistan', it means 'Fried eggs' in Greek +stan. Fictional country by author Eugenios Trivizas.* Blogistan - alternative name for the blogosphere.
  • Bradistan - reference to Bradford, England due to its large (South) Asian population.
  • Canuckistan - see Soviet Canuckistan.
  • Dearbornstan - nickname for Dearborn, Michigan, in reference to its large Middle Eastern population.
  • Derkaderkastan - fictional Middle Eastern country in World Police.
  • Elladistan - Derogatory nickname of Greece; used by Greeks to describe loss of progress in politic and social affairs and less-than-satisfactory public services of the country, compared by themselves to those of third-world countries.
  • Helmajistan - fictional area from the anime Full Metal Panic!.
  • Iranistan - an oriental region of Hyborea (Conan the Barbarian stories).
  • Jafastan - nickname for Auckland.
  • Kabulistan - humorous name given to Fremont, California because of its large population of Afghans.
  • Kreplachistan - fictional country in the movie The Spy Who Shagged Me.
  • Lojbanistan - hypothetical country using Lojban as its native language.
  • Londonistan - the British capital of London was given this sobriquet by French counter-terrorism agents .
  • Nukhavastan - fictional country created by The Onion that has nuclear weapons.
  • Outsourcistan - nickname for the region of south central and southeast Asia (Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and Mayalasia) that many white collar and high-tech jobs have been sent by major corporate firms who outsource their work.
  • Pasokistan - Greek national sector that contained civil servants who were employed by (and support) the political party Pasok.
  • Pianostan - fictional country mentioned in an episode of Inspector Gadget.
  • Redneckistan - derogatory nickname of the Red States of the United States.
  • Spokanistan - humorous nickname for Spokane, Washington.
  • Soviet Canuckistan - derogatory nickname of Canada.
  • Verweggistan - in Dutch, a very commonly used word for "far away from here" (literally "Far-away-stan").

See also

Suffixes

-стан | -stan | Stan | -stan | -стан

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "-stan".

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