The Etymology of Kurdish نیشتمان Homeland

There are many words in Iranian languages ending with the suffix maan to make nouns or adjectives such as Ahriman, Nariman qaraman, xanuman. This ending can be found in the Middle Persian Ahriman which goes back to the Avestan mainiiu which meant spirit, mind, essence, emnation. Spirit can be added to contrasting qualities such good/bad. Thus the name Nariman  نریمان means of male spirit compare Kurdish ner نیر   meaning male from Avestan nairya meaning manly. Ironically some women are named Nariman most prominently the wife of the former Egyptian king Faruq.

The word nishtiman نیشتمان is thus a compound of (nisht) and (man). Nisht can be found in some other Kurdish words such as nishtin or danishtin  دانیشتن sitting or base and probably the nish in the word nishan   نیشان symbol target is a cognate. Thus nishtiman نیشتمان means the base of the spirit to express utmost love towards Kurdish homeland. How can the Kurds then abandon the dream of an independent state unifying all parts of the usurped homeland?

Bremen 22 March 2016