khaneh

Khaneh, written in Persian as خانه, is a word meaning house, home, or dwelling. It is used across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and among Persian-speaking communities abroad to denote a physical residence as well as the household that lives there. In everyday use, it can refer to the private domestic space or, by extension, to family life, as in khaneh-e mā (our house).

Etymology and architecture: The term is native to Persian and features in architectural vocabulary to distinguish interior private spaces from public ones. Traditional Iranian houses are commonly organized around a central courtyard and enclosed by thick walls. Rooms and corridors are arranged to provide privacy and climate control, with features such as windcatchers (badgir) and shaded courtyards that relate to the concept of the khaneh.

Cultural significance: The home is central to social life in Persian culture, serving as the setting for hospitality, family routines, and rites. The word appears in literature, film, and daily speech, and combines with ezafe to form possessive phrases like khaneh-e mā.

Modern usage: Today, khaneh remains the standard term for a dwelling in Persian, used in housing discourse, architecture, and heritage contexts. Cognates exist in related languages, though meanings may differ in other linguistic contexts.