shakhs

Shakhs is a noun used in Arabic, Persian, and Urdu to denote a person or individual. It is a general term for a human being and appears in both everyday speech and formal writing. In legal and administrative contexts, shakhs often refers to a natural person who bears rights and duties, as opposed to a corporate or fictional entity. The word is widely used across the Muslim world and in South Asian languages due to long-standing linguistic and cultural contact.

Etymology and forms: Shakhs derives from the Arabic shakhṣ (شخص), meaning “person.” The term has been borrowed into Persian and Urdu with a similar meaning. In Arabic script, the plural is ashkhaṣ (أشخاص); in Persian and Urdu the plural is اشخاص (ashkhaas). Turkish has a closely related form şahıs.

Usage notes: Shakhs functions as a generic reference to any individual, e.g., yeh shakhs mera dost hai (This person is my friend). It also appears in more formal or technical contexts, such as discussions of personhood or rights. The related term shakhsiyat (شخصیت) in Persian and Urdu covers personality or identity, while insan (انسان) is a more common synonym meaning “human being.”

See also: ashkhas; ashkhaas; shakhsiyat; insan.