AboutBehzad Expertise I can answer questions about the usage and meaning of Persian words, proverbs, and idioms asked in Persian or English. Controversial grammatical issues are beyond my knowledge. In addition, I cannot corroborate my answer to a question about newly coined slang words.
PLEASE do not ask me to translate more than 1 or 2 sentences.
Experience Persian language is my mother tongue; however, my knowledge is remarkably more than a mere native speaker.
Please, what is the etymology of یادگار? I'm particularly interested in گار, the second syllable – is it connected with گرفتن?
Are there other words with گار as a suffix, please?
Also, do you still use it or do you prefer یادگاری? Am I right in understanding the meaning as “souvenir, memento”?
All the best, and many thanks,
Simon
Answer Dear Simon,
Most of the times a word like x + گار means one who does x. Although it may not be clearly seen in یادگار, it means something which helps to remember a place, an event such as a trip, a person, etc.: souvenir, memento. یادگار is more formal than یادگاری and it is not used widely in colloquial language. I do not think that گار is related to گرفتن.
Other examples:
آموزگار= teacher
پرهیزگار = it means one who avoid (sins), devout, pious
طلب گار or طلب کار= one who asks for something, creditor
بدهکار/بستانکار= creditor/debtor
Some words are more common with کار instead of گار although گار is more original.
In some compound words گار has different meaning or no specific meaning as in خداوندگار which means خداوند or خدا or God.
Souvenir is a kind of یادگار, but to emphasize that it is brought from a trip the word سوغات or less formally سوغاتی can be used.
