What does "stan" mean in country names?
Question
What does the suffix "stan" mean in country names like Afghanistan, Pakistan etc.
Robert, Turnpike Lane
Answer
** Definitive **
Name: Shylish, Harrow
Qualification: I speak Gujarati
Answer: Stan is a word in the Hindi and Gujarati language meaning place. In Gujarati, it is khan and in Hindi it's a stan. So when a group of people stay in one place, it's known as a stan.
Name: Roger, High Wycombe
Qualification: Travelled extensively in the Middle East.
Answer: According to my wife, who is an intelligent Middle Eastern woman, it means state.