-stan

• -istan, -estan

From Classical Persian ـستان (-istān), from Middle Persian -stʾn' (-estān), from Old Persian 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎴 (s-t-a-n /⁠stāna⁠/), from Proto-Iranian *stáHnam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *stʰáHnam, from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”).

Compare Avestan 𐬯𐬙𐬁𐬥𐬀 (stāna), Sanskrit स्थान (sthā́na), Russian стан (stan) (< Proto-Slavic *stanъ), English stay, stand, state.

-stan

1. Used in the names of regions in the Middle East and Central Asia which were historically influenced by Persian and Turkic cultures.
2. (often humorous) Used to form fictitious or metaphoric country names, often with a connotation of it being an exotic or hostile country.

   ‎absurd + ‎-i- + ‎-stan → ‎Absurdistan

   ‎nerd + ‎-i- + ‎-stan → ‎nerdistan

3. (derogatory, ethnic slur) Used after European and American place names to emphasize that there are many Middle Easterners or Muslims there.

   ‎London + ‎-i- + ‎-stan → ‎Londonistan

   ‎Dearborn + ‎-i- + ‎-stan → ‎Dearbornistan

   ‎Sweden + ‎-i- + ‎-stan → ‎Swedistan

Corresponding demonym usually formed by suffixing -i, yielding -stani. When the root is an ethnicity, the -stani form refers to the nationality, not ethnicity. Compare Tajik (“member of Tajik ethnic group”) and Tajikistani (“inhabitant of nation of Tajikistan”).

• ASNT, NTAs, Nast, Nats, Sant, Tans, Tsan, ants, nats, tans

• IPA^(key): /ˈstɑːn/

-stan f (Arabic spelling ـستان)

1. Alternative form of -istan