Folio § jin
Jîn
Life
The story of the name
Jin — the word comes from Indo-European gʷen-, the same root that gave us English queen and Greek gynē. In Kurmancî it is one of the language’s oldest words — and through the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî it has become an international signal.
Etymology
Root: jin · Kurmancî
Jin descends from the Indo-European root for woman: Proto-Indo-European gʷen- (compare Greek gynē, English queen, Avestan jaini-). The same root family connects to jiyan (life) — an etymological tie that the slogan Jin, Jiyan, Azadî makes audible.
Idioms
- Jin, Jiyan, Azadî ‘Woman, Life, Freedom’ — the Kurdish slogan that became globally known in 2022
Name family
- Jiyan · cognate — ‘life’ — same root family
- Azadî · cognate — the slogan
Linguistic parallels
- Chaya Hebreiska — 'Liv'
- Zan Persiska — 'Kvinna'
Updated: 2026-05-02