Word Meaning
ख़ुद-नुमाईयाँ
khud-numaaiyaan
hinoun, feminine plural
Meaning
Acts of self-display, ostentation, vanity, or self-manifestation.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and Urdu poetry, 'khud-numai' refers to self-display, vanity, or projecting one's beauty. In this couplet, it describes the beloved's narcissistic inclination to gaze into a mirror, repeatedly indulging in self-manifestation and coquetries while ignoring the lover.
Etymology
Persian compound formed from 'khud' (self) + 'numa' (showing/manifesting, from 'numudan') + the nominal suffix '-i', with the Hindustani plural suffix '-yaan'.
Usage
Commonly used in ghazals to depict the beloved's vanity before a mirror or the metaphysical self-revelation of divine beauty.
Examples
acts of vanity in front of the mirror
the myriad self-displays of beauty
Synonyms
आत्म-प्रदर्शनदिखावाख़ुद-पसंदीनुमाइश
Related Words
ख़ुद-नुमाआईनाख़ुद-बीनीजल्वा-गरी