Word Meaning
ख़ाशाक
khāshāk
hinoun
Meaning
Straws, dry twigs, rubbish, or sweepings.
Detailed Meaning
In Persian and classical Urdu poetry, 'khāshāk' signifies dry straws, chips of wood, or litter. It is commonly used to evoke the frail twigs that constitute a bird's humble nest, rendering it exceptionally vulnerable to lightning. In this couplet, 'khāshāk-e-āshiyān' emphasizes the extreme fragility and doomed nature of the speaker's shelter.
Etymology
Persian (خاشاک - khāshāk), meaning sweepings, chaff, shavings, or rubbish.
Usage
Frequently paired with 'khas' or linked to 'āshiyān' to highlight vulnerability against the devastating lightning of fate or love.
Examples
Dry twigs of the nest set ablaze by lightning
Reduced to dust and sweepings upon the path
Synonyms
तिनकाकूड़ाघास-फूसख़स
Related Words
आशियाँबर्क़नशेमनख़स-ओ-ख़ाशाक