Word Meaning
जन
jan
hipronoun
Meaning
Who, whoever; the one who (archaic relative pronoun).
Detailed Meaning
In classical Urdu (Rekhta), 'jan' (spelled 'جن') functions as an archaic relative pronoun equivalent to modern 'jis' or 'jin'. In this couplet, 'dil jan ne liya' means 'the one who took the heart' or 'whoever stole my heart'. Such older grammatical constructions were common in the era of Mir and his contemporaries before late 18th-century standardization.
Etymology
Sanskrit/Prakrit relative stem 'ya-' / Apabhramsha oblique pronominal form.
Usage
Widely employed by early classical poets such as Mir and Sauda before the grammatical reforms that preferred 'जिस ने' over 'जन ने / जिन ने'.
Examples
jan ne ye dard diya, wahi dawa dega
jan ne pucha mera haal, use kya kahiye
Synonyms
जिसजिन्होंनेजो
Related Words
जोजिसतिनकिन