Word Meaning
तमकीं-आज़मा
tamkīñ-āzmā
Meaning
Testing or trying someone's dignity, composure, or steadfastness.
Detailed Meaning
A Persian-Arabic compound adjective signifying an act or condition that puts one's dignity, poise, and emotional restraint to the test. In Ghalib's couplet, it qualifies the feigned negligence (taghāful) of the beloved, which deliberately trials the lover's composed demeanor. The speaker rejects such calculated indifference in favor of an outright, uninhibited gaze.
Etymology
Compound of Arabic 'tamkīn' (dignity, gravity, majesty) and the Persian active participle stem 'āzmā' (from āzmūdan, to test or try).
Usage
In classical Urdu ghazal, it typically describes the beloved's subtle, calculated coyness or neglect designed to provoke and test the lover's carefully guarded composure.
Examples
The beloved's indifference that tests one's steadfastness.
A silence that puts personal dignity to the test.