An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics
English-French-Persian

Everything that exists anywhere; → outer space; → Universe.

M.E., from Gk. kosmos "orderly arrangement."

Keyhân "world," variants geyhân, jahân, giti "world, material world, time," Mid.Pers. gêhân, gêtig, Manichean Mid.Pers. gyh "world," Av. gaeθa- "being, world, matter, mankind", gaya- "life, manner of living," root gay- "to live" (present tense jiva-), O.Pers. gaiθā- "live-stock," cognate with Skt. jivah "alive, living," Gk. bios "life," L. vivus "living, alive," vita "life;" PIE base *gweie- "to live" (cf. O.E. cwic, "alive;" O.C.S. zivo "to live;" Lith. gyvas "living, alive;" O.Ir. bethu "life," bith "age;" Welsh byd "world"). The Persian terms zistan "to live," zendé "alive," zendegi "life," and jân "vital spirit, soul" belong to this family.