An Etymological Dictionary of Astronomy and Astrophysics

A mound or bank of snow deposited as sloping surfaces and peaks, often behind obstacles and irregularities, due to eddies in the wind field.

Etymology (EN): → snow; → drift.

Etymology (PE): Barf-rând “snowdrift, drfited snow” from barf, → snow, + rând “driving, drfit; drifted,” from rândan
“to push, drive, cause to go,”
causative of raftan “to go, walk, proceed” (present tense stem row-, Mid.Pers. raftan, raw-, Proto-Iranian *rab/f- “to go; to attack”); barf-e bâd âvard “snow brought by wind,” from barf + bâd→ wind + âvard, short for âvardé “brought,” p.p. of âvardan “to bring; to cause, produce” (Mid.Pers. âwurtan, âvaritan; Av. ābar- “to bring; to possess,” from prefix ā- + Av./O.Pers. bar- “to bear, carry,” bareθre “to bear (infinitive),” bareθri “a female that bears (children), a mother;” Mod.Pers. bordan “to carry;” Skt. bharati “he carries;” Gk. pherein; L. fero “to carry”).