مادرمرده (Madar murda)

/mɑːˈdær ˈmordæ/insult, exclamation

What does مادرمرده (Madar murda) mean? مادرمرده (Madar murda) is a Dari moderate that translates to “poor wretch / cursed soul” in English.

dead-mothered / one whose mother has died

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"poor wretch / cursed soul"

Can be a curse (wishing someone's mother dead) or a term of pity (describing someone so unfortunate they might as well be motherless). The dual meaning — weapon and lament — is uniquely Afghan. A mother's death is the ultimate abandonment in a culture where mothers are practically sacred.

من مادرمرده چه کنم، کسی مرا ندارد. (Man madar murda che kunam, kasi mara nadarad. - What can I, the motherless one, do — nobody has me.) — Self-pity in hardship.