Naxl, deraxt-e xormâ and moɤ

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) is a monotonous tree that grows in the tropic areas. The southern regions and some parts of central Iran is its natural habitat. Tropical people use all the components of the tree and its fruits. In standard Persian, the Arabic word “naxl” is used to name it. However, in many Iranian dialects the words moɤ, mog, mok, mox, moč, mo, xormâ dâr and deraxt-e xormâ are used. These names have a specific geographical distribution. In the dialects of the southern provinces and the central districts where the date palm grows, it is called moɤ, mog, mok, mox, moč and mo. In the adjacent areas of these areas it is called “deraxt-e xormâ” and in the dialect of other areas which is further away from the natural habitat of date palm, it is called “xormâ dâr”. This naming relates to the importance of the date palm to the lives of the people in those areas, and it is also affected by the sanctity of the date palm.