From Proto-Iranian *jimáh + Proto-Iranian *stā́nam (whence the suffix, ـستان (stan, “-stan”)), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ȷ́ʰimás, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰimós (“cold, frost”). Cognate with Persian زمستان (zemestân), Ossetian зымӕг (zymæg), Avestan 𐬰𐬌𐬌𐬃 (ziiā̊), Latin hiems, Sanskrit हिम (himá).