The name
Maryānaj is derived from
Middle Persian *margānag, from
Old Persian *margā- plus the suffix
-ānag; it is related to the Middle Persian
mlw' (vocalized
/marw/) and
Parthian mrg (vocalized /marγ/), both meaning "prairie", and to the
Avestan marəγa and
Modern Persian مرغ (
marğ), both meaning "plant". In the dialect of
Hamadan, the name is pronounced
Maryāneh (مریانه), a form influenced by Middle Persian; in the local dialect of Maryanaj itself, the name is pronounced
Margāneh (مرگانه), an older form influenced by
Northwestern Middle Iranian languages. ==Demographics==