Helmand

Etymology

Borrowed from Pashto هلمند‎ and Persian هلمند‎, ultimately from Avestan 𐬵𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬎𐬨𐬀𐬥𐬝‎ (haētumant̰, literally “with dams”).

Proper noun

Helmand

1. A region of Afghanistan, now specifically the name of an administrative province of the country and of the river running through it.
   • 1879, Sir Norman Lockyer, Nature, vol. 19, p. 41:

     To the west the Afghan plateau undergoes a very considerable depression, at the bottom of which lies the marshy lake, Hamoun, into which the Helmand river finds its way; but it again rises in the vast plains which lead towards Farsistan.

   • 2016, Sune Engel Rasmussen, The Guardian, 22 August:

     Since late July, the Taliban have seized new territory across Helmand, defying a series of about 30 US airstrikes, and raising concern of an attack on the capital.