𐬀𐬬𐬈𐬯𐬙𐬁
Avestan
Indo-European (Iranian, Old, Eastern) · historical / hidden variety
Avestan is the eastern Old Iranian language of the Avesta, the sacred scripture of Zoroastrianism, attributed to the prophet Zarathushtra (c. 1000 BCE) and his successors. Two stages: Old Avestan (Gathic Avestan, ~10th c. BCE — the Gathas, Zarathushtra's own hymns) and Younger Avestan (~7th-6th c. BCE — the bulk of the Avesta corpus including the Yasna, Yashts, and Vendidad). Closely related to Vedic Sanskrit (sister languages within Indo-Iranian); the parallels between the Gathas and the Rigveda (~1500 BCE) are striking. The dedicated Avestan alphabet was created in the Sasanian period (~4-6th c. CE) from Pahlavi script. Still used liturgically by Zoroastrian Parsis in India and Iranian Zoroastrians.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Avestan
Sources
- Hoffmann & Forssman (1996) Avestische Laut- und Flexionslehre
- Beekes (1988) A Grammar of Gatha-Avestan
- Glottolog: aves1237
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (Iranian, Old, Eastern)
| Meaning | Avestan | Old Persian | Parthian | Sogdian | Middle Persian | Classical Persian | Khotanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 𐬁𐬞 /aːp/ | 𐎠𐎱 /aːpi/ | āb /aːb/ | ʾāp /aːp/ | 𐭠𐭯 /aːb/ | آب /aːb/ | 𑀊𑀤𑀸 /uːdaː/ |
| Fire | 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /aːtar/ | 𐎠𐎫𐎼 /aːtar/ | ādar /aːdar/ | ʾātar /aːtar/ | 𐭠𐭲𐭱 /aːtaʃ/ | آتش /aːtaʃ/ | 𑀆𑀢𑀭 /aːtar/ |
| Sun | 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 /huwarə/ | 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎼 /huwar/ | xwar /xwar/ | xwr /xwar/ | 𐭧𐭥𐭫𐭱𐭩𐭲 /xwarʃeːd/ | خورشید /xʷarʃeːd/ | 𑀉𑀭𑁆𑀫 /urma/ |
| Moon | 𐬨𐬁𐬵 /maːh/ | 𐎶𐎠𐏃 /maːha/ | māh /maːh/ | mʾx /maːx/ | 𐭬𐭠𐭧 /maːh/ | ماه /maːh/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀲𑁆𑀢 /maːsta/ |
| Star | 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭 /star/ | 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎼 /staːra/ | astārag /asˈtaːraɡ/ | stāre /staːre/ | 𐭮𐭲𐭠𐭫𐭪 /staːraɡ/ | ستاره /sitaːra/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀭 /staːra/ |
| Night | 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬞 /xʃap/ | 𐎧𐏁𐎱 /xʃapa/ | ʾxšp /xʃap/ | ʾxšp /xʃap/ | 𐭱𐭯 /ʃab/ | شب /ʃab/ | — /—/ |
| Rain | 𐬬𐬁𐬭𐬀 /ˈʋaːra/ | — | wārān /waːraːn/ | wārān /waːraːn/ | 𐭥𐭠𐭫𐭠𐭭 /waːraːn/ | باران /baːˈraːn/ | — |
| Snow | 𐬬𐬀𐬟𐬭𐬀 /wafra/ | — | wafr /wafr/ | wafrā /wafraː/ | 𐭥𐭯𐭫 /wafr/ | برف /barf/ | 𑀩𑁅𑀭 /baura/ |
| Wind | 𐬬𐬁𐬙𐬀 /ˈʋaːta/ | — | wād /waːd/ | wāt /waːt/ | 𐭥𐭠𐭲 /waːd/ | باد /baːd/ | 𑀩𑀸𑀢 /baːtæ/ |
| Earth | 𐬰𐬀𐬨 /zam/ | 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡 /buːmi/ | zamīg /zamiːɡ/ | zamāk /zamaːk/ | 𐭡𐭥𐭬 /buːm/ | خاک /xaːk/ | — |
| Stone | 𐬀𐬯𐬆𐬥𐬔𐬀 /asəŋɡa/ | 𐎠𐎰𐎥 /aθaŋɡa/ | sang /saŋɡ/ | snk /saŋɡ/ | 𐭮𐭭𐭢 /saŋɡ/ | سنگ /saŋɡ/ | — |
| Mountain | 𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌 /ɡairi/ | 𐎣𐎢𐎳 /kaufa/ | — | γari /ɣari/ | 𐭢𐭫 /ɡar/ | کوه /koːh/ | 𑀕𑀭 /ɡara/ |
| Sea | 𐬰𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵 /zrajaŋh/ | 𐎭𐎼𐎹 /draja/ | zrēh /zreːh/ | zry /zreː/ | 𐭣𐭫𐭩𐭣𐭠 /drajaː/ | دریا /darˈjaː/ | — |
| Mother | 𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /maːtar/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎼 /maːtar/ | mād /maːd/ | mʾtr /maːtar/ | 𐭬𐭠𐭲𐭫 /maːdar/ | مادر /maːdar/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀢 /maːta/ |
| Father | 𐬞𐬌𐬙𐬀𐬭 /pitar/ | 𐎱𐎡𐎫𐎠 /pitaː/ | pid /pid/ | ptr /pitar/ | 𐭯𐭩𐭲𐭫 /pidar/ | پدر /pidar/ | 𑀧𑀺𑀢 /pita/ |
| Daughter | 𐬛𐬎𐬔𐬆𐬛𐬀𐬭 /duɡədar/ | — | duxt /duxt/ | ẟwγt /ðuɣd/ | 𐭣𐭥𐭧𐭲 /duxt/ | دختر /duxtar/ | 𑀤𑀽𑀢 /duːta/ |
| I | 𐬀𐬰𐬆𐬨 /azəm/ | 𐎠𐎭𐎶 /adam/ | az /az/ | azu /azu/ | 𐭠𐭭 /an/ | من /man/ | 𑀅𑀬𑁆𑀲𑀼 /azu/ |
| You | 𐬙𐬏𐬨 /tuːm/ | 𐎬𐎢𐎺𐎶 /tuvam/ | tu /tuː/ | tγu /tɣu/ | 𐭲𐭥 /toː/ | تو /toː/ | 𑀢𑀽 /tuː/ |
| We | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨 /vaeːm/ | 𐎺𐎹𐎶 /vajam/ | amāh /amaːh/ | mʾx /maːx/ | 𐭠𐭬𐭠𐭧 /amaːh/ | ما /maː/ | — /—/ |
| Name | 𐬥𐬁𐬨𐬀𐬥 /naːman/ | 𐎴𐎠𐎶 /naːma/ | nām /naːm/ | nām /naːm/ | 𐭭𐭠𐭬 /naːm/ | نام /naːm/ | 𑀦𑀸𑀫 /naːma/ |
| Person | 𐬨𐬀𐬴𐬌𐬌𐬀 /maʃja/ | 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 /martija/ | — | mrtxmy /martoxmeː/ | 𐭬𐭫𐭲𐭥𐭬 /mardoːm/ | کس /kas/ | — |
| Head | 𐬯𐬀𐬭𐬀𐬵 /sarah/ | — | sar /sar/ | sari /sari/ | 𐭮𐭫 /sar/ | سر /sar/ | 𑀓𑀫𑀮 /kamala/ |
| Eye | 𐬗𐬀𐬱𐬨𐬀𐬥 /tʃaʃman/ | 𐏂𐏁𐎶𐎴 /tʃaʃman/ | čašm /tʃaʃm/ | cšm /tʃaʃm/ | 𐭰𐭱𐭬 /tʃaʃm/ | چشم /tʃaʃm/ | 𑀘𑁂𑀰𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 /tʃʰeʃman/ |
| Ear | 𐬔𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 /ɡaoʃa/ | 𐎥𐎢𐏁 /ɡauʃa/ | gōš /ɡoːʃ/ | γwš /ɣoːʃ/ | 𐭢𐭥𐭱 /ɡoːʃ/ | گوش /ɡuːʃ/ | — |
| Nose | 𐬥𐬁𐬵 /naːh/ | 𐎴𐎠𐏃𐎶 /naːham/ | — | nas /nas/ | 𐭥𐭩𐭭𐭩𐭪 /weːniːɡ/ | بینی /biːniː/ | — |
| Mouth | 𐬁𐬵 /aːh/ | — | — | rγʾh /raɣaː/ | — | دهان /dahaːn/ | 𑀢𑁆𑀢𑀼𑀭𑁆𑀭 /tːurːa/ |
| Tooth | 𐬛𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬀𐬥 /dantan/ | — /—/ | dndʾn /dandaːn/ | dntʾ /danda/ | 𐭣𐭭𐭣𐭠𐭭 /dandaːn/ | دندان /dandaːn/ | — /—/ |
| Tongue | 𐬵𐬌𐬰𐬎𐬎𐬁 /hizuaː/ | 𐏃𐏀𐎠𐎴𐎶 /hizaːnam/ | ʾzbʾn /izβaːn/ | ʾzβʾk /əzβaːk/ | 𐭦𐭥𐭠𐭭 /zuwaːn/ | زبان /zabaːn/ | — /—/ |
| Hand | 𐬰𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀 /zasta/ | 𐎭𐎿𐎫 /dasta/ | dast /dast/ | dst /dast/ | 𐭣𐭮𐭲 /dast/ | دست /dast/ | 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀢 /dasta/ |
| Foot | 𐬞𐬀𐬛 /pad/ | 𐎱𐎠𐎭 /paːda/ | pʾd /paːð/ | pʾδ /paːð/ | 𐭯𐭠𐭣𐭩 /paːj/ | پای /paːj/ | 𑀧𑀸𑀅 /paːa/ |
| Heart | 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 /zərəd/ | 𐏀𐎼𐎭 /zard/ | zyrd /zird/ | δrzy /ðərʒeː/ | 𐭣𐭩𐭫 /dil/ | دل /dil/ | 𑀬𑀲𑀭 /zəra/ |
| Bone | 𐬀𐬯𐬙 /ast/ | — /—/ | ʾstg /astaɡ/ | ʾstk /əstak/ | 𐭠𐭮𐭲 /ast/ | استخوان /ustuˈxaːn/ | — /—/ |
| Blood | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎𐬥𐬍 /vohuniː/ | — /—/ | gwhn /ɡuxn/ | γwrn /xurn/ | 𐭧𐭥𐭭 /xoːn/ | خون /xuːn/ | — /—/ |
| Poop | 𐬔𐬏𐬚𐬀 /ɡuːθa/ | — | — | — | 𐭢𐭥𐭧 /ɡoːh/ | گه /ɡuh/ | — |
| Love | 𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 /frija/ | 𐎳𐎼𐎡𐎹 /frija/ | friyādan /frijaːdan/ | frytk /friːtak/ | 𐭲𐭥𐭱𐭩 /doːʃiː/ | عشق /ʔiʃq/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀽 /arːuː/ |
| Tree | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 /waesa/ | — /—/ | dār /daːr/ | drxt /draxt/ | 𐭣𐭫𐭧𐭲 /draxt/ | درخت /diraxt/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀼 /drːu/ |
| Dog | 𐬯𐬞𐬁 /spaː/ | 𐎿𐎱𐎣 /spaka/ | spag /spaɡ/ | ʾkw /aːkuː/ | 𐭮𐭢 /saɡ/ | سگ /saɡ/ | 𑀰𑀼 /ʂu/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𐭢𐭥𐭫𐭡𐭢 /ɡurbaɡ/ | گربه /ɡurba/ | 𑀲𑀼𑀲𑀺 /susi/ |
| Fish | 𐬨𐬀𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬀 /masja/ | — /—/ | mʾsyg /maːsjaɡ/ | mʾšy /maːʃi/ | 𐭬𐭠𐭧𐭩𐭪 /maːhiːɡ/ | ماهی /maːˈhiː/ | — /—/ |
| Bird | 𐬨𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬖𐬀 /mərəɣa/ | — | murw /murw/ | mrγ /marɣ/ | 𐭬𐭥𐭫𐭥𐭠 /murw/ | مرغ /murɣ/ | 𑀫𑀼𑀭 /mura/ |
| Egg | 𐬀𐬉𐬨 /aem/ | — | — | mrγyzʾty /mərɣezaːteː/ | 𐭧𐭠𐭣𐭪 /xaːjaɡ/ | خایه /xaːja/ | — |
| Bear | 𐬀𐬭𐬴𐬀 /arʃa/ | — | — | — | — | خرس /xirs/ | — |
| Horse | 𐬀𐬯𐬞𐬀 /aspa/ | 𐎠𐎿 /asa/ | — | ʾsp /asp/ | 𐭠𐭮𐭯 /asp/ | اسپ /asp/ | — |
| House | 𐬥𐬨𐬁𐬥𐬀 /nmaːna/ | 𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎡𐎹 /maːnija/ | xānag /xaːnaɡ/ | kṯʾk /kaθaːk/ | 𐭧𐭠𐭭𐭪 /xaːnaɡ/ | خانه /xaːna/ | 𑀩𑁆𑀬𑀸𑀳 /bjaːha/ |
| Milk | 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬵 /pajah/ | — | — | xšypt /xʃipd/ | 𐭱𐭩𐭫 /ʃir/ | شیر /ʃiːr/ | — |
| Iron | 𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵 /ajaŋh/ | — | — | spyn /speːn/ | 𐭠𐭧𐭭 /aːhan/ | آهن /aːhan/ | — |
| Wheel | 𐬗𐬀𐬑𐬭𐬀 /tʃaxra/ | — | čaxr /tʃaxr/ | cxr /tʃaxr/ | 𐭰𐭫𐭧𐭪𐭠 /tʃaxraɡ/ | چرخ /tʃarx/ | — |
| Eat | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬭 /xwar/ | 𐎧𐎼 /xar/ | xward- /xward/ | xwartan /xwartan/ | 𐭧𐭥𐭫𐭲𐭭 /xwardan/ | خوردن /xʷurdan/ | 𑀧𑀭𑀢 /parætæ/ |
| Drink | 𐬞𐬁 /paː/ | 𐎱𐎠 /paː/ | pī- /piː/ | pi- /pi/ | 𐭭𐭥𐭱𐭩𐭲𐭭 /noːʃiːdan/ | آشامیدن /aːʃaːmiːdan/ | 𑀧𑀻𑀅 /piːa/ |
| Sleep | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬞 /xwap/ | — | xwsp- /xusp/ | wʾβs- /wafs/ | 𐭧𐭥𐭯𐭲𐭭 /xuftan/ | خفتن /xuftan/ | — |
| One | 𐬀𐬉𐬬𐬀 /aewa/ | 𐎠𐎡𐎺 /aiwa/ | ēw /eːw/ | yw /jɛw/ | 𐭠𐭩𐭪 /eːk/ | یک /jak/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑁅 /ɕau/ |
| Two | 𐬛𐬬𐬀 /dva/ | 𐎯𐎢𐎺 /duva/ | dō /doː/ | aδwa /aðwa/ | 𐭣𐭥 /doː/ | دو /doː/ | 𑀤𑀼𑀯 /duva/ |
| Three | 𐬚𐬭𐬁𐬌𐬌𐬊 /θraːjoː/ | 𐎨𐎡𐏂 /θraja/ | hry /hreː/ | ʾδry /ðreː/ | 𐭮𐭧 /seː/ | سه /sih/ | 𑀤𑀭𑁂 /drai/ |
| Four | 𐬗𐬀𐬚𐬡𐬀𐬭 /tʃaθwar/ | — | čafār /tʃafaːr/ | ctfʾr /tʃatfaːr/ | 𐭰𐭧𐭠𐭫 /tʃahaːr/ | چهار /tʃahaːr/ | — |
| Five | 𐬞𐬀𐬧𐬗𐬀 /pantʃa/ | — | panj /pandʒ/ | pnc /pantʃ/ | 𐭯𐭭𐭰 /pandʒ/ | پنج /pandʒ/ | 𑀧𑀁𑀚𑁆𑀲 /pandza/ |
| Hundred | 𐬯𐬀𐬙𐬆𐬨 /satəm/ | — | — | st /sat/ | 𐭮𐭣 /sad/ | صد /sad/ | 𑀲𑀢 /sata/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | drōd /droːd/ | drwd /druːd/ | 𐭣𐭫𐭥𐭲 /droːd/ | درود /duruːd/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀽𑀤𑀻 /drːuːdiː/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | spās /spaːs/ | — /—/ | 𐭮𐭯𐭠𐭮 /spaːs/ | سپاس /sipaːs/ | 𑀧𑁆𑀬𑀰𑁆𑀢 /pjaʃta/ |
| Good | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 /vohu/ | 𐎴𐎡𐎲 /naiba/ | nēw /neːw/ | nyk /neːk/ | 𐭥𐭩𐭧 /weh/ | نیک /neːk/ | 𑀯𑀺𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢 /viratːa/ |
| New | 𐬥𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀 /nava/ | — | nawāg /nawaːɡ/ | nawē /naweː/ | 𐭭𐭥𐭪𐭩 /noːɡ/ | نو /naw/ | — |
| Red | 𐬯𐬎𐬑𐬭𐬀 /suxra/ | — /—/ | swxr /suxr/ | swxr /suxr/ | 𐭮𐭥𐭧𐭫 /suxr/ | سرخ /surx/ | 𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀼𑀲𑁆𑀢 /rːusta/ |
| White | 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 /spaeta/ | — | ispēd /ispeːd/ | ʾspʾyt /ispeːt/ | 𐭮𐭯𐭩𐭲 /speːd/ | سپید /sɛpiːd/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑀻𑀢 /ɕːiːta/ |
| Black | 𐬯𐬁𐬨𐬀 /saːma/ | — | — | šāw /ʃaːw/ | 𐭮𐭩𐭣 /sjaː/ | سیاه /sijaːh/ | 𑀳𑀲𑁆𑀯 /hasva/ |
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