𐎠𐎼𐎹
Old Persian
Indo-European (Iranian, Old, Southwestern) · historical / hidden variety
Old Persian was the language of the Achaemenid Persian Empire (550-330 BCE) and the direct ancestor of Middle Persian (Pahlavi) and ultimately Modern Persian. It is attested in royal inscriptions of Darius I, Xerxes and successors (most famously the trilingual Behistun Inscription of c.520 BCE alongside Elamite and Akkadian, the key to deciphering cuneiform). Written in a unique semi-syllabic Old Persian cuneiform of ~36 signs, invented specifically for the script — distinct from the much older Sumerian-Akkadian cuneiform. The corpus is small but linguistically conservative, preserving Indo-European inflection.
Where it is spoken
87 core words in Old Persian
Sources
- Kent (1953) Old Persian: Grammar, Texts, Lexicon
- Schmitt (2014) Wörterbuch der altpersischen Königsinschriften
- Glottolog: oldp1254
Words compared
Compared with languages in the same classification: Indo-European (Iranian, Old, Southwestern)
| Meaning | Old Persian | Avestan | Khotanese | Parthian | Sogdian | Oscan | Luwian |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water | 𐎠𐎱 /aːpi/ | 𐬁𐬞 /aːp/ | 𑀊𑀤𑀸 /uːdaː/ | āb /aːb/ | ʾāp /aːp/ | — /—/ | wār /waːr/ |
| Fire | 𐎠𐎫𐎼 /aːtar/ | 𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /aːtar/ | 𑀆𑀢𑀭 /aːtar/ | ādar /aːdar/ | ʾātar /aːtar/ | — /—/ | pāḫur /ˈpaːxur/ |
| Sun | 𐏃𐎢𐎺𐎼 /huwar/ | 𐬵𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬭𐬆 /huwarə/ | 𑀉𑀭𑁆𑀫 /urma/ | xwar /xwar/ | xwr /xwar/ | — /—/ | 𔖖𔓚 /ˈtiwad/ |
| Moon | 𐎶𐎠𐏃 /maːha/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬵 /maːh/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀲𑁆𑀢 /maːsta/ | māh /maːh/ | mʾx /maːx/ | — /—/ | 𔓜𔒄𔗦 /ˈarmas/ |
| Star | 𐎿𐎫𐎠𐎼 /staːra/ | 𐬯𐬙𐬀𐬭 /star/ | 𑀲𑁆𑀢𑀸𑀭 /staːra/ | astārag /asˈtaːraɡ/ | stāre /staːre/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Night | 𐎧𐏁𐎱 /xʃapa/ | 𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬞 /xʃap/ | — /—/ | ʾxšp /xʃap/ | ʾxšp /xʃap/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Earth | 𐎲𐎢𐎷𐎡 /buːmi/ | 𐬰𐬀𐬨 /zam/ | — | zamīg /zamiːɡ/ | zamāk /zamaːk/ | teras /teras/ | tiyamma- /tijamma/ |
| Stone | 𐎠𐎰𐎥 /aθaŋɡa/ | 𐬀𐬯𐬆𐬥𐬔𐬀 /asəŋɡa/ | — | sang /saŋɡ/ | snk /saŋɡ/ | — | assu- /ˈasːu/ |
| Mountain | 𐎣𐎢𐎳 /kaufa/ | 𐬔𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌 /ɡairi/ | 𑀕𑀭 /ɡara/ | — | γari /ɣari/ | — | watti- /ˈwatːi/ |
| Sea | 𐎭𐎼𐎹 /draja/ | 𐬰𐬭𐬀𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬢𐬵 /zrajaŋh/ | — | zrēh /zreːh/ | zry /zreː/ | — | — |
| Mother | 𐎶𐎠𐎫𐎼 /maːtar/ | 𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬀𐬭 /maːtar/ | 𑀫𑀸𑀢 /maːta/ | mād /maːd/ | mʾtr /maːtar/ | maatúf /maːtof/ | anni- /ˈanni/ |
| Father | 𐎱𐎡𐎫𐎠 /pitaː/ | 𐬞𐬌𐬙𐬀𐬭 /pitar/ | 𑀧𑀺𑀢 /pita/ | pid /pid/ | ptr /pitar/ | patír /patiːr/ | 𔐞𔑣𔓯𔗔 /ˈtadis/ |
| I | 𐎠𐎭𐎶 /adam/ | 𐬀𐬰𐬆𐬨 /azəm/ | 𑀅𑀬𑁆𑀲𑀼 /azu/ | az /az/ | azu /azu/ | egom /eɡom/ | 𔐀 /ˈamu/ |
| You | 𐎬𐎢𐎺𐎶 /tuvam/ | 𐬙𐬏𐬨 /tuːm/ | 𑀢𑀽 /tuː/ | tu /tuː/ | tγu /tɣu/ | tú /tuː/ | tu /tu/ |
| We | 𐎺𐎹𐎶 /vajam/ | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬨 /vaeːm/ | — /—/ | amāh /amaːh/ | mʾx /maːx/ | — /—/ | anzāš /ˈantsaːs/ |
| Name | 𐎴𐎠𐎶 /naːma/ | 𐬥𐬁𐬨𐬀𐬥 /naːman/ | 𑀦𑀸𑀫 /naːma/ | nām /naːm/ | nām /naːm/ | númen /nuːmen/ | 𔐓𔓇𔒄𔖪 /ˈalamantsa/ |
| Person | 𐎶𐎼𐎫𐎡𐎹 /martija/ | 𐬨𐬀𐬴𐬌𐬌𐬀 /maʃja/ | — | — | mrtxmy /martoxmeː/ | — | ziti- /ˈtsiti/ |
| Eye | 𐏂𐏁𐎶𐎴 /tʃaʃman/ | 𐬗𐬀𐬱𐬨𐬀𐬥 /tʃaʃman/ | 𑀘𑁂𑀰𑁆𑀫𑀦𑁆 /tʃʰeʃman/ | čašm /tʃaʃm/ | cšm /tʃaʃm/ | — /—/ | tawi- /ˈtawi/ |
| Ear | 𐎥𐎢𐏁 /ɡauʃa/ | 𐬔𐬀𐬊𐬱𐬀 /ɡaoʃa/ | — | gōš /ɡoːʃ/ | γwš /ɣoːʃ/ | — | tummant- /ˈtumːant/ |
| Nose | 𐎴𐎠𐏃𐎶 /naːham/ | 𐬥𐬁𐬵 /naːh/ | — | — | nas /nas/ | — | — |
| Tooth | — /—/ | 𐬛𐬀𐬧𐬙𐬀𐬥 /dantan/ | — /—/ | dndʾn /dandaːn/ | dntʾ /danda/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Tongue | 𐏃𐏀𐎠𐎴𐎶 /hizaːnam/ | 𐬵𐬌𐬰𐬎𐬎𐬁 /hizuaː/ | — /—/ | ʾzbʾn /izβaːn/ | ʾzβʾk /əzβaːk/ | fangva /faŋɡwa/ | lāli- /ˈlaːli/ |
| Hand | 𐎭𐎿𐎫 /dasta/ | 𐬰𐬀𐬯𐬙𐬀 /zasta/ | 𑀤𑀲𑁆𑀢 /dasta/ | dast /dast/ | dst /dast/ | manim /manim/ | 𔑁𔓯𔑶𔖸 /ˈistri/ |
| Foot | 𐎱𐎠𐎭 /paːda/ | 𐬞𐬀𐬛 /pad/ | 𑀧𑀸𑀅 /paːa/ | pʾd /paːð/ | pʾδ /paːð/ | — | pāta- /ˈpaːta/ |
| Heart | 𐏀𐎼𐎭 /zard/ | 𐬰𐬆𐬭𐬆𐬛 /zərəd/ | 𑀬𑀲𑀭 /zəra/ | zyrd /zird/ | δrzy /ðərʒeː/ | — /—/ | zārt- /tsaːrt/ |
| Bone | — /—/ | 𐬀𐬯𐬙 /ast/ | — /—/ | ʾstg /astaɡ/ | ʾstk /əstak/ | — /—/ | ḫāssa- /ˈxaːsːa/ |
| Blood | — /—/ | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎𐬥𐬍 /vohuniː/ | — /—/ | gwhn /ɡuxn/ | γwrn /xurn/ | — /—/ | āšḫar- /ˈaːsxar/ |
| Love | 𐎳𐎼𐎡𐎹 /frija/ | 𐬟𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀 /frija/ | 𑀅𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀽 /arːuː/ | friyādan /frijaːdan/ | frytk /friːtak/ | — /—/ | azza- /ˈatsːa/ |
| Tree | — /—/ | 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬯𐬀 /waesa/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀼 /drːu/ | dār /daːr/ | drxt /draxt/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Dog | 𐎿𐎱𐎣 /spaka/ | 𐬯𐬞𐬁 /spaː/ | 𑀰𑀼 /ʂu/ | spag /spaɡ/ | ʾkw /aːkuː/ | — /—/ | zuwana- /tsuˈwana/ |
| Cat | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𑀲𑀼𑀲𑀺 /susi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Fish | — /—/ | 𐬨𐬀𐬯𐬌𐬌𐬀 /masja/ | — /—/ | mʾsyg /maːsjaɡ/ | mʾšy /maːʃi/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Horse | 𐎠𐎿 /asa/ | 𐬀𐬯𐬞𐬀 /aspa/ | — | — | ʾsp /asp/ | — | azzu- /ˈatsːu/ |
| House | 𐎶𐎠𐎴𐎡𐎹 /maːnija/ | 𐬥𐬨𐬁𐬥𐬀 /nmaːna/ | 𑀩𑁆𑀬𑀸𑀳 /bjaːha/ | xānag /xaːnaɡ/ | kṯʾk /kaθaːk/ | trííbúm /triːbom/ | 𔔙𔐤𔖪 /ˈparnantsa/ |
| Eat | 𐎧𐎼 /xar/ | 𐬑𐬬𐬀𐬭 /xwar/ | 𑀧𑀭𑀢 /parætæ/ | xward- /xward/ | xwartan /xwartan/ | edum /edum/ | ad- /ad/ |
| Drink | 𐎱𐎠 /paː/ | 𐬞𐬁 /paː/ | 𑀧𑀻𑀅 /piːa/ | pī- /piː/ | pi- /pi/ | — /—/ | ū- /uː/ |
| One | 𐎠𐎡𐎺 /aiwa/ | 𐬀𐬉𐬬𐬀 /aewa/ | 𑀰𑁆𑀰𑁅 /ɕau/ | ēw /eːw/ | yw /jɛw/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Two | 𐎯𐎢𐎺 /duva/ | 𐬛𐬬𐬀 /dva/ | 𑀤𑀼𑀯 /duva/ | dō /doː/ | aδwa /aðwa/ | dús /duːs/ | — /—/ |
| Three | 𐎨𐎡𐏂 /θraja/ | 𐬚𐬭𐬁𐬌𐬌𐬊 /θraːjoː/ | 𑀤𑀭𑁂 /drai/ | hry /hreː/ | ʾδry /ðreː/ | trís /triːs/ | tarri- /ˈtarːi/ |
| Hello | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𑀤𑁆𑀭𑀽𑀤𑀻 /drːuːdiː/ | drōd /droːd/ | drwd /druːd/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Thank you | — /—/ | — /—/ | 𑀧𑁆𑀬𑀰𑁆𑀢 /pjaʃta/ | spās /spaːs/ | — /—/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
| Good | 𐎴𐎡𐎲 /naiba/ | 𐬬𐬊𐬵𐬎 /vohu/ | 𑀯𑀺𑀭𑀢𑁆𑀢 /viratːa/ | nēw /neːw/ | nyk /neːk/ | — /—/ | 𔖢 /ˈwaːsu/ |
| Red | — /—/ | 𐬯𐬎𐬑𐬭𐬀 /suxra/ | 𑀭𑁆𑀭𑀼𑀲𑁆𑀢 /rːusta/ | swxr /suxr/ | swxr /suxr/ | — /—/ | — /—/ |
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