Avestan

Avestan is an ancient Iranian language used to compose the Avesta, the sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism, which was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster and influenced by Vedic Sanskrit and Old Persian. The language is also closely related to Old Church Slavonic and Lithuanian language, and has been studied by scholars such as Friedrich Nietzsche and Martin Haug. Avestan was spoken in Ancient Iran, Bactria, and Sogdia, and its study has been facilitated by the work of Iranian Studies departments at universities such as University of California, Berkeley and University of Oxford.

Introduction

Avestan is a member of the Indo-European languages family and is closely related to Vedic Sanskrit and Old Persian, which were spoken in Ancient India and Achaemenid Empire respectively. The language has been studied by scholars such as William Jones and Theodor Nöldeke, who have compared it to other ancient languages such as Latin and Greek. Avestan has also been influenced by Bactrian language and Sogdian language, which were spoken in Bactria and Sogdia respectively. The study of Avestan has been facilitated by the work of Academy of Sciences of the USSR and Institut für Iranistik.

History

The history of Avestan is closely tied to the history of Zoroastrianism, which was founded by the Prophet Zoroaster in Ancient Iran. The language was used to compose the Avesta, which includes the Gathas, Yasna, and Vendidad. Avestan was also influenced by Old Church Slavonic and Lithuanian language, which were spoken in Kievan Rus' and Grand Duchy of Lithuania respectively. The language has been studied by scholars such as James Darmesteter and Christian Bartholomae, who have compared it to other ancient languages such as Sanskrit and Pali. Avestan has also been influenced by Parthian language and Middle Persian, which were spoken in Parthian Empire and Sassanid Empire respectively.

Grammar

The grammar of Avestan is similar to that of other Indo-European languages, with a complex system of inflection and declension. The language has been studied by scholars such as Jacob Wackernagel and Antoine Meillet, who have compared it to other ancient languages such as Latin and Greek. Avestan has a system of cases similar to that of Sanskrit and Old Church Slavonic, and its verb conjugation is similar to that of Old Persian and Middle Persian. The study of Avestan grammar has been facilitated by the work of University of Cambridge and University of Chicago.

Vocabulary

The vocabulary of Avestan is closely related to that of other Indo-European languages, with many words borrowed from Vedic Sanskrit and Old Persian. The language has been studied by scholars such as Rudolf von Roth and Friedrich Spiegel, who have compared it to other ancient languages such as Latin and Greek. Avestan has a rich vocabulary of words related to Zoroastrianism, including terms such as Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. The study of Avestan vocabulary has been facilitated by the work of Oxford University Press and Harvard University Press.

Script

The script used to write Avestan is known as the Avestan alphabet, which was developed from the Pahlavi script used to write Middle Persian. The script has been studied by scholars such as Georg Bühler and Edward Delavan Perry, who have compared it to other ancient scripts such as Devanagari and Greek alphabet. Avestan has also been written in other scripts, including the Gujarati script and the Bengali script, which were used in Gujarat and Bengal respectively. The study of Avestan script has been facilitated by the work of British Museum and Library of Congress.

Influence

Avestan has had a significant influence on the development of other languages, including Persian language and Urdu. The language has been studied by scholars such as Sir William Jones and Theodor Nöldeke, who have compared it to other ancient languages such as Latin and Greek. Avestan has also influenced the development of Islamic studies and Oriental studies, with many scholars such as Ignac Goldziher and Julius Wellhausen studying the language and its relationship to Islam and Orientalism. The study of Avestan has been facilitated by the work of University of Tehran and Aligarh Muslim University. Category:Language