Old Persian language

The Old Persian language is one of two Old Iranian languages. The other is Avestan). Old Persian was used during the Achaemenid era (c. 600 BC to 300 BC). Examples of Old Persian have been found in Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt.Roland G. Kent, Old Persian, 1953 It belongs to the Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family and was originally spoken during the Old Iranian period ( – 400 BCE) by the Iranians living in the eastern portion of Greater Iran.

Classification
Old Persian is an Old Iranian language and a member of the Southwestern Iranian language group. As an Iranian language, Old Persian is a member of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family.

Old Persian subsequently developed into Middle Persian, which is in turn the nominal ancestor of New Persian.

Phonology
The following phonemes are expressed in the Old Persian script:

Vowels
Long: 
Short: 

Consonants
   Labial Dental/ Alveolar Palatal Velar Glottal Plosive  p   b   t  d  c   j  k   g       Nasal    m      n                  Fricative  f     θ     ç    x     h     Sibilant        s   z  š                 Rhotic           r                    Approximant     v      l      y              

Grammar
Nouns
Old Persian stems:
 a-stems (-a, -am, -ā)
 i-stems (-iš, iy)
 u- (and au-) stems (-uš, -uv)
 consonantal stems (n, r, h)

 -a -am -ā Singular  Dual  Plural  Singular  Dual  Plural  Singular  Dual  Plural Nominative -a  -ā  -ā, -āha  -am  -ā  -ā  -ā  -ā  -ā Vocative -ā  -ā  -ā  -am  -ā  -ā  -ā  -ā  -ā Accusative -am  -ā  -ā  -am  -ā  -ā  -ām  -ā  -ā Instrumental -ā  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -ā  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -āyā  -ābiyā  -ābiš Dative -ahyā, -ahya  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -ahyā, -ahya  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -āyā  -ābiyā  -ābiš Ablative -ā  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -ā  -aibiyā  -aibiš  -āyā  -ābiyā  -ābiš Genitive -ahyā, -ahya  -āyā  -ānām  -ahyā, -ahya  -āyā  -ānām  -āyā  -āyā  -ānām Locative -aiy  -āyā  -aišuvā  -aiy  -āyā  -aišuvā  -āyā  -āyā  -āšuvā

 -iš -iy -uš -uv Singular  Dual  Plural  Singular  Dual  Plural  Singular  Dual  Plural  Singular  Dual  Plural Nominative -iš  -īy  -iya  -iy  -in  -īn  -uš  -ūv  -uva  -uv  -un  -ūn Vocative -i  -īy  -iya  -iy  -in  -īn  -u  -ūv  -uva  -uv  -un  -ūn Accusative -im  -īy  -iš  -iy  -in  -īn  -um  -ūv  -ūn  -uv  -un  -ūn Instrumental -auš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -auš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -auv  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš  -auv  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš Dative -aiš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -aiš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -auš  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš  -auš  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš Ablative -auš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -auš  -ībiyā  -ībiš  -auv  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš  -auv  -ūbiyā  -ūbiš Genitive -aiš  -īyā  -īnām  -aiš  -īyā  -īnām  -auš  -ūvā  -ūnām  -auš  -ūvā  -ūnām Locative -auv  -īyā  -išuvā  -auv  -īyā  -išuvā  -āvā  -ūvā  -ušuvā  -āvā  -ūvā  -ušuvā

Adjectives are declinable in a similar way.

Verbs
Voices
Active, Middle (thematic present -aiy-, -ataiy-), Passive (-ya-).

In Old Persian, the first- and the third-person forms were mostly used. The only dual form used was ajīvatam 'both lived'.

+ Present, ActiveAthematicThematic 'be'  'bring' Sg.1.pers.  ahmiy  barāmiy3.pers.  astiy  baratiy Pl. 1.pers.  ahmahiy  barāmahiy 3.pers.  hatiy  baratiy

+ Imperfect, ActiveAthematicThematic 'do, make'  'be, become' Sg.1.pers.  akunavam  abavam3.pers.  akunauš  abava Pl.1.pers.  akumā  abavāmā3.pers.  akunava  abava

+ Present participleActiveMiddle -nt-  -amna-

+ Past participle -ta-

+ Infinitive -tanaiy

Lexicon
Proto-Indo-Iranian  Old Persian   Middle Persian   Modern Persian   meaning *açva  aspa   asp   asp اسپ  horse *kāma  kāma   kām   kām کام  desire *daiva  daiva  div  div دیو  devil  drayah  drayā  daryā دریا  sea   dasta  dast  dast دست  hand *bhāgī  bāji  bāj   bāj باج/باژ  tribute *bhrātr-  brātar   brādar   barādar برادر  brother *bhūmī  būmi  būm   būm بوم  region, land *martya  martya   mard  mard مرد  man *māsa  māha  māh  māh ماه  moon, month *vāsara  vāhara   Bahār   bahār بهار  spring  stūnā  stūn  sotūn ستون  column (related to stand)  šiyāta šād  šād شاد  happy *arta  arta  ard  ord ارد  truth *draugh-  drauga   drōgh   dorōgh  دروغ  lie (maybe legendary related to drought)

Related pages
Indo-Iranian languages

References and bibliography




 : 238-245
 : 56–85


Further reading




University Of Chicago (2007, June 22). Everyday text shows that Old Persian was probably more commonly used than previously thought.

Category:Iranian languages