An Avesta Grammar: In Comparison with Sanskrit, Part 1W. Kohlhammer, 1892 - Avestan language |
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Common terms and phrases
a-conj a-conjugation a-decl a-declension a-stems ACTIVE Adverbs Ahura Ahura Mazda aorist Avesta Bartholomae beside YAv chiefly Compounds consonant corresponding declension Derivative Stems desiderative diphthongs Dual enclitic ending Epenthesis Examples feminine Gathas Geldner Gram guna GYAv haoma inflection Instr likewise masc masculine Mazda MIDDLE nasal neut neuter Note nouns and adjectives observed in GAv occur Older palatal Optative orig Pahlavi paradigm Parsi Participle passive Plural prefix pres present-system pret Preterite pronominal pronoun ptcpl radical redupl root Sandhi Sanskrit Singular sometimes sonant spirant STANFORD UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES Stems in original strong stem strongest stem Subjunctive suffix texts thematic Third Person thou unthematic Vendidad verb verbal vowel vrddhi weak form weak stem Whitney words Yashts Yasna YGAv Zoroaster Αν
Popular passages
Page xxxv - The Holier one of which did thus address the Evil: Neither do our minds, our teachings, nor our concepts, Nor our beliefs, nor words, nor do our deeds in sooth, Nor yet our consciences, nor souls agree in aught.
Page xxii - In determining this the text criticism by means of metrical restoration is most instructive. Almost all the oldest portions of the texts are found to be metrical ; the later, or inserted portions, are as a rule, but not always, written in prose. The grammatical test also is useful; the youngest portions generally show a decay of clear grammatical knowledge. The metrical Gathas in this respect are wonderfully pure.
Page xv - Avesta texts themselves began to be studied by Sanskrit scholars. The close affinity between the two languages' had already been noticed by different scholars; but in 1826, the more exact relation between the Sanskrit and the Avesta was shown by the Danish philologian, Rask, who had travelled in Persia and India, and who had brought back with him to the Copenhagen library many valuable MSS.
Page xii - Of the religion, manners, and customs of ancient Persia, which the Avesta preserves to us, we had but meagre knowledge until about a century ago. What we did know up to that time was gathered from the more or less scattered and unsatisfactory references of the classic Greek and Latin, from some allusions in Oriental writers, or from the later Persian epic literature. To direct sources, however, we could not then turn.
Page xiii - Hyde appealed earnestly, however, to scholars to procure MSS. of the sacred books of the Parsis, and aroused much interest in the subject. In 1723 a copy of the...
Page xiv - He gradually induced the priests to impart to him the language of their sacred works , to let him take some of the manuscripts, and even to initiate him into some of the rites and ceremonies of their religion. He stayed among the people for seven years, and then in 1761, he started for his home in Europe. He stopped at Oxford before going directly to Paris, and compared his MSS. with the one in the Bodleian Library, in order to be assured that he had not been imposed upon.
Page xiii - Isho'dad, Bishop of Hadatha, near Mosul, mention is made of the Abhfistu as having been written by Zardosht in twelve different languages. These latter allusions, though late, are all of them important, as showing the continuity during ages of the tradition of such a work as the Avesta, which contains the teachings of Zoroaster, the Prophet of Iran. All these allusions, however, it must be remembered, are by foreigners. No direct Iranian sources had been accessible. From this time, moreover, till...
Page xv - Rask, who had travelled in Persia and India, and who had brought back with him to the Copenhagen library many valuable MSS. of the Avesta and of the Pahlavi books. Rask, in a little work on the age and authenticity of the Zend-Language (1826), proved the antiquity of the language, showed it to be distinct from Sanskrit, though closely allied to it, and made some investigation into the alphabet of the texts. About the same time the Avesta was taken up by the French Sanskrit scholar, Eugene Burnouf.
Page xxxi - The alphabet in which the Avesta is written is far younger than the language it presents. The characters are derived from the Sassanian Pahlavi, which was used to write down the oral tradition when the texts were collected and edited under the dynasty of the Sassanida;.