Proto-Indo-Iranian paganism (or Proto-Aryan paganism) was the beliefs of the speakers of Proto-Indo-Iranian and includes topics such as the mythology, legendry, folk tales, and folk beliefs of early Indo-Iranian culture. By way of the comparative method, Indo-Iranian philologists, a variety of historical linguist, have proposed reconstructions of entities, locations, and concepts with various levels of security in early Indo-Iranian folklore and mythology (reconstructions are indicated by the presence of an asterisk). The present article includes both reconstructed forms and proposed motifs from the Proto-Indo-Iranian period, generally associated with the Sintashta culture (2050–1900 BCE). [1]
Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstruction | Indo-Aryan | Iranian | Mitanni | Etymology | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
*Háǰʰiš | Ahi | Aži | – | – | |
*Aryamā́ | Skt Aryaman | Av. Airiiaman | – | – | |
*Bʰagás | Skt Bhaga | OPers.*Baga [2] [lower-alpha 1] | – | OPers.*Baga is inferred from Bāgayādi, month of the feast *Bagayāda- ('worshiping Baga = Mithra'). [2] The etymology indicates a societal deity that distributes wealth and prosperity. [5] [6] Slavic bog ('god') and bogátyj ('rich') are generally seen as loanwords from Iranian. [7] | |
*Ćarwa [8] | SktŚarva [8] | YAv.Sauruua [8] | – | Perhaps related to ToB śer(u)we, ToA śaru 'hunter'. [8] | Probably meaning 'hunter' (cf. Khot. hasirä 'quarry, hunted beast', Oss. suryn 'to chase, hunt', syrd 'wild beast'). An epithet of Rudra or Śiva in Sanskrit. Name of one the daēuua (demons) in Young Avestan. [8] |
*Dyauš [9] | Skt Dyáuṣ [9] | OAv.diiaoš [9] | – | From PIE*dyēus, the daylight-sky god. [9] | Meaning 'heaven, daylight sky'. Name of the inherited Proto-Indo-European sky-god (cf. Hitt.šīuš, Grk Zeus , Lat. Jove ) [9] See Dyēus for further information. |
*Hagníš [10] | Skt Agni [10] | YAv.Dāšt-āɣni [10] | From PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis, the fire as an active force. [10] | Name of the inherited Proto-Indo-European fire-god (cf. Lith.Ugnis, Alb. enjte ). [10] See H1n̥gʷnis for further information. | |
*Hāpam-nápāts [11] | SktApā́m nápāt [11] | YAv.apᶏm napāt [11] | – | From PIE *h2ep- ('water') and *h2nepot- ('grandson, descendant'). [11] | Meaning 'Grandsons of the Waters'. [11] See Apam Napat for further information. |
*Haramati [12] | SktArámati [12] | Av. Ārmaiti [12] | – | No known IE cognate. [12] | Goddess of obedience and piety. Cf. Sktarámanas ('obedient') and Av.ārmaiti ('piety, devotion'). [12] |
*HatHarwan [13] | Skt Átharvan [13] | YAv. Āθrauuan [13] | – | Perhaps a borrowing from a Central Asian language (cf. ToAatär, ToBetre 'hero'). [13] | Name of a primordial priest. The Sanskrit cognate is the name of the primordial priest, while the Young Avestan form designates the first social class (i.e. the priests). Scholars have rendered the stem *HatHar- as a 'religious-magical fluid' or 'magical potency'. [13] |
*Hwi(H)waswant [14] | Skt Vivásvant [14] | YAv.Vīuuanhvant [14] | – | From PIE *h2ues- 'dawn'. [14] | Meaning 'morning dawn'. Father of *YamHa (see below). Cf. Sktvaivasvatá and Av.vīuuaŋhuša- ('descending from Vivasvant'). [14] |
(?) *Wr̥trás [15] | Skt Vṛtrá [15] | YAv. Vǝrǝθraɣna [15] | – | No known IE cognate. [15] | *wr̥trás means 'defence' (the original meaning may have been 'cover'). Skt Vṛtrá is the name of a demon slain by Indra, often depicted as a cobra. YAv. Vǝrǝθraɣna , meaning 'breaking of defence, victory', is the name of a god. Cf. also Middle Persian Wahrām ('war god, god of victory'). The Arm. god Vahagn is a loanword from Iranian. [15] |
*Hušā́s [16] | Skt Uṣás [16] | OAv.Ušå [16] | – | From PIE*h₂éws-ōs, the Dawn-goddess. [16] | Name of the dawn-goddess. [16] See H₂éwsōs for further information. |
*Índras [17] | Skt Índra [17] | YAv.Indra [17] | Mit.Indara [18] | No known IE cognate. [17] | – |
*Krćānu ~ *Krćāni [19] | SktKṛśā́nu [19] | YAv.Kərəsāni [19] | – | No known IE cognate. [19] | Divine being associated with the Soma. In Sanskrit, the divine archer that guards the celestial Soma; in Young Avestan, name of a hostile king driven away by Haoma. [19] |
*Mánuš | Skt Manu [20] | Av.*Manūš [20] | – | From PIE*Manu- ('Man', 'ancestor of humankind'; cf. Germ. Mannus ). [20] | Av. *Manūš.čiθra ('image of Manuš') is inferred from Old Persian Manūščihr, the name of a high priest. [20] |
*Mitrás | Skt Mitrá | Av. Miθra | Mit.Mitra [18] | See Mitra. | |
Skt Nā́satyā [21] | Av.Nā̊ŋhaiθya [21] | Mit.Našattiya [18] | Probably from PIE *nes- ('save, heal'; cf. Goth.nasjan). [21] | SktNā́satyā is another name for the Aśvínā ('horse-possessors'); Nā̊ŋhaiθya is the name of a demon in the Zoroastrian religious system. According to scholar Douglas Frame, "the Iranian singular suggests that in Common Indo-Iranian the twins’ dual name also occurred in the singular to name one twin in opposition to the other". [21] See Divine Twins. | |
*Pr̥tHwíH [22] | Skt Pṛth(i)vī́ [22] | YAv.ząm pərəθβīm [22] | – | From PIE*pleth₂wih₁ 'the broad one'. [22] | Name of the deified earth. The Sanskrit poetic formula kṣā́m ... pṛthivī́m ('broad earth') is identical to YAv.ząm pərəθβīm (id.) [22] See Dʰéǵʰōm for further information. |
*PuHšā́ [23] | Skt Pisán [23] | – | – | From PIE *p(e)h2uson (cf. Grk Πάων < *pausōn). [23] | Name of a herding-god, protector of roads, inspector of creatures. [23] |
*Sušna [24] | SktŚúsna [24] | Sh.sāɣ(d) [24] | – | From PIEḱues-. [24] | Name of a malevolent being. Proto-Iranian *sušnā- is inferred from Sh.sāɣ̌(d) ('big snake, dragon'). [24] |
*Tritá [25] | Skt Tritá [25] | YAv.θrita [25] | – | From PIEtrito 'third'. [25] | Mythical hero; one of the first preparers of the Soma. [25] |
Skt Váruṇa | Av.*Vouruna(?) [26] | Mit.Aruna [18] | The Indo-Iranian ancestry is supported by Mitanni Aruna. [18] The Avestan *Vouruna is postulated as the form the god would have taken in Iran, perhaps later replaced by Ahura Mazdā or Apam Napat. [26] | ||
*Ućan [27] | SktUśánā [27] | YAv.Usan [27] | – | Probably a non-IE name based on the same root as *ućig- ('sacrificer'). [27] | Name of a sage. [27] |
*HwaHyúš and *HwáHatas [28] | Skt Vāyú and Vā́ta [28] | OAv. Vaiiu and Vāta [28] | – | From PIE*h2ueh1iu and *h2ueh1nto. [28] | Gods of winds. [28] |
*YámHas [29] | Skt Yamá [29] | Av. Yima [29] | – | From PIE *imH-o 'twin'. [29] | Meaning 'twin'; inherited from Proto-Indo-European (cf. Old Norse Ymir , the primeval giant). In Indo-Iranian, name of the mythical primeval man, first presser of the Soma, and son of the god *Hui(H)uasuant . [29] Cognate to the Indic goddess Yamuna, a deified river. See Indo-European cosmogony for further information. |
Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstruction | Indo-Aryan | Iranian | Etymology | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
*Háćmā [30] | Sktáśman [30] | YAv. asman [30] | From PIE *h₂éḱmōn, 'stone, stone-made weapon; heavenly vault of stone'. [31] [32] | Sktáśman means 'stone, rock, sling-stone, thunderbolt', YAv.asman 'stone, sling-stone, heaven'. [30] The original PIE meaning appears to have been 'stone(-made weapon)' > 'heavenly vault of stone' (cf. Grk ákmōn 'anvil, meteoric stone, thunderbolt, heaven', Goth.himins 'heaven', Lith.akmuõ 'stone'). [31] [32] See Perkwunos (Heavenly vault of stone) for further information. |
Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstruction | Meaning | Indo-Aryan | Iranian | Etymology | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
*daywás [33] | god, deity | Skt devá [33] | OAv. daēuua [33] | From PIE *deywós 'celestial > god'. [33] | The Iranian word is at the origin of the div, a creature of Persian mythology, later spread to Turkic and Islamic mythologies. [34] |
*daywiH [35] | goddess | Skt devī́ [35] | YAv. daēuuī [35] | From PIE *deywih2 'goddess'. [35] | |
*g(h)andh(a)rwas- ~ g(h)andh(a)rbhas- [36] | Skt gandharvá [36] | YAv.gandərəba [36] | No known IE cognate. [36] | Group of mythical beings. | |
*Hasuras [37] | god, lord | Skt ásura [37] | Av. ahura [37] | From PIE *h₂ems-u- < *h₂ems- ('to give birth'). [37] | According to Asko Parpola and Václav Blažek, the word has been borrowed into Finno-Ugric/Uralic languages as *asera- (Parpola) or *asɤrɜ- (Blazek), both meaning 'lord, prince, leader'. [38] [39] |
Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstruction | Meaning | Indo-Aryan | Iranian | Etymology | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
*bhišáj [40] | 'healer' | Sktbhišáj- [40] | OAv.biš- [40] | No known IE cognate. [40] | |
*dać- [41] | 'to offer, worship' | Sktdáś- [41] | OAv. dasəma [41] | From PIE *deḱ-. [41] | |
*diuiHa [42] | 'heavenly, divine' | Sktdivyá [42] | – | From PIE*diwyós 'heavenly, divine'. [42] | |
*gau(H)- [43] | 'call, invoke' | Sktgav(i) [43] | – | From PIEgewh2-. [43] | cf. also Osset.argawyn < *agraw- ('to perform a church service'). [43] |
*grH- [44] | 'song of praise, invocation' | Sktgír [44] | OAv.gar- [44] | From PIEgwerH-. [44] | |
*(H)anću [45] | 'Soma plant' | Sktamśú- [45] | YAv. ᶏsu- [45] | Presumably a loanword. [45] | |
*HaHpriH [46] | 'wishing, blessing, invocation' | Sktāprī́ [46] | YAv.āfrī [46] | No known IE cognate. [46] | |
*Hiáj [2] | 'to worship, sacrifice' | Sktyaj [2] | Av.yaz- [2] | From PIE *hieh2ǵ-. [2] | |
*Hiájata [47] | 'worthy of worship, sacrifice' | Sktyajatá [47] | Av. yazata- [47] | From PIE *hieh2ǵ-. [47] | |
*Hiájna [48] | 'worship, sacrifice' | Skt yajna [48] | Av. yasna - [48] | From PIE *hieh2ǵ-. [48] | |
*Hiša [49] | 'refreshing libation' | Sktídā [49] | OAv.īžā [49] | No known IE cognate. [49] | |
*Hižd- [50] | 'to invoke, worship' [50] | Sktīd- [50] | OAv.īšas- [50] | From PIE*h2eisd-. [50] | |
*(H)rši [51] | 'seer' [51] | Skt ṛ́si [51] | OAv.ərəšiš [51] | No known IE cognate. [51] | |
*Hrta [52] | 'truth, (world-)order' | Skt ṛtá [52] | OAv. aša, arəta [52] | From PIE *h2rtó. [52] | |
*HrtaHuan [53] | 'belonging to Truth' | Sktṛtā́van [53] | OAv.ašauuan [53] | From PIE *h2rtó. [53] | |
*j́hau- [54] | 'pour, sacrifice, offer' [54] | Skthav [54] | Av.ā-zuiti [54] | From PIE *ǵheu-. [54] | |
*j́hau-tar [55] | 'priest' | Skthótar [55] | Av.zaotar [55] | From PIE *ǵheu-. [55] | |
*j́hau-traH [56] | 'sacrificial pouring' | Skthótrā [56] | YAv.zaoθrā [56] | From PIE *ǵheu-. [56] | |
*namas [57] | 'to worship, honour' | Sktnámas [57] | Av.nəmah [57] | From PIE *némos. [57] | |
*sauma [58] | 'Soma-plant', a deified drink | Sktsóma [58] | YAv. haoma [58] | No known IE cognate. [58] | Probably referring to ephedra. [58] |
*uájra [59] | Mythical weapon | Skt vájra [59] | YAv.vazra [59] | From PIE *ueh2ǵ-. [59] | Mythical weapon associated with Indra in India and with Mithra in Iran. Cf. Arm.varz ('stick'), a loanword from Iranian. [59] |
*uand(H) [60] | 'to praise, honour' | Sktvandi [60] | YAv.vandaēta [60] | No known IE cognate. [60] | |
*ućig [61] | 'sacrificer' | Sktuśíj [61] | OAv.usij [61] | Likely a borrowing from a Central Asian language. [61] | Sktuśíj is an epithet of sacrificers and of Agni. OAv.usij designates a 'sacrificer which is hostile towards the Zoroastrian religion'. [61] |
*uipra [62] | 'exctasic, inspired' | Sktvípra [62] | YAv.vifra [62] | No known IE cognate. [62] | See Viprata for further information. |
*urata [63] | 'rule, order, religious commandment, observance' | Skt vratá [63] | OAv.uruuata [63] | No known IE cognate. [63] |
In the Vedic tradition, sóma is a ritual drink of importance among the early Vedic Indo-Aryans. The Rigveda mentions it, particularly in the Soma Mandala. Gita mentions the drink in chapter 9. It is equivalent to the Iranian haoma.
Mitra is the name of an Indo-Iranian divinity that predates the Rigvedic Mitrá and Avestan Mithra.
Avestan is an umbrella term for two Old Iranian languages, Old Avestan and Younger Avestan. They are known only from their conjoined use as the scriptural language of Zoroastrianism; the Avesta serves as their namesake. Both are early Eastern Iranian languages within the Indo-Iranian language branch of the Indo-European language family. Its immediate ancestor was the Proto-Iranian language, a sister language to the Proto-Indo-Aryan language, with both having developed from the earlier Proto-Indo-Iranian language; as such, Old Avestan is quite close in both grammar and lexicon to Vedic Sanskrit, the oldest preserved Indo-Aryan language.
Airyanem Vaejah is considered in Zoroastrianism to be the homeland of the early Iranians and the place where Zarathustra received the religion from Ahura Mazda. The Avesta also names it as the first of the "sixteen perfect lands" that Ahura Mazda created for the Iranians.
Ahura is an Avestan language designation of a type of deity inherited by Zoroastrianism from the prehistoric Indo-Iranian religion, and denotes a particular class of Zoroastrian divinities. The term is assumed to be linguistically related to the Asuras of Indian Vedic era.
*Dyḗus, also *Dyḗus ph₂tḗr, is the reconstructed name of the daylight-sky god in Proto-Indo-European mythology. *Dyēus was conceived as a divine personification of the bright sky of the day and the seat of the gods, the *deywṓs. Associated with the vast diurnal sky and with the fertile rains, *Dyēus was often paired with *Dʰéǵʰōm, the Earth Mother, in a relationship of union and contrast.
The Indo-Iranian peoples, also known as Ā́rya or Aryans from their self-designation, were a group of Indo-European speaking peoples who brought the Indo-Iranian languages to major parts of Eurasia in waves from the first part of the 2nd millennium BC onwards. They eventually branched out into the Iranian peoples and Indo-Aryan peoples.
The Iranian languages, also called the Iranic languages, are a branch of the Indo-Iranian languages in the Indo-European language family that are spoken natively by the Iranian peoples, predominantly in the Iranian Plateau.
Proto-Indo-Iranian, also called Proto-Indo-Iranic or Proto-Aryan, is the reconstructed proto-language of the Indo-Iranian branch of Indo-European. Its speakers, the hypothetical Proto-Indo-Iranians, are assumed to have lived in the late 3rd millennium BC, and are often connected with the Sintashta culture of the Eurasian Steppe and the early Andronovo archaeological horizon.
Verethragna or Bahram is an Indo-Iranian deity.
Some loanwords in the variant of the Hurrian language spoken in Mitanni during the 2nd millennium BCE are identifiable as originating in an Indo-Aryan language; these are considered to constitute an Indo-Aryan superstrate in Mitanni. The words are theonyms, proper names and technical terminology related to horses (hippological).
Vedic Sanskrit has a number of linguistic features which are alien to most other Indo-European languages. Prominent examples include: phonologically, the introduction of retroflexes, which alternate with dentals, and morphologically, the formation of gerunds. Some philologists attribute such features, as well as the presence of non-Indo-European vocabulary, to a local substratum of languages encountered by Indo-Aryan peoples in Central Asia (Bactria-Marghiana) and within the Indian subcontinent during Indo-Aryan migrations, including the Dravidian languages.
Leiden Studies in Indo-European is an academic book series on Indo-European studies.
The series was founded in 1991 and is published by Rodopi.
The Indo-European Etymological Dictionary is a research project of the Department of Comparative Indo-European Linguistics at Leiden University, initiated in 1991 by Peter Schrijver and others. It is financially supported by the Faculty of Humanities and Centre for Linguistics of Leiden University, Brill Publishers, and the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research.
Aryan or Arya is a term originally used as an ethnocultural self-designation by Indo-Iranians in ancient times, in contrast to the nearby outsiders known as 'non-Aryan'. In Ancient India, the term ā́rya was used by the Indo-Aryan speakers of the Vedic period as an endonym (self-designation) and in reference to a region known as Āryāvarta, where the Indo-Aryan culture emerged. In the Avesta scriptures, ancient Iranian peoples similarly used the term airya to designate themselves as an ethnic group, and in reference to their mythical homeland, Airyanǝm Vaēǰō. The stem also forms the etymological source of place names such as Alania and Iran.
Alexander Markovich Lubotsky, also known as Sasha Lubotsky, is a Russian-Dutch linguist and Indologist who specializes in the study of Indo-Iranian languages. He is the editor-in-chief of the Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary project.
Proto-Germanic paganism was the beliefs of the speakers of Proto-Germanic and includes topics such as the Germanic mythology, legendry, and folk beliefs of early Germanic culture. By way of the comparative method, Germanic philologists, a variety of historical linguist, have proposed reconstructions of entities, locations, and concepts with various levels of security in early Germanic folklore. The present article includes both reconstructed forms and proposed motifs from the early Germanic period.
*H₁n̥gʷnis is the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European name of the fire god in Proto-Indo-European mythology.
A mantra or manthra is a prayer, sacred formula or inspired utterance considered in Zoroastrianism to have spiritual power. Their use already goes back to Zarathustra who described himself in his Gathas as a knower of mantras.
Arya was the ethnonym used by Iranians during the early History of Iran. In contrast to cognates of Arya used by the Vedic people and Iranic steppe nomads, the term is commonly translated using the modern ethnonym Iranian.