The answer to the above question is, with the exception of the Avestan alphabet; no.
Note: Avesta (one of the oldest) Iranian language, formerly also known as "Old Bactrian" also known as language of Zoroastrian used to be spoken in Eastern Iranian Plateau such as; Arachosia/Sīstān, Herat, Merv and Bactria.
Note: A few western scholars have erroneously called Zand,(Zend) a separate language while Zand is an interpretation of Gatha language into Avesta language written in Parsi with Pahlavi alphabet so the western Iranians could understand "Gathas", the writing of Zarathustra.
Note: Avesta was the formal language of Bactria empire while Gatha , the mother thong of Zarathustra, was a dialect from the same family of Aryan languages.
پَهلَوی و زَند، یا زِند زبان نبودند.
پهلَوی یک الِفبای آشوری بوده که ایرانی ها در حُدودِ سیسد یا چهارسد سال پیش از میلاد آغازِ به اِستِفاده از آن کردند۰درآغاز پهلوی سد درسد به زبانِ سامی نوشته میشُده ولی رفته رفته واژه های پارسی دَر آن رِخنه نمود به گونه ئیکه دردورانِ ساسانیان تنها سی درسد زبانِ سامی وهفتاد درسَدِ آن پارسی بوده
زَند یا زِند یک واژهِ اَوِستائیست به چَمِ «تَفسیر» ۰
اَوِستا زبانِ ِایرانیهای خاورِ ایران بوده وایرانیهای پارسی زبانِ مُقیمِ باخترآنرا نمفهمیدند۰درنتیجه یکی از ایرانی ها که هردوزبان را میدانِسته گاتها، نوشتهِ زرتُشت را، به زبانِ پارسی با ختِ «خطِ» پهلوی نوشته و نامِ آنرا زَندِ اوِستا، یعنی تَفسیراَوِستا نهاد۰ حال اگر کِسی زَند را دوباره نِویسی مینمود، آنرا پازند مینامیدند۰پا درزبانِ اوستا یعنی دوباره ۰
گاتها یک دایلِکت اززبانهای آریائی وزبانِ مادَریِ زَرتُشت بوده۰۰در نتیجه آنچه که زرتُشت به زبانِ مادریِ خود، یعنی گاتی میگفته، با خطِ
اوستائی نِوشته میشُده۰
Our ancestors had great deal of achievements in most areas of human activities but eventually they have used alphabets of other nations.
Note: Avesta (one of the oldest) Iranian language, formerly also known as "Old Bactrian" also known as language of Zoroastrian used to be spoken in Eastern Iranian Plateau such as; Arachosia/Sīstān, Herat, Merv and Bactria.
Note: A few western scholars have erroneously called Zand,(Zend) a separate language while Zand is an interpretation of Gatha language into Avesta language written in Parsi with Pahlavi alphabet so the western Iranians could understand "Gathas", the writing of Zarathustra.
Note: Avesta was the formal language of Bactria empire while Gatha , the mother thong of Zarathustra, was a dialect from the same family of Aryan languages.
پَهلَوی و زَند، یا زِند زبان نبودند.
پهلَوی یک الِفبای آشوری بوده که ایرانی ها در حُدودِ سیسد یا چهارسد سال پیش از میلاد آغازِ به اِستِفاده از آن کردند۰درآغاز پهلوی سد درسد به زبانِ سامی نوشته میشُده ولی رفته رفته واژه های پارسی دَر آن رِخنه نمود به گونه ئیکه دردورانِ ساسانیان تنها سی درسد زبانِ سامی وهفتاد درسَدِ آن پارسی بوده
زَند یا زِند یک واژهِ اَوِستائیست به چَمِ «تَفسیر» ۰
اَوِستا زبانِ ِایرانیهای خاورِ ایران بوده وایرانیهای پارسی زبانِ مُقیمِ باخترآنرا نمفهمیدند۰درنتیجه یکی از ایرانی ها که هردوزبان را میدانِسته گاتها، نوشتهِ زرتُشت را، به زبانِ پارسی با ختِ «خطِ» پهلوی نوشته و نامِ آنرا زَندِ اوِستا، یعنی تَفسیراَوِستا نهاد۰ حال اگر کِسی زَند را دوباره نِویسی مینمود، آنرا پازند مینامیدند۰پا درزبانِ اوستا یعنی دوباره ۰
گاتها یک دایلِکت اززبانهای آریائی وزبانِ مادَریِ زَرتُشت بوده۰۰در نتیجه آنچه که زرتُشت به زبانِ مادریِ خود، یعنی گاتی میگفته، با خطِ
اوستائی نِوشته میشُده۰
Our ancestors had great deal of achievements in most areas of human activities but eventually they have used alphabets of other nations.
According to Martin Huag, a 19th century German linguist, who was fluent in several East Indo-European languages including Avesta, Sanskrit, and Persian, the first alphabet/language that the Iranians have used was in “Pishdaadian” era which was borrowed from neighboring Semitic country. Huag does not mention the name of the country but recent researches by linguists indicate that it has an Aramaic base which is an indication of having an Ashurian origin.
At the beginning, Huag indicates that the alphabet/language was used only by the kings to send and receive messages to and from neighboring countries.
Because it was borrowed from their neighbor, they called it (Zabaaneh pahlooi) and gradually Pahlavi.
At the beginning, Huag indicates that the alphabet/language was used only by the kings to send and receive messages to and from neighboring countries.
Because it was borrowed from their neighbor, they called it (Zabaaneh pahlooi) and gradually Pahlavi.
Martin Huag continues that in the beginning the Pahlavi language was 100% Semitic but gradually Persian words were inserted, starting with the names of people and places. By the time of Kianian dynasty the Pahlavi language had about 10% Persian words in it, during Achaemenid 30%, during Partians 50%, and during Sassanid 70%.
Pahlavi language was used the most during the Sassanid but only by government officials and Zoroastrian priests (Mobeds) as a writing not a speaking language. Huag says that “in no period of time and in no place in Iran
*****
Initially alphabet was invented by the Sumerians around 3,200 B.C. starting as cuneiform, picture writing (Pictography), and within a few centuries evolved into an alphabet. At the beginning only the Sumerians (a non Semitic people) were allowed to use the alphabet. But the rule was gradually relaxed and by around 1,750 B.C. the Sumerian alphabet was being used by the Semitic people of Akkad and gradually became widespread in the region. Sumer ’s neighbor to the south the country of Elam
Below is the map of Sumerian city-states:
Below is the map of Sumerian city-states:
Cyrus the Great used the Akkadian and Aramaic in his administration and when country of Elam
Note: Both, the Elamite and the Akkadian were using the Sumerian(a non Semitic) alphabet but Aramaic was a different( a Semitic) alphabet.
Note: Both, the Elamite and the Akkadian were using the Sumerian(a non Semitic) alphabet but Aramaic was a different( a Semitic) alphabet.
Tomb of Cyrus the Great in Pasargadae (at Murghab was first inscribed in two languages of Akkadian and Elamite. After 521 B.C Dariush the Great ordered the” Mikhi alphabet” to be implemented in Persian language and added the third language (the Old Persian) to the other two inscriptions on tomb of Cyrus. Please see “The Persian Empire” by J.M. Cook.
During the Achaemenid dynasty three languages of Aramaic, Akkadian and Elamite were being used in official government businesses But The Old Persian was used as an internal language only.
*****
So many Iranian scholars have misconception about Pahlavi language and think that it is a pure Persian language but as I mentioned above only the name Pahlavi (Meaning the neighbor by) is Persian but the language/writing originated from the Semitic countries which has an Aramaic base.
Note" There is a Pahlavani dialect among Iranian languages which should not be mistaken for the Pahlavi.
Note" There is a Pahlavani dialect among Iranian languages which should not be mistaken for the Pahlavi.
Please see the
map of the family of Iranian languages below:
The reason that the Pahlavi alphabet/language did not survive and the present day Arabic alphabet replaced it is; according to an Iranian scholar whom I do not recall his name was; that the Pahlavi language grammatically could not be implemented and used within the Persian language while Arabic language could be “Persionized” and vise avers. For example; a singular Persian word can be made plural using Arabic grammar structure and vise avers but this could not be done with Pahlavi.
So even though I do not like the present day Arabic alphabet and prefer Latin, I do not miss Pahlavi either. I have seen the alphabet, as shown bellow. It is not pretty.
After the invasion of the Arabs, the Pahlavi alphabet was abandoned and the
Arabic alphabet replced it.
But
since the Arabs do not have certain sounds in their language that the
Persian do; such as (P).,(Gaf),and (Je), there were not letters in
Arabic alphabet to represent those sounds. Consequently Iranian
writers had to use either letter B. or F. for P, letter J for Gaf,
and letter Z for Je.
For
example for sound (p); the word pyrooz would be written fyrooz , the
word papa would be written baba.
For
sound Gaf; the word gohar would be written johar and for sound Je the
word dej would be written dez.
Consequently
the city of Dej Pol in state of Khuzestan is call Dezfool.
It
wasn't until the reign of great Iranian; Yaghoub Lace that letters
(p).( Gaf, and (Je) were added to the alphabet that we are using
today..
*****
P.S. Since we are on the subject of language, It is worth mentioning; according to Huag, in Sassanid period, the Avestan language was a dead language by four to six hundred years and the Mobeds were the only group that used to use it, mostly in religious ceremonies, but they did not know the language fluently, not enough to be able to translate Gathas from Avestan into Pahlavi writing.
Consequently they used to read Gathas, which was in Avestan (mother thong of Zarathustra), then whatever that they could comprehend they used to put it in Pahlavi writing. In other word, it was not a translation but interpretation. That is why they were called; “Zand or Zend-e Avesta”. “Zand” in Avestan language means interpretation. Then after some period of time, a younger Mobed would read the Zand-e Avesta and whatever he could understand from it would rewrite it and call it “Pazand-e Avesta”. “Pa” in Avestan language means “re”. In another word Pazand-e Avesta is reinterpretation of Avesta.
Note: I have seen a few Iranian writers referred to Zand and Pazand-e Avesta as languages which is absurd.
Note: I have seen a few Iranian writers referred to Zand and Pazand-e Avesta as languages which is absurd.
Huag continues that because Avestan is a very elaborate and complicated language which same word or sentence could have different meanings, depending where or how it has been used, he discredited all Zand-e Avestas and Pazand-e Avestas altogether.
He believes that the effort of Sassanid period Mobeds in this regard, due to misinterpretation, has changed the base of Zoroaster’s doctrine for worse and should be completely disregarded. Please read my articles, regarding this subject, on this blog; "True
P.SII. Martin Huag has translated Gathas himself in early 19th century which he thinks is the correct version and was well received by the European scholars. I will discuss about this subject in my future writings. Open for comments.
April 2011 Maziar
Updated January 2014
Updated January 2014
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