Old Persian

Facts

  • Language: Old Persian
  • Alternate names: Pazend, Avesta
  • Language code: peo
  • Language family: Indo-European, Classical Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Southwestern Iranian
  • Number of speakers: Extinct
  • Script: Old Persian Cuneiform?

More information:

    Introduction

    Behistun inscription
    Behistun inscription

    The Old Persian language is one of the two attested Old Iranian languages (besides Avestan).

    Old Persian appears primarily in the inscriptions, clay tablets, seals of the Achaemenid era (c. 600 BCE to 300 BCE). Examples of Old Persian have been found in present-day Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Egypt the most important attestation by far being the contents of the Behistun inscription (dated to 525 BCE).

    Old Persian Verb

    There are

    Verbs are divided in athematic and thematic verbs according to the conjugation.

    Sample verbs

    PRESENT IMPERFECT
    Athematic

    'to be'

    		Thematic

    'to bring'

    		Athematic

    'to do, make'

    		Thematic

    'to be, become'

    Sg.1 aʰmiy barāmiy akunavam abavam
    Sg.2 ?
    Sg.3 astiy baratiy akunauš abava
    Du.1-3 ?
    Pl.1 aʰmahiy barāmahiy akumā abavāmā
    Pl.2 ?
    Pl.3 hatiy baratiy akunava abava

    Verblist