Reconstruction:Old Persian/naftaʰ

This Old Persian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Old Persian

Etymology 1

From Proto-Indo-European *n̥bʰtós, from *nebʰ- (“wet, moist”) (cf. Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬞𐬙𐬀‎ (napta, “moist, wet”)).

Adjective

*naftaʰ

wet, moist

Descendants

Middle Persian: [script needed] (npt' /naft/, “moist, damp”)

Etymology 2

Probably borrowed or assimilated from Akkadian 𒉌𒆳𒊏 (/napṭu/, “petroleum”) (cf. Classical Syriac ܢܦܛܐ‎, Hebrew נפט‎, Arabic نفط‎ (nift, naft), from the verb 𒈾𒁀𒂅 (na-ba-ṭu /napâṭu, nabâṭu/, “to be(come) bright, to shine; to flare up, to blaze”).

Possibly connected to the Indo-Iranian god Apam Napat, whose name means "son of the waters". He is described in the Vedas as emerging from water with a golden appearance, theorised by some to be reference to fire which could have been inspired by a burning seepage of natural gas.

Noun

*naftaʰ

petroleum

Descendants

Middle Persian: [script needed] (npt' /naft/, “naphtha”)
- Persian: نفت‎ (naft, “petroleum, oil”) (see there for further descendants)
- Tajik: нафт (naft)
→ Ancient Greek: νάφθα (náphtha, “naphtha”), ἄφθᾱς (áphthās), νᾰ́φθᾱς (náphthās)
- → Greek: νάφθα (náftha) (learned)
- → Latin: naphtha (see there for further descendants)
→ Old Armenian: նաւթ (nawtʿ), նափաթ (napʿatʿ), նֆաթ (nfatʿ), նֆատ (nfat), նփատ (npʿat)
- Armenian: նոթ (notʿ) (dialectal)
→ Old Georgian: ნაფთი (napti)
- Georgian: ნავთი (navti)

References

Gershevitch, Ilya (1969), “Amber at Persepolis”, in Studia Classica et Orientalia Antonino Pagliaro Oblata. II (in German), Rome: Istituto di Glottologia dell’Università, page 212 of 167–251
Avestan and Old Persian Morphology, p. 864
A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, p. 57
Encyclopædia Iranica – Persian Elements in English
Henning, W. B. (1940). "Review of Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran. Vols. vii-ix". Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London. 10 (2): 501–507. Retrieved 3 September 2018, p. 506
R. J. Forbes (1966) Studies in Ancient Technology‎, Brill Archive, GGKEY:YDBU5XT36QD, page 13