Reconstruction:Proto-Iranian/cwáHdaH

This Proto-Iranian 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.

Proto-Iranian

Etymology

Perhaps from Proto-Indo-Iranian *ćwáHdʰaH, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱwéh₁-dʰ-o-h₁ (dual), from *ḱweh₁-, *ḱewh₁- (“to swell, be great”)[1]. Possible cognate with Avestan 𐬯𐬏𐬌𐬛𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬌‎ (sūidiiāi, “to swell, increase”, inf.), Bactrian σοδο (sodo /sūdo/, “plenty”), Middle Persian [script needed] (swd /sūd/), [script needed] (swwd /sūd/, “profit, advantage”), Sanskrit शवस् (śavas, “strength, superiority”).

Noun

*cwáHdaH m

army

Derived terms

*cwaHdaHpatiš

Descendants

Central Iranian:
- Old Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬁𐬛𐬀‎ (spāda)
  - Younger Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬁𐬜𐬀‎ (spāδa)
Northeastern Iranian:
- Proto-Scythian: *spāda
  - Ossetian: ӕфса́д (æfsád)[2]
- Sogdian: [script needed] (ʾspʾδ /əspāδ/)
Northwestern Iranian:
- Northern Kurdish: s(i)pa, supa
- Old Median: *spā́δā
  - → Old Persian: *spādā
    - Middle Persian: [script needed] (*spʾd /*spāy/)
      - → Old Armenian: սպայ (spay)
        Armenian: սպա (spa)
- Parthian: *𐭎𐭐𐭀𐭃‎ (*spʾd /*spāδ/)
  Manichaean: 𐫙𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫅‎ (ʿspʾd /ispāδ/)
  - → Old Armenian: սպահ (spah)
  - → Middle Persian:
    Manichaean: 𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫍‎ (spʾh)
    Inscriptional Pahlavi: 𐭮𐭯𐭠𐭧‎ (spʾḥ)
    Pazend: 𐬯𐬞𐬁𐬵‎ (spāh)
    - Classical Persian: سپاه‎ (sipāh)
      - Iranian Persian: سپاه‎ (sepâh)
      - → Ottoman Turkish: سپاه‎ (sipâh)
      - → Urdu: سپاه‎ (sipāh)
      - ⇒ Persian: سپاهی‎ (sepâhi) (see there for further descendants)
    - → Georgian: სპა (sṗa)
    - → Classical Syriac: ܐܣܦܗ‎ (ʾsph)[3]
Southwestern Iranian:
- Persian: سباشی‎ (sabâši, “title of the chief of army in Khwarezm”) (probably source of Turkic savaş)

References

Kent, Roland G. (1950), “spada-”, in Old Persian: grammar, texts, lexicon, New Haven: American Oriental Society, page 210
Абаев, В. И. (1958), “^æfsad | æfsad”, in Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow, Leningrad: Academy Press, page 479
“ˀsph”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–

R. Schmitt (December 15, 1986), "ARMENIA AND IRAN iv. Iranian influences in Armenian Language", i. General, 3. Layers of Iranian borrowings, Encyclopædia Iranica

[1] Kent, Roland G. (1950), “spada-”, in Old Persian: grammar, texts, lexicon, New Haven: American Oriental Society, page 210

[2] Абаев, В. И. (1958), “^æfsad | æfsad”, in Историко-этимологический словарь осетинского языка [Historical-Etymological Dictionary of the Ossetian Language] (in Russian), volume I, Moscow, Leningrad: Academy Press, page 479

[3] “ˀsph”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–