Proto-Iranian
Pre-Persian linguistic ancestor
Proto-Iranian is the reconstructed ancestor language of the Iranian language family, which includes Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, and others.
Linguists use the asterisk convention to mark its hypothetical forms: *Proto-Iranian.
The language was never written down but is inferred from patterns shared by its descendant languages, spoken roughly 2000–1500 BCE.
System of symbolic communication
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- reconstructionRebuilding after destruction
- phonologyScience of language sounds
- grammarLanguage's structural rules
etymology · cognate · morphology · lexicon · ablaut · laryngeal · suffix · prefix
Of or from Iran
Movement to new territory
- homelandOne's native land
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
- chariotAncient horse-drawn fighter's vehicle
horse · nomad · archaeology · settlement · expansion · tribes · chronology · dating
Follower of ancient Persian faith
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- deityWorshipped supernatural being
- MazdaJapanese vehicle manufacturer
cosmology · mythology · priest · fire-worship · soma · sacred · hymn · worship
Typographical reference mark
- hypotheticalAssumed but unproven
- unattestedLacking documentary proof
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
scholarly · posited · inferred · systematic · regular · derivation
language
System of symbolic communication
- ancestorPredecessor in lineage
- reconstructionRebuilding after destruction
- phonologyScience of language sounds
grammar · etymology · cognate · morphology · lexicon · ablaut · laryngeal · suffix · prefix · stem
Persian
Of or from Iran
migration
Movement to new territory
- homelandOne's native land
- steppeTreeless Eurasian grassland
- pastoralismMobile livestock husbandry
chariot · horse · nomad · archaeology · settlement · expansion · tribes · chronology · dating · prehistory
Zoroastrian
Follower of ancient Persian faith
- ritualCeremonial set of actions
- sacrificeGiving up something precious
- deityWorshipped supernatural being
Mazda · cosmology · mythology · priest · fire-worship · soma · sacred · hymn · worship · belief
asterisk
Typographical reference mark
- hypotheticalAssumed but unproven
- unattestedLacking documentary proof
- correspondenceExchanged written communication
ancestor · scholarly · posited · inferred · systematic · regular · derivation
Proto-IranianSumerian
Earliest known civilization
Akkadian · Ancient Egyptian · Sanskrit · Ancient Greek · Hittite