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Columbia Encyclopedia entry: Avestan
Avestanəvĕs'tən, language belonging to the Iranian group of the Indo-Iranian subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages. One of the earliest forms of the Iranian languages to survive, Avestan is also the tongue of the Avesta, or scriptures of Zoroastrianism. See Indo-Iranianlanguages.

See A. V. W. Jackson, An Avestan Grammar in Comparison with Sanskrit (1968).

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Wikipedia search results for: Avestan language
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Avestan (redirected from Avestan) is an Eastern Iranian language known only from its use as the language of Zoroastrian scripture, i.e. the Avesta, from which it derives its name. The language must also at some time have been a natural language, but how long ago that was is unknown. Its status as a sacred language ensured its continuing use for new compositions long after the language had ceased to be a living language. "Avestan, which is associated with northeastern Iran, and Old Persian, which belongs to the southwest, together constitute what is called Old Iranian." . Only these two have left written traces. The Old Iranian language group is a branch of the Indo-Iranian,...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: Avestan
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  • Anquetil-Duperron, Abraham Hyacinthe

    Anquetil-Duperron, Abraham Hyacinthe, 1731–1805, French Orientalist. He gave up studying for the priesthood to pursue his deep interest in Eastern languages. In India (1755–61) he learned Pers...

  • Persian language

    Persian language, member of the Iranian group of the Indo-Iranian subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Indo-Iranian languages). The official language of Iran, it has about 3...

  • Indo-European Family of Languages, The (table)

    The Indo-European Family of LanguagesSubfamilyGroupSubgroupLanguages and Principal Dialects* Asterisk indicates a dead language.AnatolianHieroglypic Hittite*, Hittite (Kanesian)*, Luwian*, Lyc...

  • Indo-Iranian

    Indo-Iranian, subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages, spoken by more than a billion people, chiefly in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka (see The...

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