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”). 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

1. army

Derived terms

• *cwaHdaHpatiš

Descendants

• Central Iranian:
  • Old Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬁𐬛𐬀 (spāda)
    • Younger Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬁𐬜𐬀 (spāδa)
• Northeastern Iranian:
  • Proto-Scythian: *spāda
    • Ossetian: ӕфса́д (æfsád)
  • Sogdian: [script needed] (ʾspʾδ /⁠əspāδ⁠/)
• Northwestern Iranian:
  • Northern Kurdish: s(i)pa, supa
  • Old Median: *spāδā
    • → Old Persian: *spādā, 𐎿𐎱𐎠𐎭 (spādaʰ)
      • Middle Persian: [script needed] (*spʾd /⁠*spāy⁠/)
        • → Old Armenian: սպայ (spay)
          • Armenian: սպա (spa)
  • Parthian: *spāδ

    Manichaean script: 𐫙𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫅 (ʿspʾd /⁠ispāδ⁠/)

    • → Old Armenian: սպահ (spah)
    • → Middle Persian:

      Manichaean script: 𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫍 (spʾh)

      Inscriptional Pahlavi script: 𐭮𐭯𐭠𐭧 (spʾḥ)

      Pazend script: 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)

References

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