Translation Methods of Avesta into Pahlavi Based on the Commentary of Zand-i Ohrmazd Yašt

Document Type : Research original ,Regular Article

Authors

1 PhD. Student of Ancient Iranian culture and languages, Islamic Azad university, Tehran, Iran.

2 Ancient Culture and Iranian Studies department. university of TEHRAN, IRAN.

3 Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studie.

10.30465/ls.2026.54574.2236
Abstract
The translation and commentary of the Avesta into Middle Persian is called Zand. In addition to translating Avestan concepts into Zand, these translations embody the methods of the translators for transferring the grammatical characteristics of the Avesta and their efforts in finding the etymology and original meaning of Avestan words. The subject of the present research is the methods of the Zand translator, and its objective is to investigate the methods of the translator of the Zand of Ohrmazd Yasht when rendering Avestan grammatical categories into Zand, as one of the examples of translation into Zand. The question that this research intends to answer is which grammatical categories the Zand-writers were forced to change during translation, and by what tools they preserved the grammar of the sentences. The research method is descriptive-analytical. The results of the research showed that while trying to render the Avestan text word-for-word and preserving the word order and Avestan syntax, the Zand translators were forced to make structural changes to sentences in some cases. The analyses show that the translators were forced to change the grammatical role of sentence elements such as noun or adjective phrases, or the mood of the verb.

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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 15 September 2026

  • Receive Date 12 May 2026
  • Revise Date 14 September 2026
  • Accept Date 15 September 2026