αζο

Bactrian

Etymology

From Proto-Iranian *ajám (“I”), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *aȷ́ʰám (“I”), from Proto-Indo-European *eǵh₂óm (“I”), later variant of Proto-Indo-European *éǵh₂ (“I”). Compare Avestan 𐬀𐬰𐬇𐬨 (azə̄m, “I”), Old Persian 𐎠𐎭𐎶 (a-d-m /⁠adam⁠/, “I”). Cognate of Sanskrit अहम् (aham, “I”).

Pronunciation

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): [az]

Pronoun

αζο (azo /az/) (first person direct, plural μαχο)

1. (first person singular personal pronoun) I
   • 342 CE, Dated Document Α (Corpus of Bactrian Texts), lines 12–13:

     ...ιθαυατανο ληρηιο αζο βαγοφαρνo αβο μασκο νοβιχτισο ζινο κιδο ραλικο ναμο ασνωυο ασνωυογωγγο...

     ...iθauatano lērēio azo bagofarno abo masko nobixtiso zino kido raliko namo asnōuo asnōuogōggo...

     ...so that I, Bag-farn, may treat the woman described herein, who is named Ralik, as a daughter-in-law, like a daughter-in-law (should be treated)...

Usage notes

• αζο (azo) can be attached to a conjunction like an enclitic pronoun.
• The enclitic form -μαγο (-mago /⁠-mag⁠/) is only used after prepositions.

Declension

	full	enclitic
direct	αζο (azo /⁠az⁠/)	-μο (-mo /⁠-m⁠/)
oblique	μανο (mano /⁠man⁠/)	-μο (-mo /⁠-m⁠/), -μαγο (-mago /⁠-mag⁠/)

Further reading

• Sims-Williams, Nicholas (2000) Bactrian Documents from Northern Afghanistan (Studies in the Khalili Collection III, Corpus Inscriptionum Iranicarum II), Oxford: Nour Foundation in association with Azimuth Editions and Oxford University Press, page 32