Reconstruction:Old Persian/hammārakarah

This Old Persian 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.

Old Persian

Etymology

• From Proto-Iranian *ham- + a form of *mar-, which is a later form of the root *hmar- (“think of”), + *kara- (“to do”) (then it would be reconstructed as *hammārakara- or *hamārakara-). The constituents go back to Proto-Indo-European *sem-, *(s)mer- (compare Sanskrit स्मरति (smárati, “to remember”)) and *kʷer- respectively.
• From the root *hmar- without prefixation + *kara- (“to do”) (then it would be reconstructed as *hmārakara-).

The initial 𐭀 (ʾ) in Parthian 𐭀𐭇𐭌𐭓𐭊𐭓 (ʾḥmrkr) does not contradict the first theory: compare 𐭀𐭇𐭌𐭕𐭍 (ʾḥmtn), which corresponds to Old Persian 𐏃𐎥𐎶𐎫𐎠𐎴 (h-g-m-t-a-n /⁠Ha(n)gmatāna-⁠/, “Ecbatana”).

The presence of -mm- in Akkadian (Late Babylonian) forms strengthens the first theory.

Akin to Bactrian υαμαρογαρο (uamarogaro). Note also Old Armenian համար (hamar).

Noun

*hammārakarah

1. bookkeeper, accountant

Descendants

• Middle Persian: 𐭧𐭬𐭠𐭫𐭪𐭫𐭩 (ḥmʾlkly /⁠hammārgar⁠/), 𐭠𐭬𐭠𐭫𐭪𐭫𐭩 (ʾmʾlkly /⁠āmārgar⁠/, “chief fiscal officer”)
  • Persian: آمارگر (âmârgar)
• → Akkadian:

  Late Babylonian: 𒄩𒄠𒈠𒊏𒀀𒅗𒀀𒊒 (ḫa-am-ma-ra-a-ka-a-ru /⁠ḫamarākāru⁠/), 𒄠𒈥𒋼𒊏 (am-mar-kar-ra /⁠amarkara⁠/), 𒄠𒈠𒊑𒀀𒆗 (am-ma-ri-a-kal /⁠amariakal⁠/), 𒄠𒈠𒊒𒀀𒆗 (am-ma-ru-a-kal /⁠amaruakal⁠/), 𒄠𒈠𒊑𒀀𒅗𒊑 (am-ma-ri-a-ka-ri /⁠amariakari⁠/)

• → Aramaic:

  Judeo-Aramaic: אמרכלא (ʾămarkəlā), אמרכול (ʾămarkōl) (via Middle Iranian)

  Imperial Aramaic: 𐡄𐡌𐡓𐡊𐡓𐡀 (hmrkrʾ)

• → Armenian:

  → Old Armenian: համարակար (hamarakar) (possibly via Middle Iranian) (see there for further descendants)

• → Gandhari: 𐨨𐨪𐨬𐨪 (maravara, “accountant”) (or from a similar etymon)
• → Hebrew: אֲמַרְכָּל (ʾămarkāl), אֲמַרְכּוֹל (ʾămarkōl) (via Middle Iranian)
• → Parthian: 𐭀𐭇𐭌𐭓𐭊𐭓 (ʾḥmrkr), 𐭀𐭄𐭌𐭓𐭊𐭓 (ʾhmrkr)
  • → Classical Syriac: ܐܗܡܪܐܓܪ (ʾhmrʾgr)

References

• “hmrkr”, in The Comprehensive Aramaic Lexicon Project, Cincinnati: Hebrew Union College, 1986–
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1971–1979) “համարակար”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, Yerevan: University Press
• David Neil MacKenzie, "ĀMĀRGAR, i. Etymology" in Encyclopædia Iranica, December 15, 1989
• Tavernier, Jan (2007) Iranica in the Achaemenid Period (ca. 550–330 B.C.): Lexicon of Old Iranian Proper Names and Loanwords, Attested in Non-Iranian Texts, Peeters Publishers, →ISBN, page 42
• Muhammad A. Dandamayev, "HAMĀRAKARA" in Encyclopædia Iranica, December 15, 2003