Reconstruction:Old Persian/naftah

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 1

From Proto-Indo-European *n̥bʰtós, from *nebʰ- (“wet, moist”). Cognate with Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬞𐬙𐬀 (napta, “moist, wet”).

Adjective

*naftah

1. wet, moist

Descendants

• Middle Persian: [Book Pahlavi needed] (npt' /⁠naft⁠/, “moist, damp”)

Etymology 2

Presumably borrowed from Akkadian 𒉌𒆳𒊏 (/⁠napṭu⁠/, “petroleum”), from 𒈾𒁀𒂅 (na-ba-ṭu /⁠napâṭu, nabâṭu⁠/, “to be(come) bright, to shine; to flare up, to blaze”). Parallel borrowing with Classical Syriac ܢܦܛܐ (“petroleum”), Hebrew נפט (“petroleum”). Alternatively suggested to be a nominalization of Etymology 1.

Noun

*naftah

1. petroleum

Descendants

• Middle Persian: [Book Pahlavi needed] (npt' /⁠naft⁠/, “naphtha”)
  • Persian: نفت (naft, “petroleum, oil”) (see there for further descendants)
  • Tajik: нафт (naft)
• → Ancient Greek: νάφθα (náphtha, “naphtha”) (see there for further descendants)
  • → Latin: naphtha (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Armenian: նաւթ (nawtʻ) (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Georgian: ნაფთი (napti)
  • Georgian: ნავთი (navti)

Further reading

• Gershevitch, Ilya (1969) “Amber at Persepolis”, in Studia Classica et Orientalia Antonino Pagliaro Oblata. II (in German), Rome: Istituto di Glottologia dell’Università, page 212 of 167–251
• Avestan and Old Persian Morphology, p. 864
• A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, p. 57
• Encyclopædia Iranica – Persian Elements in English
• Henning, W. B. (1940). "Review of Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran. Vols. vii-ix". Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London. 10 (2): 501–507. Retrieved 3 September 2018, p. 506
• R. J. Forbes (1966) Studies in Ancient Technology‎^[1], Brill Archive, GGKEY:YDBU5XT36QD, page 13