𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣

Old Persian

FWOTD – 6 September 2020

Etymology

Originally meaning "endowed with generative power", from vazra-, from Proto-Indo-Iranian *wáȷ́ras (“strong”), from Proto-Indo-European *weǵ- (“to be strong, lively, awake”). Cognate with Sanskrit वाज (vā́ja, “strength, vigor, energy”), वज्र (vájra, “Indra's thunderbolt, a symbol of generative force”), Latin vigeō (“to thrive”), vegeō (“to quicken, arouse”) and Old English wacan, wacian (English wake).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /waˈzr̩ka/

Adjective

𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣 (vazạrka)

1. great

   𐎲𐎥 𐏐 𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣 𐏐 𐎠𐎢𐎼𐎶𐏀𐎭𐎠 ― baga vazạrka Auramazdā ― Great is the god Ahura Mazda

   • c. 522–486 BCE, Behistun Inscription [DB], column 1, line 1:

     𐎠𐎭𐎶 𐏐 𐎭𐎠𐎼𐎹𐎺𐎢𐏁 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎺𐏀𐎼𐎣 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹 𐏐 𐎧𐏁𐎠𐎹𐎰𐎡𐎹𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶

     adam Dārayavauš xšāyaθiya vazạrka xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām

     I am Darius, the great king, king of kings

2. big

Descendants

• Middle Persian: 𐭥𐭰𐭥𐭫𐭢 (wuzurg)
  • Persian: بزرگ (bozorg)
  • → Old Armenian: վզուրկ (vzurk)

References

• Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, page 660f