𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠

Middle Persian

Alternative forms

• 𐬱𐬀𐬓𐬱𐬀 (šāhān šāh), šʾhʾn' šʾh — Book Pahlavi, rare
• 𐬱𐬁𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬁𐬵 (šāhanšāh) — Pazend

Etymology

From 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (MLKA /⁠šāh⁠/) and its oblique plural 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 (MLKAn /⁠šāhān⁠/) or inherited in whole from Old Persian 𐏋 𐏐 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (XŠ : XŠ-a-n-a-m /⁠xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām⁠/, “king of kings”), from 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”) + 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (xšāyaθiyānām), genitive plural of 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”).

The formula originates in the Ancient Near East; compare Akkadian 𒈗𒊭𒈗𒈨𒌍 (šar šarrāni, “king of kings”), the title of Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria (13th century BC).

Noun

𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 • (MLKAn MLKA /šāhān šāh/)

1. king of kings, shahanshah

Descendants

• Persian: شاهنشاه (šâhanšâh) (see there for further descendants)
• → Ancient Greek: βασιλεύς τῶν βασιλέων (basileús tôn basiléōn) (calque)
• → Hebrew: מלך המלכים (Melech ha-M'lachim) (calque)
• → Latin: rex regibus (calque)
• → Latin: saansaan
• → Old Armenian: շահանշահ (šahanšah), շահան շահ (šahan šah)
• → Old Armenian: թագաւորաց թագաւոր (tʻagaworacʻ tʻagawor), արքայից արքայ (arkʻayicʻ arkʻay) (calque)

References

• Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, pages 207–208
• Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “շահանշահ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 482ab