'A Dictionary, Persian, Arabic, and English; with a Dissertation on the Languages, Literature, and Manners of Eastern Nations' [‎25v] (55/1826)

XXXIV
DISSERTATION.
is unquestionable; whilst the difference of pro
nunciation is nothing but what is usual in every
word where such letters are found ; the Jews, the
Arabians, and probably the Egyptians, giving
uniformly the hard sound t'h, dh, ds, &c. to those
characters which the Persians have ever softened
into z or s. 62
As, is, or ees, is also said to be the sim. In
Hebrew, as undoubtedly denotes Jive ; and may,
possibly, have been figuratively applied to the star
of day: I shall here confine my observations there
fore to some mistakes into which Mr. Bryant has
been apparently led by a similarity of sounds.
“ As,” he says, “ is sometimes compounded with
“ itself, and rendered asas and azaz,” and thence
he draws a variety of conclusions, as if the combi
nations from asas or asis, and azaz or aziz, were
deducible from the same original: but Cicero and
Scanderbeg are not more distinct than the roots
from whence they spring; the first implying, in
Hebrew, as before observed,; and in Arabic,
a foundation, origin, first prmciple ; the other de
noting glory, dignity, power, §c. whilst the initial
letters are, at the same time, not only quite dif
ferent, but 5 and z, however interchangeable some
times in other languages (as patronize, patronise ;
authorize, authorise, in English), are equally re
mote, in the Eastern dialects, from promiscuous
use, as the most opposite sounding characters in
the alphabet. Atish, fire, it may also be remarked,
can never possibly be derived from ad-is, the
radicals being totally irreconcileable ; an objection
that indeed may be made to the names of almost
all the countries, temples, lakes, and fountains,
which, by combination, transposition, and fancied
analogy, he lays down, as originating from as or
az.^
San, son, zan, zaan, Mr. Bryant says, was the
most common name for the sun; but in what
Eastern dialect we are not informed. Upon this
ground, he observes, however, that the Indian
Hercules, or the Greek Dorsanes, was an abridg
ment of Adorsan; which he interprets Lord of
light: but we have no proof that ador ever signi
fied a lord, or san the sun or light. Ador may be
translated in Arabic, the power of fire : but I
would rather suppose it to be the same as the Per
sian dzar (fire) mentioned above ; for, by the dif
ference of pointing, or provincial pronunciation, it
may be sounded azor, azer, azyr, ador, 8$c. San,
when subjoined to nouns in the Persian language,
implies similitude; adorsdn or azersdn signifies,
therefore, resembling fire, splendid, bright; and
consequently, it may, with propriety, have been
applied as an epithet or attribute to a deity. Bar-
semes, an ancient king of Armenia, is also said to
denote bdrsdn, or offspring of the Sun ; yet still as
we dispute saris relation to the sun, it is impossible
to admit it. Bar, as an adjunct, denotes a country,
as Malabar, Tranquebar, &c. it also implies great,
elevated ; and, in that sense, is often joined with
the name of God : sdn signifies dignity, grandeur,
honour, 8$c. A combination of such terms may
naturally furnish good etymological grounds for
religious or royal titles, without any relation to the
sun : but I will go a little farther, and just hint,
that bdrsdn may be corrupted from barzan or bar-
zin, which in Persian denotes fire, a temple offire,
a chief priest of fire ; and absolutely the name of
the reputed founder of the first temple of fire in
Armenia; in which country, by Grecian as well
as Eastern tradition, this mode of worship is said
to have originally commenced ; and to have been
carried from thence by Zoroaster into Persia. As
the king was often, at the same time, high priest,
the proposed etymology may not, perhaps, be al
together ideal. 64
Ast, asta, esta, hestia, signified, our learned
author says, the fire, or the deity of that element;
but still we are left in the dark with regard to the
tongue. On this supposition, however, he disputes
an etymology of Dr. Hyde with respect to Ista-
Jchar or Persepolis ; and I must venture to differ
not only from both, but even from the Farhang
Jahanglrl. The learned Doctor imagines this city
to have been named from a palace or temple hewn
out of a rock ; and derives it, in consequence,
from the eighth conjugation of an Arabic verb,