'A Dictionary, Persian, Arabic, and English; with a Dissertation on the Languages, Literature, and Manners of Eastern Nations' [‎41v] (87/1826)

Ixvi
PROOFS AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Mr. Jones’s History of the Persian Language, subjoined to his
Life of Nadir Shah, p. 157. Chardin, Tom. V. chap. iii.
P. v. 7 The Arabic words Dunya, the world ; Min din, from
religion; Zamdn, time; Sanat, a year; Malik, a king; Gha-
nam, cattle; Layla, night; Ab, a father; Umm, a mother; la-
mam, completed ; and a variety more occur repeatedly in dif
ferent parts of M. Anquetil’s Zend Avesta. The following and
similar words could hardly ever have been articulated by a Per
sian : Rethvanmlche, Khschetriao, larienmtchS, Thvoreschtara,
Veretregnhetche. For the satisfaction of those who are con
versant with the modern Persian, I shall here insert the begin
ning of the Vendidad Sade, with the Latin translation which M.
Anquetil has annexed, and leave them to determine whether
(one or two modern words excepted) there subsists the least affini-
tv between them.
Penamme lezdann : Pavan schameh dadar Anhouma: frestoie
seteonem seteome eschem vohou se freouerane mezdeiesno Zere-
thoschtresch videeouo Ehore dekeescho datae hede d^e vi-
deeouae Zerethoschtr&e escheone eschehe rethve iesnaetche veh-
maetche kheschneothr&etche fresesteieetche rethvamn eiere-
nanmtche asmenanmtche milh’ienanmtche iaefienanmtche sere-
denanmtche i. v.kh. f. dje khoschnoumen betha ho£te parie Sreos-
chelie eschiehe tokmehe tenomanthrehe dreschidresch.
In nomine Dei. in nomine justi judicis Ormusd. effuse precor
animam, effuse precor. puro abundantia 3 ire facio r5 Ormusd
cultor Zoroastrianus cui adversatur Dew tS Ormusd responsum
dato huic dad vendi Zoroastri puro sancto magno izeschne (ago)
neaesch (ago) placere cupio, vota facio. temporibus diebus roi;
gahan, mensibus, toTj gahanbar, annis i. n. p. v. quodcumque
khoschnoumensedens sit lege, tw Serosch puro valido corpori
obedienti gloria (rs Ormusd fulgenti). Zend Avesta, Vol. I.
part ii. p. 77.
The Persian, in point of regularity, is perhaps not to be ex
celled by any language in the world. As one general rule, the
the third person of the present tense ends in J d, the only excep
tions, which I can at present recollect, being ast, and
CL-*—A hast, he is. In the Zand, on the contrary, the termina
tions of this person are irregular to the last degree. I shall men
tion a few examples. Aschti, Enghem, Eoued, Ileete, Beouad,
11 est. Eenetoed, Eenetoesch, Apeoueteee, II connoit. Djemud,
Gucteen, II vient. Djemeele, II arrive. Djeto, Ghnud, II frappe.
Snes, il frappe; il brule. Veiozoschtao, II fait. Eschto, II
s’applique. .Reso, II arrange. Il saute. Mostemescho,
Il meurt.—In which few words, exclusive of the want of simi
larity in the penults and antepenults, there are no less than eight
variations in the final letters. W ere it of consequence, many
*nore could be brought.
P. vi. Ormuzd, (Omnipotence) and Zoroaster are intro
duced in dialogue. The lawgiver wishes to know how a man
should get rid of a demon called Daroudj Nesosch, supposing
him, in the shape of a fly, to have taken possession of the crown
of his head. Ormuzd directs him to wash the part, which would
drive the fiend between the eye-brows ; from thence he is to be
forced, by another ablution, to the back of the head , from that
to the ear, then to the nose, the mouth, the chin; till at length,
fighting every inch of ground, the poor devil is successively
driven over every part of the body, till we find him stationed on
the left foot; when Zoroaster thus proceeds in his catechism
(what is between parentheses being M. Anquetil’s explanatory
interpolations, and not in the original):
“ Lorsque 1’eau a atteint le dessus du pied gauche oti se retiie
“ le Daroudj Nesosch? Ormusd repond it: (le Daroudj Nesosch)
“ sous la forme d’une mouche se place dessous le pied ; il faut
“ le lever, laissant les doigts poser a terre, et laver ainsi le
dessous du pied droit. Lorsque 1’on a lave le dessous du pied
“ droit, le Daroudj Nesosch se retire sous le pied gauche.
“ Lorsque 1’on a lave le dessous du pied gauche le Daroudj
“ Nesosch, sous la forme d’une mouche, se place dessous les
“ doigts. Laissant done (poser k terre) le dessous du pied, on
“ leve les doigts, et on lave ceux (du pied) droit. Lorsque 1’on
“ a lave les doigts du pied droit, le Daroudj Nesosch se retire
“ sous ceux (du pied) gauche; et lorsqu’on a lave les doigts
“ du pied gauche, le Daroudj Nesosch est renverse (vaincu et
u s’en retourne) du cote du nord, lui qui, sous la forme d’une
“ mouche, se place sur ( 1 ’homme impur) et le frappe comme le
“ Djodje (chien) des deserts, detruit les productions des Dews
“ et leurs demeures,” &c.
When the water has reached the top of the left foot, where
does the Daroudj Nesosch retire? Ormusd replied : (the Daroudj
Nesosch) under the form of a fly, places himself under the foot;
it must be raised, letting the toes rest on the ground, and thus
wash the under part of the right foot. When the under part of
the right foot is washed, the Daroudj Nesosch, retires under the
left foot. When the under part of the left foot is washed, the
Daroudj Nesosch, in the form of a fly, places himself under the
toes. Allowing the sole of the foot (to rest upon the ground)
the toes must be raised, and those of the right (foot) washed.
When the toes of the right foot are washed, the Daroudj Nesosch
retires under those of the left (foot); and when the toes of the
left foot are washed, the Daroudj Nesosch is overthrown (con
quered, and returns) towards the north, he who under the shape
of a fly places himself upon (the impure man) and strikes him
like the Djodje (dog) of the desert, destroys the productions ot
the Dews and their dwellings, &c. Zend Avesta par M. Anquetil
du Perron, Vol. I. part ii. p. 341. Can human credulity sup
pose this to be the composition of Zoroaster, or of any man who
had pretensions to common sense ?
P. vi. 9 In the preface to the Farhang Jahdngtri we are
informed, that it was not reckoned elegant in the Dari to use
syncopes; the following or similar words never being ad-