𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠
Middle Persian[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
- 𐬱𐬀𐬓𐬥𐬱𐬀𐬀 (šāhān šāh), šʾhʾn' šʾh — Book Pahlavi, rare
- 𐬱𐬁𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬁𐬵 (šāhanšāh) — Pazend
Etymology[edit]
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”).
Transliterated into Latin as saansaan by Ammianus Marcellinus and borrowed into Old Armenian as շահանշահ (šahanšah). Translated into Ancient Greek as βασιλεύς τῶν βασιλέων (basileús tôn basiléōn), Latin as rex regibus, Old Armenian as թագաւորաց թագաւոր (tʻagaworacʻ tʻagawor), արքայից արքայ (arkʻayicʻ arkʻay), Hebrew מלך המלכים (Melech ha-M'lachim).
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[edit]
𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 • (MLKAn MLKA /šāhān šāh/)
Descendants[edit]
- Persian: شاهنشاه (šâhanšâh) (see there for further descendants)
- → Old Armenian: շահանշահ (šahanšah), շահան շահ (šahan šah)
References[edit]
- 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