Avestan

American  

[uh-ves-tuhn] / əˈvɛs tən /

noun

1. an ancient East Iranian language of the Indo-European family, the language of all the Avesta but the Gathas.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Avesta or its language.

Avestan British  

/ əˈvɛstɪk, əˈvɛstən /

noun

1. Formerly called: Zend.  the oldest recorded language of the Iranian branch of the Indo-European family; the language of the Avesta

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Avesta or its language

Etymology

Origin of Avestan

First recorded in 1855–60; Avest(a) + -an

Example Sentences

Manx Irish Breton Nadsat Simlish Avestan Vepsian Quechua Romansh Linguists have reported that young speakers of the endangered Aka language have been using it to create hip-hop.

From BBC • May 30, 2012

This translation most of which has reached us written in with the original, sentence after sentence forms the real Zend language, often confounded by the literary public with Avestan.

From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by Alger, William Rounseville

The Hindu figure is often compared to the Avestan first man, Yima; but Yima, so far as appears, was never divinized, and is not religiously of great importance.

From Introduction to the History of Religions Handbooks on the History of Religions, Volume IV by Jastrow, Morris

An Avestan fragment 20 and the Viraf Nameh give the same account, only with more picturesque fulness.

From The Destiny of the Soul A Critical History of the Doctrine of a Future Life by Alger, William Rounseville

The sacrifices of the pyrethes which Strabo observed in Cappadocia recall all the peculiarities of the Avestan liturgy.

From The Oriental Religions in Roman Paganism by Cumont, Franz