Zarathustra
/ˌzærəˈθuːstrə/noun
The name of the ancient Iranian prophet traditionally regarded as the founder of Zoroastrianism.
Did you know?The name’s original Avestan meaning is disputed, although its second element is commonly connected with uštra, the ancient Iranian word for “camel.”
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Iranian period
Avestan
Zaraθuštra
“The original name of the prophet; its precise internal meaning remains uncertain.”
Achaemenid period
Old Persian
Zaraθuštra
“The name of the Iranian religious teacher preserved in Zoroastrian tradition.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
Zōroastrēs
“Greek rendering of the Iranian name.”
Late Antiquity
Middle Persian
Zardušt
“Middle Persian form of the prophet’s name.”
Middle Ages
Arabic and Persian
Zarādusht / Zardušt
“Forms used in Islamic-era accounts of the Zoroastrian prophet.”
Modern English
English
Zarathustra
“An English scholarly and literary form of the ancient Iranian name, also used by Friedrich Nietzsche as the title character of his philosophical work.”
Explore more surprising origins