Zend
/zɛnd/noun
A traditional name for the Pahlavi commentary or interpretation of the Zoroastrian Avesta.
Did you know?“Zend-Avesta” literally refers to the Avesta together with its interpretation, although European writers later treated Zend as if it were the sacred text’s language.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵneh₃-
“To know or recognize; the reconstructed root behind many knowledge-words.”
Proto-Indo-Iranian
Proto-Indo-Iranian
*ǰñā-ti-
“Knowledge or knowing, from the Indo-Iranian continuation of the ancient “know” root.”
Ancient Iranian
Avestan
zaiṇti-
“Knowledge, understanding, or interpretation.”
Late Antiquity
Middle Persian
zand
“Interpretation, explanation, or commentary, especially on Zoroastrian scripture.”
Medieval Persian
Persian
zand
“Commentary or exegesis connected with the Avesta.”
18th Century
English
Zend
“A European English form used for the Zoroastrian scriptural commentary, and sometimes mistakenly for its language.”