Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/mántram

This Proto-Indo-Iranian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-Iranian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *mén-tro-m, from *men- (“to think”) +‎ *-trom (instrumental noun suffix). Equivalent to *mányatay +‎ *-tram.

Noun

*mántram m (religion)

1. meditation, chanting

Declension

neuter a-stem
	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*mántram	*mántray	*mántraH
vocative	*mántram	*mántray	*mántraH
accusative	*mántram	*mántray	*mántraH
instrumental	*mántrā	*mántraybʰyaH, -ābʰyām	*mántrāyš
ablative	*mántrāt	*mántraybʰyaH, -ābʰyām	*mántraybʰyas
dative	*mántrāy	*mántraybʰyaH, -ābʰyām	*mántraybʰyas
genitive	*mántrasya	*mántrayās	*mántrāna(H)m
locative	*mántray	*mántrayaw	*mántrayšu

Related terms

• *mánas
• *matíš

Derived terms

• *mántra-kā́ras (“soothsayer”)
  • Proto-Indo-Aryan: *mántrakā́ra
    • Sanskrit: मन्त्रकार (mántrakāra, “reciter, incantator”)
  • Proto-Iranian: *mánθra-kā́rah
    • Sogdian: (/⁠mārkarē(k)⁠/, “soothsayer”)

      Sogdian script: [script needed] (mʾrkrʾy), [script needed] (mʾrkrʾk)

    • Parthian: (/⁠mahrīgar ~ mārigar⁠/, “sorcerer, incantator”)

      Manichaean script: 𐫖𐫀𐫡𐫏𐫃𐫡 (mʾrygr), 𐫖𐫍𐫡𐫏𐫃𐫡 (mhrygr)

      • → Aghwan: 𐕌𐔰𐕙𐕘𐔰𐕛𐔴𐕎 (marġaven, “prophet”)
      • → Old Armenian: մարգարէ (margarē, “prophet”)
        • Armenian: մարգարե (margare)
      • → Classical Persian: مارگر (mārgar, “incantator”)

Descendants

• Proto-Indo-Aryan: *mántram
  • Sanskrit: मन्त्र (mántra) (see there for further descendants)
• Proto-Iranian: *mánθram
  • Avestan: 𐬨𐬄𐬚𐬭𐬀 (mąθra)
    • → Middle Persian: (/⁠māns^ar⁠/, “holy word, spell”)

      Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (mʾnsl)

      • Classical Persian: منتر (mantar, “spell”)

        Iranian Persian: منتر (mantar, “wondering”)

        • → Pashto: منتر (mantar, “spell; charm”)
  • Wakhi: (/⁠mutr⁠/, “horoscope; omen”)

    Arabic script: مؤتر

    Cyrillic script: мутр (mutr)

  • Pashto: مرۍ (marə́j /⁠talisman;charm⁠/)
  • Old Median: *mánθra
    • → Old Persian: *𐎶𐎰𐎼 (*m-θ-r /⁠*maⁿθra⁠/)
      • Manichaean Middle Persian: 𐫖𐫍𐫡 (mhr /⁠mahr⁠/, “hymn”)
        • Dari: مار (mār, “think, spell”) (as a complex: بدمار (badmâr, “evil; sly (lit.) who has a bad spell or hymn”))
  • Parthian: (/⁠mahr⁠/, “hymn”)

    Manichaean script: 𐫖𐫍𐫡 (mhr)

References

• R. Schmitt (2011) “Aryans”, in Encyclopedia Iranica Online