Siyar al-mutaʾakhkhirin 45.1
A Translation of the Seir Mutaqherin (Haji Mustafa) 45.1
- Language
- English
45.1.1
Doghter. In some mountainous tracts of Persia, where they speak pure Persian, without any admixture of Arabic, (and the whole Shah-Nameh, that book of one hundred and twenty thousand verses, has but one Arabic word, and it was written so early, as about the year six hundred of the Hedjra, or about 1260 of the Christian Era); in those mountains, I say, it is neither Hemshir, which is an epithet, nor unlike Com-milk or Comilk, not Qhaer, but Sus. Little Sister, Sussec. My little Sister, Sussek-men. Burd, Burdan: which signify, he carried: and to carry and bear. Chabiden. Proverb: To Nan Chabide, & Coss Gahide, Mi-qhahi. Sipaden, and Sipidin, to fall drop after drop. Istaden. And that anciently it was Astanden, may be evinced from Curtius, who says that Darius-Codomanus was an Astanda of the late King's, that is, as he explains it, one who stood always before the Monarch ready to execute his commands. A ENGLISH. Bearer Bird, which a Welsh-man, and a Sommerset-man, would pronounce Pird, just as they pronounce Peard for Beard. Name To Tame
45.1.2
PERSIAN. Chopdar. To-day that word would be sounded Asfadd, or Estade. Berid, Berid-i-namih, the bearer of this letter; and although use has introduced the Arabick word Hammal for Porter, yet Berid is also used. Perid, and also Peri-endeh, contracted into Perendeh. Perid, is Persian for he flew. Nam, name; and also Namidän, to name. Tahmidän, which is hardly used by any but by Grooms and Jockeys, but which, like an infinity of other Persian words, has been preserved in India, betwixt which and Persia we perceive so early as four thousand years ago, a constant intercourse, a constant vassalage on the part of the former, with an amazing similarity in language, religious tenets, and worships. Tahmna in India, signifies to stop, appease, and also to be stopped; and that it is still in use in Persia in the same sense it bore thousands of years ago, may be proved by Nadyr-shah's first title, which was Tahm-asp-Cüli-qhan, Equorum Domitor Cüli-qhan, and also the Lord Soldier to Tahm-asp, and not Tatnas or Tomas-cùli-qhan as is written in so many books; for the epithet of horse breaker, so often given by Homer and Virgil to Diomedes, was also much affected by the Persians, who being horse-men born, were much pleased with those same names, which the Greeks made so much use of, and which referred to some love for horses, or to some talent in horseman-ship, Philo-hippus, alias Philippus, Heges-hippus, Archi-hippus, &c., &c.
45.1.3
Maze Maz: an intricate winding path through woods and mountains. Hence a large province of Persia, on the Caspian Sea, being beyond a lofty chain of mountains, covered with thick woods, and having been itself a forest cleared for cultivation (as appears by the enormous serpents and that infinity of lions and other wild beasts found anciently, and even now, there), this province of course was called the country within the Mazes, or beyond the Mazes a name which it bears to this day Maz-anderan. These few words are such as have occurred to me at so short a warning; but I shall take care occasionally to enlarge the list; and when it is recollected that the Saca-sons, or Sac-sons or Saxons were no more than a Colony of Saceas, who inhabited the northern provinces of Persia, upon the Amoo; that all the Gothick nations emigrated unquestionably from the northern parts of Asia into Europe, with Odin, Woden, or Goden at their head; and that a Colony of Kermanis, (Is it from that word that comes that of Germans and Caramanians?) dissatisfied with both their country and government, emigrated from Persia into the northern parts of Europe; when we shall join all these hints together, we shall not be much surprised to find such a number of words to be both Persian and English. I have once assembled 97 of them. Shame Sherm and Sharm. No Na. Qhog; and if this word be often pronounced QliSg, it is because the Persians use the vaw for four sounds.
45.1.4
Bill, an instrument made exactly like a bird's bill, and used in the stony soil of Persia to dig the ground with. Hence Bill-dar, a Pioneer, pronounced Bellder by the Indians, but written Bill-dar; although the ground being so much softer in India, Pioneers are armed with a kind of Shovel, called Chapa in Decan, Codali in Bengal, and Piiora in Hindostan. Pod, or even Pood, because the Persians have no proper letter, and in all the oriental languages, vowels are interchangeable. Rood signifies the mouth of a river, and also a river. Trunk Torunk, Tarank : a sea Vessel, used in the Gulf of Persia, and called Tarajiquine by Agatharchides. And here I conceive that some critic shall stand up, and read to me, or repeat, that whole chapter of Swift's about Etimons ; and to his sneering I shall answer, not by addressing the critic himself, but by directing my words to Swift. And this would be in the following manner : Sir,
45.1.5
I acknowledge, that you have brought up a great deal of ingenuity and much machinery to inform us of the Etimons of Fail-upon : ease us (which you make the constituent words of Peloponnesus), and of Andrew Mackay, which you prove to be the original words of Andromache, that tall wife of Hector, which your countrymen pronounce Andromaki. But, Sir, please to mind that the question is not, what these words may signify to-day in the language of your countrymen, but only what they signified two or three thousand years ago in the country which the Greeks inhabited. Now without any of those engines which you have conjured up for your purpose, it appears plainly, very plainly, both from the history and language of that country, for instance, of Peloponesus, that this Island was called Peloponisos or Nesus, the Island of Pelops, just as a certain island in the South Sea, well known to Admiral Anson, is called to this day, Juan Fernandes. It is true, Sir, that an able man like you, may make these two words to signify a broken-pate, or a crooked leg, in Irish, or in Albanagh or Erse. But I am sorry for it ; for in the language spoken to this day by the inhabitants of that island, those words signify only Island of Juan Fernandes. In the like manner the tall consort, who in her youth had been, as is the custom of her country, often wrestling with young men, is called not, Andromaki, as you found it, but only Andro-machi, the she fighter of men. Nor did the words.
45.1.6
Achilles, in the language, spoken by that hero and by his countrymen, signify three thousand years ago, any thing more, than what he was well known to be : the man with thick lips. I cannot help adding here some remarks on Etymons in general, against which article numbers of people never fail to have some words of that chapter of Swift's at their finger's ends. What would have not said Swift himself to a man who should have told him that the French word jour came from the Latin word Dies ? Is that possible ? Is that probable ? Determine yourself those two articles ; for my part I know that it is certain. For in the lower Empire they had disused the word Dies, to make use of that of Diurnus, which being pronounced in the Italian and Provencal manner (and this last was then the universal language of the south of Europe) as Djiurnus (Djiôrnôs) very naturally produced Giorno in Italian, and jor or jour in French, pronounced Djôr by the Southern French. Just as the word Equus having been superceded by that of Caballus has given birth to Cavallo in Italian, Cavalho in Spanish, and Cheval in French. Can any one find any affinity betwixt the words Bispo (Spanish), Eveque (French), Vescovo (Italian), Bishop (English), and Püspök? No ; and yet it is indubitable that the latter is Hungarian, and that all the five come from the Greek Episcopos.
45.1.7
There are two famous words that are pronounced Shazus Krist by the Irish, Ghiezû or rather Khiêzû-kristo by the Italians, Djizôs-krâist by the English, and Jesu-kri by the French. An Antiquarian would lose scent here ; and yet, it is well known that they all come from two ancient words, the first Hebrew, the second, Greek : Yessû-christos or rather Qhristos. Do you see any brotherhood betwixt the words Yago (Spanish), Jac (French), Djems (English), Djidcomo (Italian), and Yacomi (Greek)? And yet rest assured, that they all come from the Hebrew word, Yacoh. And so of some hundreds of similar words which I could easily bring forth ; but these few are enough. At the moment of ending this, I recollect three words more Anglo-Persian. Abode Abad. Sowr Shor. ENGLISH PERSIAN To Sew, &c., &c. Sozen, and Sew-sen, which Persian word is evidently a contractif of the compound Soo—i—sen striker or maker of sewing. Now the word Sooi, to signify a needle, has been preserved in India, where there is no other term, and where Si-na, an evident contractif of the compound Siö-na or Sew-na, signifies to Sew in every shop in Calcutta.