Karaka, Dosabhai Framji: History of the Parsis: including their manners, customs, religion and present position ; in two volumes (Band 2) (London, 1884)

chap, m.] THE A VEST A LANGUAGE.

155

and Pouruchisti; and from the Pehlevi works that he
had three sons—Isadvastara, Urvatatnara, and Hava-
rechithra.

We will now speak of the language in which the
great Prophet wrote. The Avesta language belongs
to the Iranian branch of the Aryan stock. Dr. Hang
divides the Iranian branch into two classes—1st, the
East Iranian or Bactrian branch; and 2d, the West
Iranian, or the languages of Media and the adjoining
countries.

The Avesta language belongs, as stated, to the
former branch. Of the Parsi Scriptures which are
now extant, a portion, and that the more important,
is written in the Gatha dialect of the Avesta language.
The five Gathas (chapters xxvii. to liv. of Yasna),
known as the writings of the great Prophet himself,
and various other pieces, here and there, arc composed
in this dialect. The rest is written in the ordinary
Avesta language.

According to Dr. Haug, both these dialects—the
Gatha and the ordinary Avesta dialect—represent the
same Avesta language at two different periods of time.
The Gatha dialect, from its more ancient and fuller
grammatical forms, as well as from its more primitive
state, appears to be older than the ordinary Avesta
language by about two or three centuries. The differ-
ence between these two dialects is the same as that be-
tween Vedic Sanscrit and the ordinary classical Sanscrit.