Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/bʰiš-

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

Of obscure origin. Mayrhofer tentatively connects this to Proto-Indo-European *bʰh₂-s (“to speak”);^[1]^[2] however, Cheung leaves the origin open, and speculates a borrowing from an unidentified non-Indo-European substrate language.^[3]

Root

*bʰiš-^[4]

to heal; to cure
medicine, medicinal herb

Descendants

Proto-Iranian: *biš (“healing”)^[3]
- Avestan:
  Old Avestan: 𐬠𐬌𐬱 (biš, “healing, remedy”)^[5]
  
  Younger Avestan: 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 𐬠𐬌𐬱𐬌 (paⁱti biši, “medicinal”), 𐬠𐬌𐬱𐬌𐬱 𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬨𐬁𐬙𐬋 (bišiš framātō, “skilled in medicine”)^[3]

Derived terms

*bʰišaȷ́- (“to heal”, root)
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *bʰiṣaȷ́-
  - Sanskrit: भिषक्ति (bhiṣákti), भिषज्यति (bhiṣajyáti)
- Proto-Iranian: *bišaj-^[3]
  - Younger Avestan: 𐬠𐬌𐬱𐬀𐬰𐬌𐬌𐬁𐬝 (bišaziiāt̰), 𐬠𐬌𐬱𐬀𐬰𐬌𐬌𐬋𐬌𐬱 (bišaziiōiš, 2nd person optative singular), 𐬠𐬌𐬱𐬀𐬰𐬁𐬥𐬌 (bišazāni)
  - Middle Persian: (/⁠bišāzēnīdan, bišāz-⁠/, “to heal, cure”)
    Manichaean script: 𐫁𐫏𐫢𐫀𐫉𐫏𐫗𐫏𐫅𐫗 (byšʾzynydn), 𐫁𐫏𐫢𐫀𐫉- (byšʾz-)
    
    Book Pahlavi script: (byšʾcynytn'), (byšʾc-)
- ⇒ Proto-Indo-Iranian: *bʰišáȷ́ (“doctor, physician”)
  - Proto-Indo-Aryan: *bʰiṣáȷ́
    - Sanskrit: भिषज् (bhiṣáj, “healer, physician”)
  - Proto-Iranian: *bišáj
    - Middle Persian: (/⁠bišāz⁠/, “doctor, healer, physician”)
      Manichaean script: 𐫁𐫏𐫢𐫀𐫉 (byšʾz), 𐫁𐫏𐫢𐫀𐫝 (byšʾc)
    - ⇒ Proto-Iranian: *bišajkah (see there for further descendants)
  - ⇒ Proto-Indo-Iranian: *bʰayšaȷ́ás (“curative, healing”)

References

^ Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “BHID - bhiṣáj-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 264-265
^ Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 62
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*bišaz”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 21
^ Lubotsky, Alexander (1999) “The Indo-Iranian substratum”, in Early Contacts between Uralic and Indo-European: Linguistic and Archaeological Considerations‎, Helsinki
^ Lubotsky, Alexander (2011) “bhis.áj-”, in The Indo-Aryan Inherited Lexicon (in progress) (Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Project), Leiden University

[1] Mayrhofer, Manfred (1996) “BHID - bhiṣáj-”, in Etymologisches Wörterbuch des Altindoarischen [Etymological Dictionary of Old Indo-Aryan]‎ (in German), volume 2, Heidelberg: Carl Winter Universitätsverlag, pages 264-265

[2] Rastorgujeva, V. S., Edelʹman, D. I. (2003) Etimologičeskij slovarʹ iranskix jazykov [Etymological Dictionary of Iranian Languages] (in Russian), volume 2, Moscow: Vostochnaya Literatura, page 62

[EDIV-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*bišaz”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, page 21

[4] Lubotsky, Alexander (1999) “The Indo-Iranian substratum”, in Early Contacts between Uralic and Indo-European: Linguistic and Archaeological Considerations‎, Helsinki

[IAIL-5] Lubotsky, Alexander (2011) “bhis.áj-”, in The Indo-Aryan Inherited Lexicon (in progress) (Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Project), Leiden University

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