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.

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

*mántram m (religion)

1. meditation, chanting

• *mánas
• *matíš

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

      Sogdian script: (mʾrkrʾy), (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”)

• 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: (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)

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