middle Persian

The main objective of the present study was to semantically and syntactically explore translation strategies applied by translators in the translation of chapter nineteen of Vandidad from Avestan to Middle Persian for ritual purposes. To this end, the Middle Persian translation of Vandidad was studied, and the meaning of the words accompanying their syntactic roles in the Avestan language were compared to their Middle Persian equivalents. Then, the strategies applied by the translators were divided into two categories: semantic and syntactic ones. The findings of the study can shed some light on the translation strategies applied in the translation of ancient texts which can be used for deeper and broader scientific inquiry into Iranian ancient languages.

From 224 to 651 AD, the Sasanian dynasty created one of the most powerful empires in the pre-Islamic Middle East. The dynasty ruled from the Euphrates to the Indus, holding a position of supremacy for more than four centuries and exerting a direct influence from Egypt to China via the Silk Road and maritime trade routes.  Seals and seals impressions are the most abundant class of cultural artifacts surviving from the Sassanian era. They are commonly found from West to Central Asia and even beyond, from Europe to Southeast Asia. The importance of their study is from two aspects, on one hand, they are as historical documents and on the other hand, they are valuable works of art and a way to understand the culture and civilization.  This study conducted in a descriptive-analytical method using written sources, tries to read four samples of the Sassanian’s seals of the National Museum of ancient Iran, which are part of the confiscated items collection. The purpose of this research is to read inscriptions and examine the roles of these seals.

This paper deals with an old Judeo-Persian letter called Dandān-Uiliq II (Abbreviated as DU II); which probably dates back to 9th century CE and further to its contents, has some important linguistic features, often without existence in later Persian texts written in Arabic script, for instance, the use of the adverb bē = but (as in Qur’an-e Qods translation), use of the conjunction kū, the use of the verb h- (to be) and ancient subjunctive mood. This paper also presents a new translation of the letter and its ancient linguistic features discussed in comparison to Early Persian texts (in Perso-Arabic script) and some early Persian translations of Qur’an, especially Qur’an-e Quds (probably written in Sistan in 12th CE). These features represent language transmission from Middle Persian to Neo-Persian (Dari). The given translation is not the same as previous English and Chinese versions and reflects my understanding of its syntax and morphology.