Re: [tied] Azerbaijan

From: Piotr Gasiorowski
Message: 12447
Date: 2002-02-23

 
----- Original Message -----
From: kalyan97
To: cybalist@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 2:58 AM
Subject: [tied] Azerbaijan

> Is the word derived from Persian "Aturpatan", or Arabic -
"Azerbaygan", "a country of fire keepers"? Any PIE cognates?
Skt. atharvan? Or, Avestan Ahura?
 
The Arabic name is just an Arabised version of a:Darbayja:n < a:durba:daga:n < Median *a:tur-pa:taka:n- 'land of fire custodians'. Related to one old IE root for 'burn' (*h2ah1-, hence *h2ah1-tr-) and to *pah2- 'guard, keep'
 
Piotr