<ahura-> is thought to be related to
Germanic *ans-u-z, with *ns-u- > *IIr. asu- > Iranian *ahu-. The
similarity of Ved. atHar-van- to Av. aTra-van-, a:tr&-vaxs^- 'priest (who
kindles the fire)' is so compelling that cognacy is usually assumed, though
the details are not clear. Indo-Aryan *tH has no good reason to appear in
*a:tra- (while in Iranian *t regularly develops into a fricative before *r,
i.e. *tr > *Tr), and of course *a:tar-/*a:Tr- 'fire' is restricted to
Iranian. The 'sacred fire' contrast *a:tar- vs. *agni- is in fact one of the
best known Indo-Iranian shibboleths. If you want my opinion, the irregularities
of <atHar-van-> could be easier to understand if the word were regarded as
a borrowing from Iranian. I have no idea under what circumstances the borrowing
could have occurred. Was Atharvan, the priest who introduced the worship of
fire, an Iranian? Could it be a reflection of Zarathustra
himself?
Piotr
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, February 22, 2002 2:58 AM
Subject: [tied] Azerbaijan
Any PIE cognates?
Skt. atharvan? Or, Avestan
Ahura?