Comprising, In Addition to The Meanings, A Comparison, Wherever Practicable, of Avesta Words with Those of Pahlavi, Sanskrit, Persian and Latin, And All the Inflected Forms of Verbs, Nouns Substantive and Adjective, Pronouns, And Participles, And Adjective, Pronouns, And Participles, And References as To Where They Occur.
About the Book
A Complete Dictionary of the Avesta Language, in Guzerati and English" by Kavasji Edalji Kanga is a comprehensive reference work on the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism. This dictionary provides detailed entries in both Gujarati and English, facilitating the study and translation of the ancient Avestan language. Kanga's work is crucial for scholars and researchers of Zoroastrianism, offering insights into the linguistic and cultural aspects of the Avesta scriptures, and enhancing understanding of this ancient religious tradition.
About the Author
Kavasji Edalji Kanga (1839-1904) was a notable Parsi scholar and linguist, renowned for his expertise in Zoroastrian texts. He is best known for his "Complete Dictionary of the Avesta Language," which provided critical insights into the Avestan language, significantly contributing to the study of Zoroastrianism.
Preface
An advertisement offering a prize of Rs. 1,200 for the compilation of a complete dictionary of all the words occurring in the Avesta texts was published in the local Guzerati newspapers in August 1892 by the Managing Committee of the Moolla Feeroz Madressa. The writer successfully competed for the prize, and, thanks to the patronage extended to him, he is able to publish this work.
The want of such a work of reference has been greatly felt by students of the Avesta and Pahlavi Languages, especially since those languages were recognized by the Bombay University as classical languages in its higher examinations like Sanskrit, Latin, Persian, &c. So far back as 1864, Professor Ferdinand Justi of Marburg published a dictionary of the Avesta language (Handbuch der Zendsprache). Though it is in the German language, it was found to be very useful by students of the Avesta language, as it helped them in determining the grammatical forms of Avesta words, and for knowing the references as to where those words occurred. The author of this dictionary has also derived very great help from that work. But during the period of 36 years which has elapsed since that dictionary was issued, the study of the language has greatly advanced, with the natural result, that new light is thrown on the interpretation and elucidation of many passages, phrases, and words, whose meaning was till then either ambiguous or altogether unknown. The want of a new dictionary, calculated to satisfy the requirements of the students of the present day was thus felt, and with a view to supply that want and still further to stimulate a study of Avesta, the late Mr. Ardeshir Sorabjee Dustoor Kamdin offered the prize of Rs. 1,200 above referred to.
In this dictionary, the inflected forms of nouns substantive and adjective, pronouns and participles, and also the references as to where they occur in the text, are given under their respective BASE OF CRUDE Form as sub-items, and the inflected forms of verbs under their respective root. The variants of words as given by Professor Westergaard and Dr. Geldner are, as far as practicable, also given. As regards the signification of words, wherever the author has found reason to differ from European scholars, viz., Spiegel, Justi, Haug, Harlez, Darmesteter, Mills, &c., he has, in notable cases, given their interpretations along with his own. One of the conditions of the prize was that the competitor should not insert proper names in the book, but merely give references to Shams-ul-Olama Jivanji Jamshedji Modi's Dictionary of Avestic Proper Names. But the author thought that such an omission would detract from the value and usefulness of a book as a work of reference.
