Journal of History of Literature

Journal of History of Literature

The Historical Development of the Vocabulary of Musical Instruments in Pahlavi Texts

Document Type : علمی - پژوهشی

Author
Yadollah Mansouri
Associate Professor, Linguistics Department, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.48308/hlit.2024.235859.1313
Abstract
Introduction

In this article, an attempt is made to look at the evolution of musical vocabulary from the ancient period to the Islamic period, as far as the texts help us to discuss the existing Pahlavi texts in a detailed manner. In other words, the basis of this paper is the investigation, collection, and etymological analysis of musical words in Pahlavi texts.
Several nouns of instruments and musical devices appear in several Pahlavi texts; among the examples or evidence of them is that some of these instruments and words related to them are still known to us, but some other words are not as clear and unambiguous.

Literature Review

Before this, Iranologists have sporadically mentioned music promotion in the old days of Iran before Islam. The work of these researchers is mostly based on the Arabic texts related to the early Islamic period and some existing inscriptions and documents only to the extent of recalling them, and it has not been systematically and independently accompanied by the examination and analysis of each word in the Pahlavi texts. Scholars such as Farmer (1926), Arthur Christensen (1936), Walter Bailey (1973), Duchesne-Guillemin (1979), and more recently Lawergren (2016, Iranica website-online) have considered the history of music, sometimes with a short reference to a few words or terms related to music.
Among the Iranian researchers, we can mention Abbas Iqbal Ashtiani in collaboration with Christensen (1363), Taghi Binesh (1395), Ahmad Tafazzoli (1371), Mehri Bagheri (1384), and recently Masoumeh Bagheri, Hassan Kiadeh, and Mahdieh Heydari (1389). These works are also not based on texts. Bagheri, Kiadeh, and Heydari's article is limited to only one Pahlavi text, as its title and content indicate, “Investigation of musical instruments in the Sasanian period based on the Pahlavi text of Khosrow Qabadan and Ridak”.
It must be noted that such research has been done from the perspective of historical linguistics; readers know very well that many fruitful books and articles have been published by skillful specialists of the music field.

Methodology

In this discourse, Pahlavi texts such as The Pahlavi Texts compiled by Jamaseb Asana, Dinkard edited by M. C. Madan, Selections of Zadsperm with two editions by Tafazzoli and Gignuxe and Rashed Mohsal, Ardeshir Babakan's work Anthia's version and Farhvoshi's translation have been used to compile musical instrument vocabulary.
It is noted that the transliteration of Pahlavi examples has been done by David Neal Mackenzie method and the translation of the texts, except for a few cases, is done by the author himself.
In addition, in collecting musical vocabulary and terms related to it from various Pahlavi texts, it is possible to analyze and report the etymology and mention the Persian equivalents of these words, and how the vocabulary of musical instruments in Pahlavi and Persian languages ​​are similar and different from the point of view of phonetics and verbal transformation is also examined.

Discussion

Collecting musical vocabulary and related terms from various Pahlavi texts allows us to analyze and report the etymology and mention the Persian equivalents of the words. The similarities and variation between the musical instrument words of Pahlavi and Persian ​​is also investigated from the point of view of phonetics and term transformation. Investigating and analyzing the etymology of these words is a scientific need for the knowledge of linguists, lexicographers, and cultural writers.
In response to the question of this research, as the lexical data shows, a number of musical words and terms, although few, have remained in the existing Pahlavi texts; many of these words have found their way into the New Persian and are still common in the Modern Persian.

Conclusion

From a statistical point of view, it can be said that approximately fifteen words and terms of the names of musical instruments and fifteen words and terms related to music and courtship from the Sassanid era and early Islam have been obtained from existing Pahlavi texts. And the words barbat, chang, tonbak (dumbalag), tanbur, rood, kanaar, gavdum, nai, and van reached New Persian.
This small achievement in the field of specialized art, in turn, shows the popularity of music from a historical point of view and undoubtedly informs the readers that Iranians were more or less familiar with music since ancient times and musical words were common in their language.
In addition, these data show that during that period, along with sciences and techniques such as medicine, astronomy, mathematics, philosophy and various professions including industry and art, music and instruments as well as its knowledge and skills were also common. Investigating and analyzing the etymology of these words is a scientific need for the knowledge of linguists, lexicographers, and cultural writers.
Keywords
musical vocabulary
musical instruments
Avestan language
Pahlavi texts (Middle Persian)
New Persian
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