A New Glance at the Etymology of the Word  čarman in Behistun Inscription

During the lifetime of a language, words may undergo some morphological changes, while maintaining their semantic load. On the contrary, a word may sometimes be subject to a semantic alteration, though retaining its apparent structure.The new Persian word ‘ čarm’, is a suitable example for the latter process. Its Avestan and old Persian forms are ‘ čarəman-‘ and ‘ čarman-‘ respectively and this noun comes from the verbal root, meaning ‘to make, to do and to perform’.The old Persian word ‘ čarman-‘ has been used in column IV, line 90, as ‘ čarmā’; namely in a locative singular and neutral form (l.s.n.), meaning in (on) parchment. Of course, it has been used together with the word ‘pavastāyā-‘. In that inscription, the latter word, meaning in(on) skin, has been also used in a locative, singular and feminine form (l.s.f.).Translations yet given for the word čarman- are unable to supply a logical meaning for the mentioned line of the text for two reasons: First, it is not tolerable from a genius like Darius the Great, to claim that he has had the text inscribed both on ‘skin’ and on ‘parchment’, especially with the present meaning of the two words or something close to it!Secondly, we know that the greatest and the most important version of this inscription has been publicly exhibited at Behistun Rocks and therefore, it would be strongly improbable for Darius to have forgotten or neglected the very rock among the list of its publication sites. On the other hand, in some western and south-western dialects of the country_ Bushire and Kurdistan provinces, for instance_ the Persian word ‘charm’ is being used, meaning ‘an even and sleek rock’! In addition we know that the provenance of Old Persian _ which is accounted as the true mother of New Persian _ is nowhere but the very western and south-western provinces of the country.Hence, it could be concluded that the local term ‘charm’ in the mentioned provinces could be reasonably remained from the very Old Persian word ‘ čarman-‘ which would have been used with the same present local concept of ‘an even and sleek rock’ during the Achaemenid Era.The word č arman- with this meaning of course, is itself the true product of a semantic change, which has however been derived from the verbal root.