Some Pahlavi words (examination of four words from three Pahlavi texts)

Middle Persian texts, including inscriptions, Manichaean, psalm, and Pahlavi texts, still contain many unread or misread words. Due to the many problems of the Pahlavi script, among all the Middle Persian texts, there are more ambiguities in reading and more multiplicity and variety of translations of the Zoroastrian or Pahlavi texts. In this article, one word of Zand of Vandidad and Šāyast-nē-šāyast and three words of Bundahišn have been read and a new reading has been suggested for each of them. The solution of reading these words and similar words in Pahlavi texts, in addition to using textual evidence and linguistic issues, is to review their written form in the manuscripts and to consider various possibilities of their transliteration. Attempts have been made to make each reading in maximum conformity with the written form in the manuscripts, and in case of correction of the word and deviation from the manuscript recording, sufficient reasons whould be provided to justify the proposed reading.