Editing Airyanem Vaejah (section)

==Etymology and related words==

The [[Avestan]] {{lang|ae-Latn|Airyanəm Vaējah}} and the [[Middle Persian]] {{Transliteration|pal|Ērān-wēz}} are compound terms, where the first part is the adjective or [[Genitive case|genitive]] plural of [[Arya (Iran)|Arya]] ({{langx|ae|{{script|Avst|[[wiktionary:𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀|𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀]]}}}}, {{Transliteration|ae|airiia}}; {{langx|pal|{{script|Phli|[[wiktionary:𐭠𐭩𐭫#Middle Persian|𐭠𐭩𐭫]]}}}}, {{Transliteration|pal|er}}), respectively.{{Sfn|MacKenzie|1998}}{{Sfn|Alemany|2000|loc=p. 3}} This term also appears in [[Vedic Sanskrit]] as the self designation of the people of the [[Vedas]].{{Sfn|Witzel|2001|loc=p. 2: "At the outset, it has to be underlined that the term Ārya (whence, Aryan) is the self-designation of the ancient Iranians and of those Indian groups speaking Vedic Sanskrit and other Old Indo-Aryan (OIA) languages and dialects. Both peoples called themselves and their language årya or arya:"}} Within the context of Iran, however, this term simply means Iranian.{{Sfn|Gershevitch|1968|loc=p. 1: "Since Aryana means 'Iranian', the modern term Indo-Aryan has been coined to denote those Arya tribes who had penetrated to the Punjab, there to develop the literature of the Rig Veda."}} However, the exact meaning of the second part {{lang|ae-Latn|vaējah}} or {{Transliteration|pal|wēz}} is uncertain.{{Sfn|MacKenzie|1998}} [[Friedrich Carl Andreas]] derives it from a hypothetical Old Iranian *vyacah which he connects to Vedic Sanskrit {{lang|sa-Latn|vyacas }} "territory, region".{{Sfn|Andreas|1932|loc=p. 38}} On the other hand, [[Émile Benveniste]] connects it to the Avestan term {{lang|ae-Latn|vaig}} (brandish,  throw (a weapon)) which would be cognate to Vedic Sanskrit {{lang|sa-Latn|vega}} (vehement movement, irruption, flow) and, therefore, would give {{lang|ae-Latn|vaējah}} the meaning of "extent" or "expanse".{{Sfn|Benveniste|1934|loc=pp. 266–267}} It may also be related to Vedic Sanskrit {{lang|sa-Latn| vej/vij}} (to move with a quick darting motion, speed, heave (said of waves)), suggesting the region of a fast-flowing river.{{Sfn|Humbach|1991|loc=p. 33}}

Zoroastrian tradition knows at least two other terms that associate the Iranian people with a geographical region. The first is found in the [[Avesta]] specifically in the [[Mihr Yasht]]. Vers Yt. 10.13 describes how [[Mithra]] reaches [[Hara Berezaiti|Mount Hara]] and overlooks the Airyoshayana ({{Langx|ae|{{transliteration|ae|airyō.šayana}}}}, 'Iranian lands'). This term is usually interpreted to refer to the entire land inhabited by Iranians which would make it an umbrella term for the Iranian regions mentioned in the following verse Yt. 10.14.{{Sfn|Gershevitch|1967|loc=p 79}} However, [[Gherardo Gnoli]] notes the ambiguity of the text, such that Airyoshayana, like Airyanem Vaejah, may only refer to a specific country, one that occupies a prominent place among the Iranian countries from verses Yt. 10.13–14.{{Sfn|Gnoli|1966|loc=p 73: "A questo punto sono possibili due interpretationi dell'intero passo, secondo che si conferisca all'espressione airyo.shayanem della stanza 13 un significato o generico o restrittivo. Nel primo caso, se essa significasse l'intero paese in cui abitano tutti gli Iranici, l'espressione vispem airyo.shayanem sarebbe evidentimente comprensiva di cio che segue: essa costituirebbe, sinteticamente, tutto l'insieme che verrebbe poi analizzato nella stanza seguente nei termini Ishkata, Paruta etc.: nel secondo caso, pero, se essa equivalesse all'espressiono abbreviata di aryanam vaêjõ e a quella di airyanam dahyunam, in quanto contrapposte alle pur sempre iraniche tuiryanam dahyunam, airyo.shayanem costituirebbe il primo elemento dell'enumerizio geografica, il primo dei paesi guardati da Mithra, il primo e, nello stesso tempo, il piu importante, un paese, soprattutto, ricco di acque, di laghi, di canali."}} The second term is the [[Middle Persian]] {{Transliteration|pal|Ērān-shahr}} ({{lang|pal|𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭱𐭲𐭥𐭩|rtl=yes}}) and {{Transliteration|pal|Ērān}} ({{lang|pal|𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭|rtl=yes}}). This word is the origin of the modern [[Persian language|Persian]] term [[Iran (word)|Iran]]. However, a possible [[Old Iranian]] origin {{lang|peo-Latn|*aryānām xšaθra-}} has not been established and the term may be an innovation of the [[Sasanian Empire|Sassanians]].{{Sfn|Alemany|2000|loc=p. 3}}