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Which shared religious words show the close relationship between Indo-Aryan and Iranian languages?
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Indo-Aryan languages
Devanagari script from a section of the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana, c. 1880–c. 1900; in the British Library.
The close relationship between Indo-Aryan and Iranian languages is evidenced by several shared religious terms that reflect their common heritage. These include:
- Ritual and Worship: The Sanskrit term yajña- (rite of worship or sacrificial rite) corresponds to the Avestan yasna- (worship, act of worship, or sacrifice).1
- Ritual Officiants: The Sanskrit hotṛ- corresponds to the Avestan zaotar-, both referring to a specific ritual officiant.1
- Sacred Substances: The Sanskrit soma- and Avestan haoma- both refer to a ritually significant juice pressed from a plant.1
- Divinities: The name of the divinity Mithra appears as Sanskrit mitra- and Avestan miθra-.1
Additionally, speakers of both language groups used similar terms to refer to themselves, specifically the Sanskrit ārya-, Avestan airiia-, and Old Persian ariya-, all meaning "Aryan."1