The Colloquial Form of the Linking Verb in Persian

ast > e?

Abstract

Colloquial Persian employs -e as a linking verb, commonly regarded as the colloquial variant of ast. This article endeavors to delineate the usage of this verb form in early texts, encompassing both regional and supra-regional ones. Drawing from the instances outlined in the article, the author, then, advances a hypothesis concerning the origin and evolutionary trajectory of this form. Through a meticulous examination, incorporating Early Judaeo-Persian, as well as early and late New Iranian textual remains, this study offers a comprehensive analysis of the subject matter. As the study shows, this form of the linking verb takes different forms in early regional and supra-regional texts, including <-h>, <-y>, <-ʾy>, <ʾyd>, and <hy>. The common origin of all these forms is most likely to be *(a)hēd, which still remains in present-day Iranian varieties.