𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠

Middle Persian

Alternative forms

  • 𐬱𐬀𐬓𐬱𐬀 (šāhān šāh), šʾhʾn' šʾh — Book Pahlavi, rare
  • 𐬱𐬁𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬁𐬵 (šāhanšāh) — Pazend

Etymology

From 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (MLKA /⁠šāh⁠/) and its oblique plural 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 (MLKAn /⁠šāhān⁠/) or inherited in whole from Old Persian 𐏋 𐏐 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (XŠ : XŠ-a-n-a-m /⁠xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām⁠/, “king of kings”), from 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”) + 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (xšāyaθiyānām), genitive plural of 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”).

The formula originates in the Ancient Near East; compare Akkadian 𒈗𒊭𒈗𒈨𒌍 (šar šarrāni, “king of kings”), the title of Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria (13th century BC).

Noun

𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 • (MLKAn MLKA /šāhān šāh/)

  1. king of kings, shahanshah

Descendants

  • Persian: شاهنشاه (šâhanšâh) (see there for further descendants)
  • → Latin: saansaan
  • → Old Armenian: շահանշահ (šahanšah), շահան շահ (šahan šah)
Calques
  • → Ancient Greek: βασιλεύς τῶν βασιλέων (basileús tôn basiléōn) (calque)
  • → Hebrew: מלך המלכים (Melech ha-M'lachim) (calque)
  • → Latin: rex regum (calque)
  • → Old Armenian: թագաւորաց թագաւոր (tʻagaworacʻ tʻagawor), արքայից արքայ (arkʻayicʻ arkʻay) (calque)
  • → Middle English: king of kinges, king of kingus, kyng of kynges, kyng of kyngges (calque)

References

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