Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-Iranian/-ištʰas

This Proto-Indo-Iranian entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-Iranian

Etymology

From Proto-Indo-European *-istHos, from *-yōs (relative suffix) +‎ *-tHós (adjectival suffix).^[1]^[2] Cognate with Ancient Greek -ιστος (-istos), Proto-Germanic *-istaz.

Suffix

*-ištʰas

superlative adjectival suffix.

Declension

Thematic
	masculine	feminine
nominative	*-ištʰas	*-ištʰaH
genitive	*-ištʰasya	*-ištʰaHs
masculine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ištʰas	*-ištʰaH	*-ištʰās
vocative	*-ištʰa	*-ištʰaH	*-ištʰās
accusative	*-ištʰam	*-ištʰaH	*-ištʰans
genitive	*-ištʰasya	*?	*-ištʰām
ablative	*-ištʰāt	*?	*-ištʰamas
dative	*-ištʰāy	*?	*-ištʰamas
locative	*-ištʰay	*?	*-ištʰayšu
instrumental	*-ištʰaH	*?	*-ištʰāš
feminine	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ištʰaH	*-ištʰaH(a)	*-ištʰaHas
vocative	*-ištʰaH	*-ištʰaH(a)	*-ištʰaHas
accusative	*-ištʰaHa	*-ištʰaH(a)	*-ištʰaHas
genitive	*-ištʰaHs	*?	*-ištʰaHaHam
ablative	*-ištʰaHs	*?	*-ištʰaHmas
dative	*-ištʰaHay	*?	*-ištʰaHmas
locative	-ištʰaH, -ištʰaHi	*?	*-ištʰaHsu
instrumental	*-ištʰaHH	*?	*-ištʰaHbʰi
neuter	singular	dual	plural
nominative	*-ištʰam	*-ištʰay(H)	*-ištʰaH
vocative	*-ištʰam	*-ištʰay(H)	*-ištʰaH
accusative	*-ištʰam	*-ištʰay(H)	*-ištʰaH
genitive	*-ištʰasya	*?	*-ištʰām
ablative	*-ištʰāt	*?	*-ištʰamas
dative	*-ištʰāy	*?	*-ištʰamas
locative	*-ištʰay	*?	*-ištʰayšu
instrumental	*-ištʰaH	*?	*-ištʰāš

Descendants

Category Proto-Indo-Iranian adjectives suffixed with *-ištʰas not found

Proto-Indo-Aryan: *-iṣṭʰas
- Sanskrit: -इष्ठ (-iṣṭha)
Proto-Iranian: *-ištah^[3]
- Avestan: -𐬌𐬱𐬙𐬀 (-išta)
- Parthian: (/⁠-išt⁠/)
  Manichaean script: 𐫏𐫢𐫤 (yšt /⁠-yšt⁠/)
- Old Persian: 𐎡𐎿𐎫 (i-s-t /⁠-ista⁠/)
  - Middle Persian: (/⁠-ist⁠/)
    Manichaean script: 𐫏𐫘𐫤 (yst)
    
    Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (-st')
    
    Psalter Pahlavi script: 𐮍𐮑𐮈 (-sty) (only in 𐮃𐮅𐮐𐮍𐮑𐮈 (dwšsty /⁠dōšist⁠/, “most beloved; dearest”))
    - Classical Persian: ـست (-ist) (only in some words e.g. مهست (mehest, “greatest”))

References

^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2011) Comparative Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd edition, revised and corrected by Michiel de Vaan, Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 221
^ Ringe, Donald (2006) From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎^[1], Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 284
^ Windfuhr, Gernot (2010) The Iranian Languages (Routledge Language Family Series), Oxon, New York: Routledge, →ISBN, pages 79-80

[1] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2011) Comparative Indo-European Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd edition, revised and corrected by Michiel de Vaan, Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, page 221

[2] Ringe, Donald (2006) From Proto-Indo-European to Proto-Germanic (A Linguistic History of English; 1)‎^[1], Oxford: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, page 284

[3] Windfuhr, Gernot (2010) The Iranian Languages (Routledge Language Family Series), Oxon, New York: Routledge, →ISBN, pages 79-80

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