Where does “زر” come from?
زر (Classical Persian) comes from Middle Persian zarr, from Parthian zarn, from Proto-Iranian jr̥Hanyam, from Proto-Indo-Iranian ȷ́ʰr̥Hanyam, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰl̥h₃enyom, from Proto-Indo-European ǵʰelh₃- — to flourish; green, yellow.
Ancestry of “زر”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Middle Persian | zarr | gold |
| 2 | Parthian | zarn | gold |
| 3 | Proto-Iranian | jr̥Hanyam | gold |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | ȷ́ʰr̥Hanyam | gold |
| 5 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰl̥h₃enyom | — |
| 6 | Proto-Indo-European | ǵʰelh₃- | to flourish; green, yellow |