Where does “??” come from?
?? (Middle Persian) comes from Old Persian ??, from Proto-Iranian máH, from Proto-Indo-Iranian maH, from Proto-Indo-European meh₁ — prohibitive particle.
Ancestry of “??”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Old Persian | ?? | — |
| 2 | Proto-Iranian | máH | — |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | maH | do not; prohibitive particle |
| 4 | Proto-Indo-European | meh₁ | prohibitive particle |