Where does “ʾy” come from?
ʾy (Middle Persian) comes from Proto-Iranian Háywah, from Proto-Indo-Iranian Háywas, from Proto-Indo-European óynos — one; single.
Ancestry of “ʾy”, step by step
| Step | Language | Word | Meaning |
|---|
| 1 | Proto-Iranian | Háywah | one |
| 2 | Proto-Indo-Iranian | Háywas | just, only; one |
| 3 | Proto-Indo-European | óynos | one; single |