Notes on the Shāhnāma (10)
Document Type : pajoohesh
Author
University of Tehran
10.22081/jap.2026.80062
Abstract
This installment of Notes on the Shāhnāma examines three philological and textual issues in Ferdawsī’s epic. First, it discusses the particle ham (“also, together”) in several expressions of the Shāhnāma that have commonly been interpreted as the first element of compound words, whereas a closer morphological and syntactic analysis suggests a different understanding. Second, it investigates the use of the verb khwābīdan (“to sleep”) in a transitive sense within the text, a usage that sheds light on the semantic and grammatical range of the verb in Classical Persian. Third, it explores the meaning of ganj (“treasure”), arguing that in certain contexts it denotes an arsenal or weapons repository rather than a treasury in the usual sense. Through close textual analysis, the article contributes to a more precise understanding of the language and lexicon of the Shāhnāma and offers observations relevant to textual criticism and the interpretation of Classical Persian literature.
Keywords
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