avesti

Avesti is a term used in scholarly contexts to refer to Avestan, the ancient Iranian language in which the Avesta, the sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism, are composed. The Avesta itself is a collection of liturgical, doctrinal, and mythological texts that were gradually assembled over many centuries, with the oldest material traditionally attributed to the prophet Zoroaster.

Linguistically, Avestan is divided into two primary groups: Old Avestan, represented by the Gathas, and Younger Avestan, which covers the remaining texts such as the Yasna, Visperad, and Vendidad. The language is studied for its distinctive phonology, morphology, and its role in the development of the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian language family. Avestan texts are crucial for understanding early Zoroastrian belief, ritual practice, and cosmology.

Script and transmission are also central to the Avesta scholarly corpus. The Avestan alphabet was developed to accurately render the Avestan phonology and is used in surviving manuscripts. Over time, much of the material was preserved and transmitted by Zoroastrian communities in Iran and, after migrations, in the Indian subcontinent among the Parsis. In later periods, the Pahlavi-era commentary tradition produced the Zend and other intermediate works, which accompanied and interpreted the original Avestan texts.

Significance lies in its role as one of the oldest preserved bodies of Iranian religious literature. Avestan studies inform ancient Indo-Iranian linguistics, religious history, and the understanding of early Persian and Central Asian cultural exchanges. See also Avesta, Zoroastrianism, and Gatha.