On the terminology designating the Zoroastrians of Iran and their language

Abstract

AbstractThis paper* examines how Zoroastrians designate themselves (internal/self-designations), and how they are designated by others (external designations). Focusing on the termGabr/Gavras the external denotation for Zoroastrians and the termGabrī/Gavrūnīas the designation for their language, it argues that these terms, once common in Western scholarship as well as among non-Zoroastrian Iranians, have become obsolete due to their pejorative undertones. However, they have recently been revived by some scholars, who justify such use with reference to the alleged etymology ofGabras meaning “man” and by the fact that even some Zoroastrians useGavr/GavrūnandGavrī/Gavrūnīas an internal designation for themselves and their language. This paper critically examines these views and argues that neither the etymology nor the internal self-designation justifies the use of these terms and proposes the termZoroastrian Darīas the more appropriate designation of the language of the Zoroastrians of Iran.