Etymology of Khoda / Khuda & khvet-vadta

1. On the etymology of Khoda / Khuda & khvet-vadta
- Ardeshir Farhmand wrote on December 20, 2009 that Khva-da is made up of the two parts:
The first part khva, equivalent to the Sanskrit "sva" is from the possible proto-Indo European "swe/sve;" self, own. The second part is "da:" to give, bestow, endow. Khva-da therefore means creating/giving through one's own self/essence or self + sufficiency: ability to amply meet one's own needs.

Khvet-vadta consists of two parts: the first part meaning: "own, self" as described above, the second part is "vad," pledge-giving, marriage vow, from PIE base wadh- "to pledge, to redeem a pledge "compare O.E. weddian "to pledge, to marry. Khvet-vadta refers to "ashavan" marrying among their own. In commentaries it is also referred to as khvat-das: giving pledge to one's own, the same composition as khva-da alluding to Yasna 45.4's commentary concerning the emanations of Ahurmazd from his own self, hence admonishing the ashavans to marry their very own.

2. On the translation of zravanahe daregho khvadhatahe / hvadhatahe
- Ardeshir Farhmand wrote on December 20 & 28, 2009:

It is a formula that comes at the end of daily prayers. it asks for victory and success in different levels of TIME and space. This formula highlights the importance of time in the progress of the universe.

Now translation of your requested words is as follows: long ages of TIME, self-sustaining.
Here "khv-data" refers to the ability of space and TIME to operate on its own, and endure for long ages and aeons to come!

Long ages of time can be translated also as immense time.

Eduljee's notes:
Khv(a) etymology: Khv(a) may have a dual meaning: self and lord; alternatively existence and will. The latter meaning may derive from the Avestan ahu (lord) > akhv > khv. [According to R. C. Zaehner (Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism, p. 272, existence and will are two characteristics of the soul.]

Khvadata / khvdata / khvadhatahe (Avestan) may therefore translate as:
1. Self-law giver / maker i.e. self-governed / self-regulated and thereby even 'sovereign', that is, self-governing, self-reliant and independent - one who was dominion and control over one's self (and perhaps others).
2. Lord of the law which also leads to 'sovereign' albeit via a different route.

[Note: 'Khvadata' is likely related to the word 'khshatra', lord or king.]

The word as it evolved to Khuda / Khoda in Middle & Modern Persian meant having supreme authority or power - the latter meaning also being included in the attribute 'dominion' - an attribute commonly ascribed to the word 'lord' (cf. ahu in Ahura, a distinction lost when Ahura Mazda became Ahurmazd, a name for God). The three primary words used in Zoroastrianism when referring to God: Khoda, Ahura and Mazda, could represent the three attributes of being sovereign, having dominion and being a (wise) creator - all, however, without the anthropomorphic traits ascribed by other religions who came to adopt the concept of a Lord God.

In Iran and regions under Iranian influence, the later form Khuda / Khoda came to mean Lord or God generically and is currently used by individuals of different religious backgrounds who make up these regions.

[As a side note, after the conversion of most of the Iranian, Central Asian and Indus valley populations to Islam, Khuda / Khoda continued to be used as a word for God by the Muslim population. Given its Zoroastrian origins, there is a current move to replace 'Khuda / Khoda' with 'Allah' in every-day communication and salutations (for instance 'Khoda neghador', 'God look after you') amongst Muslims in the region we have just described.]

Related terms for analysis and discussion:
(Mid. Per.) khvatayomand tan > (Mod. Per.) khodavand-e tan [tan=body/form]
(Mid. Per.) khvatay-i tanomand
(Avestan) ahu astavant > (Mid. Per.) akhv-i astomand/astovand [lord incarnate/corporeal; asto=bodily/of-the-body]

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Khv, Xv and Hv Sounds in Avestan & Transition to Modern Persian

On the transition, if any, between the sounds and use of hv, khv (Xv) and kh in the Avestan to modern Indo-Iranian languages, and the etymology of hvadhata(he) / khvadhata(he)

- Yury Jakymec wrote on December 18, 2009:

In Avestan, there exists the sound "Hv" or "Xv". In modern Persian, there is a situation: when the sound "kh" is followed by "v" and this last is followed by "a", "i", then the "v" is mute and the "kh" has a slight change.

Example: "Khastan", "khabideh", "Khish", all of them have a "vav" letter (I don't know if this is the Persian Name of this letter, at least it is its Semitic name) between "kh" and the vowel.
Now, my knowledge of Avestan and Persian is not extensive. At least I know that the Persian word "Khabideh", "Khab" meaning "sleep", in Avestan is "Khshapa", also related with "Schlaf" (German), "Spaty" (Ukrainian), "Schap" (Dutch?) and "Sleep".

The equivalent of "Khish" (Wish) is "ish". Khish in Persian comes from Khastan and this is the verb "to wish" in English. In Avestan this is "ish". I never saw in Avestan using this verb with the sound we are discussing.

In Slavic languages, this word is "khochty" using similar sounds to Persian.

I always thought that both characters are related, but I did not find any proof yet stating this, and the words I know at least are not related with this.


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