Yazata

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: ya + za + ta

Alternative forms

• yazad Middle Persian

Origin

From the Avestan verbal root 𐬫𐬀𐬰 (yaz-, "to worship, to honor, to venerate"). The original nominative form is 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬋, pl. 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬂𐬢𐬵𐬋, reflecting Proto-Iranian *yazatah and pl. *yazatāhah.

From the same root comes Avestan 𐬫𐬀𐬯𐬥𐬀 (yasna, "worship, sacrifice, prayer, veneration"). A yazata is accordingly "a being worthy of worship" or "a holy being." The word is etymologically related to Sanskrit यजति (yájati, "he worships, he sacrifices"), यजत (yajatá-, "worthy of worship, holy"), यजञ (yajñá, "sacrifice"), and is perhaps also related to Ancient Greek ἅγιος (hagios, "devoted to the gods, sacred, holy.").

Avestan 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬙𐬀 became 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬀𐬛 or 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬛 (pl. 𐬫𐬀𐬰𐬛𐬁𐬥) in Middle Iranian languages, continuing in New Persian as ایزد.

Full definition of yazata

Noun

1. A divinity, an angel of Zoroastrianism.
2. An epithet of saints or prophets.