ܦܰܗܪܰܓܒܳܢܳܐ phrgbnʾ pahraḡbānā the town guard
MIr. *pāhrag-bān < OIr. *pāθraka-pānah-; Arm. LW pahakapan-kh, parhakapan-kh guard (Hübschmann AG 217–218, no. 497 and 498); MP pāsbān guardian, watcher (CPD 65), ManMP bʾsbʾn /basbān/, pʾsbʾn, pʾsbʾʾn /pāsbān/ watchman, guardian (Durkin-Meisterernst 2004, 105 and 259); NP pāsbān sentinel, guard, watch-man (Steingass 231); see Khurshudian 1998, 287. — Off. Aram. phrbrn ← OP *pāhrabarana- N. pr. (Median; Hinz 1975, 177); Talm. Aram. prhgbnʾ tax collector (Telegdi 251, 110) ● Hoffmann 1880, n. 866 ◆ LS 558b; PS Suppl. 258
The Ir. term is of Parthian origin, as the outcome -hr- < OIr. -θr- testifies, whereas the SW forms have the outcome -s-. The Ir. forms showing -θr- or -hr- are: Av. pāθra- protection (AirWb 887); Parth. Inscr. pāhrak guard, watch-post; MP Inscr. pʾhlky (Paikuli; Humbach – Skjærvø 1978–1983, 3/1, 116; 3/2, 34); MP pahr [pʾhl] guard, frontier guard (Nyberg 148); pā̆hrbed master of the watch-post (Gignoux – Gyselen 1982, 16 and seal no. 2.30); ManParth. pʾhr /pāhr/ watch-post; phrbr /pahr(a)βar/ watchman, guardian (Nyberg 148; Durkin-Meisterernst 2004, 259 and 274; Ghilain 1939, 86); ManMP and ManParth. phrg /pahrag/ watch-post, watch (Durkin-Meisterernst 2004, 274); ManMP pʾhrbyd /pāhrbed/, pʾhrgbyd /pāhragbed/ master of the watch-post (ibid. 259); NP pahr, pahra night watch (Steingass 261; Horn 76); Arm. LW pahak watch-post (Hübschmann AG 217–218, no. 497). SW forms are: OP *pāça-, MP pās guard, watch (CPD 65; Nyberg 152); MP pāsbān guardian, watcher; ManMP bʾsbʾn /basbān/, pʾsbʾn, pʾsbʾʾn /pāsbān/ watchman, guardian; NP pāsbān sentinel, guard, watch-man; Buddhist Sogd. pʾšʾk guardian. The NW form was adopted in the SW Iranian varieties, and it was the model of all the Semitic loanwords. See also Telegdi 251, 110.