ܐܺܝܙܓܰܕܳܐ yzgdʾ izgaddā 1. ambassador, envoy, messenger 2. name of a star
Allotrope: ܐܝܼܙܓܲܢܕܵܐ ʾyzgndʾ izgandā
ManParth., ManMP ʿjgnd /igand/ messenger (Durkin-Meisterernst 2004, 85); OP *aganda-; see also Sogd. zγʿnt and Late Gr. ἀσκανδής, ἀσγάνδης (on the Gr. forms cf. Happ 1962 and Huyse 1990). — Talm. Aram. izgāddā; Md. ʾšgʾndʾ ašganda. The traditional etymon, mentioned by LS for the Syr. term and by Drower – Macuch 1963, 40 for the corresponding Md. term ʾšgʾndʾ ašganda, derives the word from Neo-Babyl. aš-gandu (cf. Kaufman 1974, 38, s.v.: the term appears only in Late Babyl.). More probably it is an old borrowing from Iranian, as it occurs not only in Syr. and in Md., but also in Talm. Aram. izgāddā. According to Mancini 1995, 85 n. 15, Neo-Babyl. aš-gandu, Gr. ἀσκανδής, ἀσγάνδης, and Md. ašganda are all loanwords from OP *aganda-, whereas Syr. ʾyzgdʾ and Talm. Aram. izgāddā were borrowed from Parthian ʿjgand ● ambassador, envoy, messenger Gn 32, 8; 2Sm 2, 5; Lc 14, 32; Afr 10, 15; ES 1, 87D; J St 88, 10; JS in asd 107, 15; name of a star Act 14e congr 2, 159, 12 (= JRAS 1917, 247, 5) ◆ LS 9b