𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠

Middle Persian

Alternative forms

𐬱𐬀𐬓𐬥𐬱𐬀𐬀 (šāhān šāh), šʾhʾn' šʾh — Book Pahlavi, rare
𐬱𐬁𐬵𐬀𐬥𐬱𐬁𐬵 (šāhanšāh) — Pazend

Etymology

From 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (MLKA /⁠šāh⁠/) and its oblique plural 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 (MLKAn /⁠šāhān⁠/) or inherited in whole from Old Persian 𐏋 𐏐 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (XŠ : XŠ-a-n-a-m /⁠xšāyaθiya xšāyaθiyānām⁠/, “king of kings”), from 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”) + 𐏋𐎠𐎴𐎠𐎶 (xšāyaθiyānām), genitive plural of 𐏋 (XŠ /⁠xšāyaθiya⁠/, “king”).

Transliterated into Latin as saansaan by Ammianus Marcellinus and borrowed into Old Armenian as շահանշահ (šahanšah). Translated into Ancient Greek as βασιλεύς τῶν βασιλέων (basileús tôn basiléōn), Latin as rex regibus, Old Armenian as թագաւորաց թագաւոր (tʻagaworacʻ tʻagawor), արքայից արքայ (arkʻayicʻ arkʻay), Hebrew מלך המלכים (Melech ha-M'lachim).

The formula originates in the Ancient Near East; compare Akkadian 𒈗𒊭𒈗𒈨𒌍 (šar šarrāni, “king of kings”), the title of Tukulti-Ninurta I of Assyria (13th century BC).

Noun

𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 • (MLKAn MLKA /šāhān šāh/)

king of kings, shahanshah

Descendants

Persian: شاهنشاه (šâhanšâh) (see there for further descendants)
→ Old Armenian: շահանշահ (šahanšah), շահան շահ (šahan šah)

References

Hübschmann, Heinrich (1897) Armenische Grammatik. 1. Theil: Armenische Etymologie (in German), Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, pages 207–208
Ačaṙean, Hračʻeay (1977) “շահանշահ”, in Hayerēn armatakan baṙaran [Armenian Etymological Dictionary] (in Armenian), 2nd edition, a reprint of the original 1926–1935 seven-volume edition, volume III, Yerevan: University Press, page 482ab

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