Template talk:History of the Persian language

Latest comment: 17 years ago by Cpom in topic Dates &c.

Dates &c. edit

  • What is the reasoning behind the dates given for the language periods? For example, if Old Persian was spoken from c. 300 BCE - 200 CE as the template indicates, what did Cyrus speak?
  • What is the (direct) relevance of a link to Avestan in a template for the History of the Persian Language? If there's a good reason, I'm game for it.
  • Why is there a "(see also: Persian alphabet)"? Maybe instead at the bottom (or under each respective period) it could have links to the predominant orthography of the era, eg. Persian cuneiform, Pahlavi script, Parthian script, Perso-Arabic script.

I don't mean to sound like I'm trolling; I'm just wondering. --jonsafari 05:01, 12 May 2006 (UTC)Reply

It was copied from the "History of the Greek language" template and I did a rush job of converting it. The dates were from the respective Wikipedia articles (all of which seem to need a lot of work); I wondered about the gap myself and considered all the dates tentative until I could check a better source.
I've gone ahead and removed Avestan, since you're right - it isn't exactly germane.
I think your third point is a very good one. I was wondering about that issue when I was modifying the template. With Greek there are just the Linear B and Cypriot syllabaries and then more or less the current Greek alphabet. The situation with Persian is much more complicated and we should note it here by following your suggestion - matching each alphabet with the appropriate stage of the language.
In modifying the template, I noticed your template message - agreed, good idea - but I'll let you take care of it since it's your idea ;)

--Jpbrenna 05:19, 13 May 2006 (UTC)Reply

Yes the dates were wrong. Old Persian coincides with the Achaemenian period, Middle Persian is everything between OP and Modern Persian.Cpom 19:56, 11 November 2006 (UTC)Reply