noun
- Zoroastrianism. a translation and exposition of the Avesta in Pahlavi.
- Archaic. Avestan(def 1).
noun
- a former name for Avestan
- short for Zend-Avesta
- an exposition of the Avesta in the Middle Persian language (Pahlavi)
1715, “Parsee sacred book” (in full, Zend-Avesta, 1620s), from Old Persian zend, from Pahlavi zand “commentary.” First used in reference to the language of the Zend-Avesta in 1771 by Anquetiel-Duperron (1731-1805).