On this subject the prevalent opinion is that Zend is the most
ancient language of Persia, which becoming extinct was replaced by the
Pahlvi, and the latter, in consequence of the conquest of the country by
the Arabs, by the modern Persian.^ But it must appear singular that all
the arguments adduced in support of this opinion, rest on the assumption
of a fact which has never yet been proved ; namely, the existence at
any period in Persia of the two languages which have been named
Zend and Pahlvi. On the contrary, Anquetil du Perron himself
acknowledges, with respect to the Zend, — " Nous avons, il est vraii
des histoires g6nerales [anciennes] dans lesquelles les Perses trouvent
leur place, mais qui ne peuvent fournir les details dont ime histoire
particuliere est susceptible ; aussi n'y voit-on rien qui designe quelque
connoissance du Zend. Les modemes sont aussi peu instructifs
lorsqu'il est question de cette langue ; k peine en trouve-t-on quelque
trace chez les Mahometans, et les ouvrages des Parses ne sont pas
plus satisfaisans sur cet objet. "f ^^^ ^ ^^ ^^^ aware that any
Muhammadan writer has ever mentioned the Zend as a language^ and
every one that I am acquainted with invariably understands the term
Zend as signifying the book in which Zardusht delivered the precepts
of his religion J: for Firdausi says that, when Arjasp king of Turan

* It is also supposed that the Zend, Pahlvi, and modern Persian were three distinct
languages, coexisting at some remote period in difierent parts of Persia.
f M£m. de I'Acad. des Insc, torn. xxxi. p. S41.
