Reconstruction:Old Persian/naftaʰ

From Proto-Indo-European *n̥bʰtós, from *nebʰ- (“wet, moist”) (cf. Avestan 𐬥𐬀𐬞𐬙𐬀‎ (napta, “moist, wet”)).

*naftaʰ

1. wet, moist

• Middle Persian: [script needed] (npt' /naft/, “moist, damp”)

Probably borrowed or assimilated from Akkadian 𒉌𒆳𒊏 (/napṭu/, “petroleum”) (cf. Classical Syriac ܢܦܛܐ‎, Hebrew נפט‎, Arabic نفط‎ (nift, naft), from the verb 𒈾𒁀𒂅 (na-ba-ṭu /napâṭu, nabâṭu/, “to be(come) bright, to shine; to flare up, to blaze”).

Possibly connected to the Indo-Iranian god Apam Napat, whose name means "son of the waters". He is described in the Vedas as emerging from water with a golden appearance, theorised by some to be reference to fire which could have been inspired by a burning seepage of natural gas.

*naftaʰ

1. petroleum

• Middle Persian: [script needed] (npt' /naft/, “naphtha”)
  • Persian: نفت‎ (naft, “petroleum, oil”) (see there for further descendants)
  • Tajik: нафт (naft)
• → Ancient Greek: νάφθα (náphtha, “naphtha”), ἄφθᾱς (áphthās), νᾰ́φθᾱς (náphthās)
  • → Greek: νάφθα (náftha) (learned)
  • → Latin: naphtha (see there for further descendants)
• → Old Armenian: նաւթ (nawtʿ), նափաթ (napʿatʿ), նֆաթ (nfatʿ), նֆատ (nfat), նփատ (npʿat)
  • Armenian: նոթ (notʿ) (dialectal)
• → Old Georgian: ნაფთი (napti)
  • Georgian: ნავთი (navti)

• Gershevitch, Ilya (1969), “Amber at Persepolis”, in Studia Classica et Orientalia Antonino Pagliaro Oblata. II (in German), Rome: Istituto di Glottologia dell’Università, page 212 of 167–251
• Avestan and Old Persian Morphology, p. 864
• A Concise Pahlavi Dictionary, p. 57
• Encyclopædia Iranica – Persian Elements in English
• Henning, W. B. (1940). "Review of Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran. Vols. vii-ix". Bulletin of the School of Oriental Studies, University of London. 10 (2): 501–507. Retrieved 3 September 2018, p. 506
• R. J. Forbes (1966) Studies in Ancient Technology‎, Brill Archive, GGKEY:YDBU5XT36QD, page 13