Editing Cyrus (section)

== Etymology ==
Cyrus, as a word in English, is the [[Latin]]ized form of the [[Greek language|Greek]] [[wikt:Κῦρος|Κῦρος]], ''Kȳros'', from [[Old Persian]] {{lang|peo|[[wikt:𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁|𐎤𐎢𐎽𐎢𐏁]]}} ''Kūruš''.<ref name=cyrusthename>{{harv|Schmitt|1996a}}</ref> According to the inscriptions, the name is reflected in [[Elamite]] ''Kuraš'', [[Akkadian language|Babylonian]] ''Ku(r)-raš/-ra-áš'' and [[Imperial Aramaic]] ''kwrš''. The modern Persian form of the name is ''[[Kourosh|Kūroš]]''.

The etymology of Cyrus has been and continues to be a topic of discussion amongst [[historians]], [[linguists]], and scholars of [[Iranology]]. The Old Persian name "kuruš" has been interpreted in various forms such as "the Sun", "like Sun", "young", "hero," and "humiliator of the enemy in verbal contest" and the Elamite "kuraš" has been translated as one "who bestows care".

The name has appeared on many monuments and inscriptions in Old Persian.<ref name=chicyrus>{{harv|Gershevitch|1985|pp=392–5}}</ref> There is also the record of a small inscription in Morghab (southwestern Iran) on which there is the sentence (''adam kūruš xšāyaθiya haxāmanišiya'') in [[Old Persian]] meaning (''I am Cyrus the [[Achaemenian#Achaemenid kings and leaders|Achaemenian]] King'').<ref name=murghabinscription>{{harv|Tolman|1908|p=55}}</ref> After a questionable<ref name=kurusname>{{harv|Tolman|1908|p=82}}</ref> proposal by the German linguist F. H. Weissbach that [[Darius the Great]] was the first to inscribe in [[Old Persian|Persian]], it had previously been concluded by some scholars that the inscription in Morghab refers to Cyrus the Younger. This proposal resulted from a false interpretation of a passage in paragraph 70 of the [[Behistun inscription]] by Darius the Great.<ref>{{harv|Gershevitch|1985|p=395}}</ref> Based on many arguments,<ref>{{harv|Ghirshman|1965|p=246}}</ref> the accepted theory among modern scholars is that the inscription does belong to Cyrus the Great.<ref name=cyrustheyounger>{{harv|Schmitt|1996b}}</ref>

There are interpretations of the name of Cyrus by classical authors identifying with or referring to the Persian word for "Sun". The Historian [[Plutarch]] (46–120) states that "the sun, which, in the [[Old Persian|Persian language]], is called  Cyrus".<ref>[[Plutarch]], [http://classics.mit.edu/Plutarch/artaxerx.html ''Artoxerxes''] in [[Parallel Lives|(Parallel lives)]]</ref> Also, the Physician [[Ctesias]] who served in the court of the Persian king [[Artaxerxes II of Persia]] writes in his book ''Persica'' as summarized by [[Photios I of Constantinople#Writings|Photios]] that the name Cyrus is from the Persian word "Khur" (the sun).<ref>Epitome of [[Ctesias]]' Persica [https://www.livius.org/ct-cz/ctesias/photius_persica3.html 52] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123225926/http://www.livius.org/ct-cz/ctesias/photius_persica3.html |date=2016-11-23 }}.</ref> These are, however, not accepted by modern scholars.<ref name=cyrusthename/>

Regarding the etymology of Old Persian ''kuruš'', linguists have proposed various etymologies based on Iranian languages as well as non-[[Indo-European languages|Indo-European]] ones.<ref name=Tavernier>{{harv|Tavernier|2007|p=528}}</ref> According to Tavernier, the name ''kuraš'', attested in Elamite texts, is likely "the original form" as there is no Elamite or Babylonian spelling ''ku-ru-uš'' in the transcriptions of Old Persian ''ku-u-r(u)-u-š''. That is, according to Tavernier, ''kuraš'' is an Elamite name and means "to bestow care".<ref name=Tavernier/> Others, such as Schmitt, Hoffmann maintain that the Persian ''Kuruš'', which according to Skalmowsky, may be connected to (or borrowing from) the [[Proto-Indo-European language|IE]] ''Kúru-'' from [[Old Indic]] can give an etymology of the Elamite ''kuraš''.<ref name=cyrusthename/><ref name=Tavernier/> In this regard, the Old Persian ''kuruš'' is considered with the following etymologies: One proposal is discussed by the linguist [[Janos Harmatta]] that refers to the common Iranian root "kur-" (be born) of many words in Old, middle, and new [[Iranian languages]] (e.g. [[Kurdish language|Kurdish]]). Accordingly, the name Kūruš means "young, youth...".<ref name=harmatta>{{harv|Harmatta|1971|pp=5–6}}</ref> Other Iranian etymologies have been proposed. The Indian proposal of Skalmowsky goes down to "to do, accomplish". Another theory is the suggestion of [[Karl Hoffmann (German historian)|Karl Hoffmann]] that ''kuruš'' goes down to a ''-ru'' derivation from the IE root ''*(s)kau'' meaning "to humiliate"<ref name=Tavernier/>  and accordingly "kuruš" (hence "Cyrus") means "''humiliator'' (of the enemy in verbal contest)".<ref name=cyrusthename/>

People and fictional characters named Cyrus include: