Parthian ž

This article argues that the opposition between Old Iranian *c and *j was preserved in Manichaean Parthian not only word-initially, but also in postvocalic position, at least at the time of the introduction of the Manichaean script. The approach is phonological, and attempts to show that Pth. /c/ (< OIr. *c), written and <>, and Pth. /ž/ (< OIr. *j and *ž), written , are consistently distinguished in the Manichaean script. Pth. /c/ may have developed a postvocalic allophone [j] (not affecting the phonematic opposition), which might have been a motivation for the use of the letter <>. Transcriptions into Sogdian script and the cantillations suggest a coalescence of the Pth. phonemes, but it is not clear whether this is a later development of the Pth. language itself or a peculiarity of the liturgical pronunciation of Parthian as practised by Manichaeans in Central Asia.