Middle Northwestern Iranian language, attested parallel to Middle Persian in Manichaean texts. A very restricted corpus of older inscriptions from Iran also exist. Early Parthian (or related languages) were the main source for Middle Iranian loanwords in Armenian.Phonologization follows Durkin-Meisterernst 2004, except for <c>,<ž> and <j>, whereI have applied the findings of Korn 2010 (Bulletin of SOAS, 73/3, 415–436), i.e. <c>=<z> = /č/, <j> = /ž/ [ʒ ~ dʒ]
Note on geographical location
Set on modern-day Nisa, Turkmenistan, an archaeological site of a fortress associated with Arsaces I (r. 247–217 BCE), the first king of Parthia and the founder of the Arsacid dynasty.
