Semantic Study of the Two Words "Jonagh" and "Jona" in Shāhnāmeh

Abstract

In most manuscripts of Shāhnāmeh, as well as descriptions and dictionaries about it, there is a controversy about the meaning of the two words Jonagh and Jona. Available explanations about the meaning of these two words do not have much compatibility with verses in which these two words are used. Therefore, this essay studies the meaning of these two word in Ferdowsi's Shāhnāmeh by considering the situational context of verses, and the in-text markers of Shāhnāmeh, through a holistic and comprehensive study of the verses in which these two word are used. Hence, the researchers first classified the meanings found in important dictionaries of the Persian language, with special descriptions about those two words. Afterward, by considering these three important factors, this article criticized different meanings to finally acquire the main definition. Through this review, the researchers found that, contrary to the opinion of some researchers, the word Jona cannot be other form of Jonagh, and in fact these are different words with different meanings. The semantic proximity and apparent affinity of these two terms caused many people to consider them as one, using them interchangeably without considering their semantic differences.

Keywords

• ferdowsi
• shahnameh
• critique
• meaning
• word
• jonagh
• jona