Airyanem Vaejah

Airyanem Vaejah (Airyanəm Vaējah, approximately “expanse of the Aryans”, i.e. Iranians) is the homeland of the early Iranians and a reference in the Zoroastrian Avesta (Vendidad, Farg. 1) to one of Ahura Mazda's "sixteen perfect lands."

The Avestan term airyanəm vaējah is formed from the plural genitive case of airya and the word vaējah (whose oft-used nominative case is vaējō). The meaning of vaējah is uncertain. It may be related to Vedic Sanskrit vej/vij, suggesting the region of a fast-flowing river. it has also been interpreted by some as “seed” or “germ”. Avestan airya is etymologically related to the Old Persian ariya.

The related Old Iranian term *aryānām xšaθra- is the origin of the modern Persian term "Iran" via Middle Persian Ērān-shahr and Ērān during the Sasanian Empire.

The historical location of Airyanem Vaejah is still uncertain. In the first chapter of the Vendidad is a listing of 16 countries, and some scholars believe that Airyanem Vaejah lies to the north of all of these. Bahram Farahvashi and Nasser Takmil Homayoun suggest that Airyanem Vaejah was probably centered on Khwarezm, a region that is now split between several Central Asian republics. The University of Hawaii historian Elton L. Daniel likewise believes Khwarezm to be the “most likely locale” corresponding to the original home of the Avestan-speaking peoples, and Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda once called Khwarezm “the cradle of the Aryan tribe”.

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