Zoroastrism, n.

zoroastrism
http://www.oed.com/dictionary/zoroastrism_n%3Ftab%3Dmeaning_and_use
Revised 2023

# Zoroastrismnoun

## Factsheet

### What does the noun Zoroastrism mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun Zoroastrism. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

### How is the noun Zoroastrism pronounced?

#### British English

/ˌzɒrəʊˈastrɪz(ə)m/
zorr-oh-ASS-triz-uhm

#### U.S. English

/ˌzɔroʊˈæstrɪzəm/
zor-oh-ASS-triz-uhm

### Where does the noun Zoroastrism come from?

Earliest known use

1810s

The earliest known use of the noun Zoroastrism is in the 1810s.

OED's earliest evidence for Zoroastrism is from 1819, in a translation by W. Corbet.

From a proper name, combined with an English element.

Etymons: proper name Zoroaster, ‑ism suffix.

### Nearby entries

1. Zoque–Mixe, adj. & n. 1893–
2. Zorb, n. 1996–
3. zorbing, n. 1996–
4. zorgite, n. 1852–
5. zori, n.?1823–
6. zoril, n. 1774–
7. Zoroastrian, adj. & n. 1597–
8. Zoroastrianism, n. 1832–
9. Zoroastrianize, v. 1891–
10. Zoroastric, adj. a1739–
11. Zoroastrism, n.1819–
12. zorrino, n. 1885–
13. zorro, n. 1838–
14. zos-grass, n. 1937–
15. zoster, n. 1601–
16. zostera, n. 1819–
17. zosterops, n. 1867–
18. Zouave, n. 1848–
19. zouk, n. 1986–
20. zounds, v. 1680
21. zounds, int. a1593–

## Etymology

### Summary

From a proper name, combined with an English element.
Etymons: proper name Zoroaster, ‑ism suffix.
< the name of Zoroaster (see Zoroastrian adj.) + ‑ism suffix, after French zoroastrisme (1814 as zoroasterisme in the passage translated in quot. 1819).

Compare earlier Zoroastric adj. and later Zoroastrianism n.

## Meaning & use

1. 1819–
   = Zoroastrianism n.
   1. 1819

      > It must be by confounding it with Zoroasterism [French zoroasterisme], that Eudoxus and Hermippus have put back its founder to five or six thousand years before Plato.

      W. Corbet, translation of C. F. Volney, New Researches on Ancient History vol. II. 72
   2. 1885

      > The followers of an ancient and venerable religion, which preceded Zoroastrism, and to a certain extent paved the way for it.

      D. D. P. Sanjana, translation of W. Geiger, Civilization of Eastern Iranians in Ancient Times vol. I. ii. 117
   3. 2012

      > Religious purity and impurity—a dichotomy that is ubiquitous in, for example, traditional Islam, Judaism, Hinduism and Zoroastrism.

      M. Warburg in A. N. Longva & A. S. Roald, Relig. Minorities in Middle East viii. 213
   religion
   1. Zoroastrism 1819–
      = Zoroastrianism, n.
   2. Zoroastrianism 1832–
      A religious system originating in ancient Persia (now Iran), maintaining a dualistic doctrine which contrasts the force of good in the world with…
   3. Parseeism 1843–
      The religion of the Parsees; Zoroastrianism.
   4. Parsism 1849–
      = Parseeism, n.
   5. Zarathustrianism 1864–
      A religious system originating in ancient Persia (now Iran), maintaining a dualistic doctrine which contrasts the force of light and good in the…
   6. Mazdaism 1871–
      Zoroastrianism.
   7. Zarathustrism 1871–
      = Zoroastrianism, n. Cf. Zarathustrianism, n.
   View in Historical Thesaurus

## Pronunciation

### British English

/ˌzɒrəʊˈastrɪz(ə)m/
zorr-oh-ASS-triz-uhm

### U.S. English

/ˌzɔroʊˈæstrɪzəm/
zor-oh-ASS-triz-uhm

###
Variant: Zoroasterism

### British English

/ˌzɒrəʊˈastəriz(ə)m/
zorr-oh-ASS-tuh-ree-zuhm

### U.S. English

/ˌzɔroʊˈæstəˌrizəm/
zor-oh-ASS-tuh-ree-zuhm

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- ɬrhingyll
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛtl/ but /ˈpɛtl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- iːfleece
- ihappy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- atrap, bath
- ɑːstart, palm, bath
- ɒlot
- ɔːthought, force
- ʌstrut
- ʊfoot
- uːgoose
- əletter
- əːnurse
- ɪənear
- ɛːsquare
- ʊəcure
- eɪface
- ʌɪpride
- aʊmouth
- əʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ãgratin
- ɒ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

##### Consonants

- ppea
- ttea
- kkey
- bbuy
- ddye*
- ɡguy
- tʃchore
- dʒjay
- ffore
- θthaw
- ssore
- ʃshore
- vvee
- ðthee
- zzee
- ʒbeige
- xloch
- hhay
- llay
- rray
- wway
- jyore
- mmay
- nnay
- ŋsing

* /d/ also represents a 'tapped' /t/ as in

Some consonants can take the function of the vowel in unstressed syllables. Where necessary, a syllabic marker diacritic is used, hence /ˈpɛd(ə)l/ but /ˈpɛdl̩i/.

##### Vowels

- ifleece, happy
- ɪkit
- ɛdress
- ætrap, bath
- ɑlot, palm, cloth, thought
- ɑrstart
- ɔcloth, thought
- ɔrnorth, force
- ʊfoot
- ugoose
- əstrut, comma
- ərnurse, letter
- ɪ(ə)rnear
- ɛ(ə)rsquare
- ʊ(ə)rcure
- eɪface
- aɪpride
- aʊmouth
- oʊgoat
- ɔɪvoice
- ɑ̃gratin
- æ̃salon
- ᵻ(/ɪ/-/ə/)
- ᵿ(/ʊ/-/ə/)

##### Other symbols

- The symbol ˈ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with primary stress.
- The symbol ˌ at the beginning of a syllable indicates that that syllable is pronounced with secondary stress.
- Round brackets ( ) in a transcription indicate that the symbol within the brackets is optional.

View the pronunciation model here.

####

Simple text respell breaks words into syllables, separated by a hyphen. The syllable which carries the primary stress is written in capital letters. This key covers both British and U.S. English Simple Text Respell.

##### Consonants

b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w and z have their standard English values

- gguy
- jjay
- yyore
- chchore
- khloch
- shshore
- ththaw
- dhthee
- zhbeige

##### Vowels

- atrap
- ahpalm
- airsquare
- arstart
- arrcarry (British only)
- awthought
- ayface
- a(ng)gratin
- edress
- eefleece
- eerdeer
- errmerry
- ikit
- ighpride
- irrmirror
- olot (British only)
- ohgoat
- oogoose
- oorcure
- orforce
- orrsorry (British only)
- owmouth
- oyvoice
- o(ng)salon
- ustrut
- uhletter
- urnurse
- urrhurry
- uufoot

## Forms

### Variant forms

1. 1800s–
   Zoroasterism ( British English /ˌzɒrəʊˈastəriz(ə)m/ (zorr-oh-ASS-tuh-ree-zuhm) , U.S. English /ˌzɔroʊˈæstəˌrizəm/ (zor-oh-ASS-tuh-ree-zuhm) ), Zoroastrism

Originally published as part of the entry for Zoroastric, adj.

Zoroastrism, n. was revised in March 2023.

Zoroastrism, n. was last modified in July 2023.