Avestan language

[Michael Witzel]

Schwartz/UC,  HP Schmidt (emer.) at UC, Insler at Yale, Skjaervo at
Harvard, Windfuhr at Michigan, Malandra at MN,  etc.

Many linguists/Vedic scholars also teach Avestan...

The more Vedic Sanskrit you know the better. Since Avestan is so close to
Vedic, and since Avest. texts are much smaller  in actual size  (3/4 have
been lost after 650 CE) -- and not 'because Alexander burnt them' --  we
use to joke that a Rgveda grammar is the best Avestan grammar,
-- not true, but  it shows what is useful to learn Avestan.

>> I was wondering if Avestan is taught in any of the Canadian
>> or US Universities?
>>
>> How much knowledge of Sanskrit do they assume?

==========
Michael Witzel
Department of Sanskrit & Indian Studies, Harvard University
2 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge MA 02138

ph. 617-496 2990 (also messages)
home page:     www.fas.harvard.edu/~witzel/mwpage.htm

Elect. Journ. of Vedic Studies:         www1.shore.net/~india/ejvs