With characteristic vigor Lagarde approaches the issue of Iranian languages outside of ancient Iran. Taking his keywords from various biblical citations of Magog and other ancient texts, Lagarde analyzes the non-Iranian peoples, tracing individual words back to Persian and Armenian origins. A veritable romp through a plethora of ancient languages, this brief study addresses Cappadocian month names and the various ethnic groups identified by Herodotus. Delving into Carian and Lydian glosses, he also engages Scythian and Phrygian. Those interested in Lagarde’s opinions of this wide range of languages will find this an engaging piece.

Paul Anton de Lagarde (born Paul Boetticher, 1827-1891) was a biblical scholar and student of ancient languages. Having studied at Berlin, Halle, London, and Paris, he had a wide exposure to international thought. He eventually taught at Göttingen. Despite his participation in the anti-Semitism of his day, he was a gifted student of Semitic languages. His voluminous linguistic works are still recognized for their insights into oriental languages. He made important contributions to the study of Syriac, Aramaic, Arabic, Hebrew, and Coptic, as well as Greek and Latin.