Representative of Lagarde’s interests in a wide variety of languages, this study of ancient Persian glosses deals with several sources that contain such material. First he explores glosses that relate to religion. A variety of religious of antiquity traditions are engaged in this section. Next Lagarde turns to glosses relating to political conditions. Resources concerning civil life constitute the third section of this detailed study, followed by a section addressing glosses in geographic materials. Natural history topics are next addressed, and finally issues that do not fall under the previous categories are given some consideration. Genealogical notes and a miscellany are also included. Students of Persian studies and linguists interested in ancient manuscripts will find this booklet supremely useful.

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.