Wednesday 22 December 2021

Τσοπάνης, cioban, choban

Τσοπάνης / Cioban / choban as a word is a borrowing from Turkish most probably, but ultimately from Persian چوپان < Old Persian *fšupāna-, composed of (fšu-, “sheep”) + (pāna-, “protector”).

Among the  descendants, Bactrian χοβανα is given, but it may well be the other way around. Compare the older (from both Old Persian and Bactrian) Hittite: 𒇻𒅖 (ḫāwis), Luwian Cuneiform: 𒄩𒀀𒌑𒄿𒅖 (/ḫāwīs/), Lycian: 𐊜𐊀𐊇𐊙 (χawã), Proto-Hellenic: *hówis > Ancient Greek: ὄϊς (óïs), οἶς (oîs), Proto-Italic: *owis. > Latin ovis. All from Proto-Indo-European ✓ *h₂ówis (sheep).

As for the 2nd compound (pāna-), it is from Proto-Indo-European ✓ *peh₂- which produces words with the meaning of "protector" and/or "graze" in most languages, but also "shepherd" in Balto-slavic (Lithuanian: piemuõ, Finnish / Karelian: paimen) and Ancient Greek: ποιμήν (poimḗn). It is attested since Mycenaean Greek: 𐀡𐀕 (po-me, “shepherd").

So one can definitely not say it is either of Turkish / Persian origin, but ultimately from some ancient language of the Indo-European family.