Airyanem Vaejah
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Airyanem Vaejah (Avestan: Airyanəm Vaēǰah; Middle Persian: Ērānwēz; Persian: Irānwēj; Parthian: Aryānwēžan, 'expanse of the Aryans')[1] is the homeland of the early Iranians and is mentioned in the Zoroastrian Avesta (Vendidad, Farg. 1) as one of Ahura Mazda's "sixteen perfect lands".[2] Its actual location remains uncertain.
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The Avestan term airyanəm vaējah is formed from airyanəm (which is an adjective of airya) and the neuter noun vaējah (whose often used nominative case is vaējō).[3] The Middle Persian term ērānwēz is derived from an Old Iranian *aryānām waiǰah, where *aryānām is the genitive plural of *arya.[4] The exact meaning of vaējah is unknown but can be roughly translated as territory, expanse, or stretch.[5] It may be related to Vedic Sanskrit vej/vij, suggesting the region of a fast-flowing river.[6] It has also been interpreted by some as meaning 'seed'. Avestan airya is etymologically related to Old Persian ariya.
The related Old Iranian term *aryānām xšaθra- is the origin of the modern Persian term 'Iran,' via Middle Persian Ērān-shahr (