# Mazdak

> English word · Proper noun

## Definitions
1. 5th-century Iranian social reformer and religious activist.

## Etymology
Ultimately from Middle Persian mzdk, of uncertain pronunciation (and thus of uncertain etymology). Arabic reports and translations (9th-century onwards, e.g. al-Muqaffa) have mazdak. Sources in New Persian first appear two centuries later, and have mizdak, muzdak in addition to mazdak. Conventional European language spelling is informed by Theodor Nöldeke's late 19th-century studies of the primary sources.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/mazdak