From Middle Persian 𐭭𐭩𐭣𐭠𐭣𐭱𐭭 (niyāyišn, “prayer, praise”), from a variant of Proto-Iranian *ni-gáHy- + noun marker 𐭱𐭭 (-išn). The first element is from Proto-Iranian *ní (down), from Proto-Indo-European *ní, while the second is a variation of Proto-Iranian *gáHyati (song, sing), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *gáHyati, from Proto-Indo-European *gʷéH (“to sing”). Compare Younger Avestan 𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬁 (gāθā).