Old Persian duvitaparanam and Gathic daibita(na)

Against the previous analyses of the form and sense of the terms, this article shows that OP duvftiiparanam and Gathic daibitii(nii) are not adverbs of time but mean in two or two at a time . I consider not only the Old Persian and Gathic expressions but also cognate Vedic and Middle Iranian ones. OP duvftiiparanam is found in Darius Bisotiin Inscription. A close analysis of the passage and other evidence shows that there were in fact two Achaemenid sovereign houses prior to the Persian Empire- or, at least, that this is still the most plausible historical hypothesis. It puts to rest recent speculations on the matter and cautions against attempts to make up for lack of historical evidence by undue (e.g. anachronistic) speculation. The coupling adverb daibitiinii together pairs, seemingly in an idiomatic fashion, the daevas and the men in a ritual context. This constellation may be viewed as a basis for the hypothesis of an Iranian masculine esoteric cult.