' is actually a title, literally meaning "the Boar of the Empire", attesting to his dexterity in military command and his warlike personality, as the boar was the animal associated with the Zoroastrian Izad Vahram, the epitome of victory. "Shahrwarāz" (Inscriptional Pahlavi: štlwlʾc) is a Middle Persian word, with "shahr" meaning "country" and "warāz" meaning "boar". This word is rendered as "Shahrbarāz" () in New Persian and as "Sarbaros" (Greek: ; Latin: ') in Byzantine sources. Ferdowsi has used the shortened form "Gurāz" (, literally "boar"), which is from Middle Persian "warāz".