"[5]: 2 Uthras are benevolent beings that live in škinas (ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡀ, "celestial dwellings") in the World of Light (alma ḏ-nhūra) and communicate with each other via telepathy.
[6] Uthras that accompany people or souls are known as parwanqa (ࡐࡀࡓࡅࡀࡍࡒࡀ), which can be translated as "guide", "envoy", or "messenger".
[9] Based on that etymology, E. S. Drower suggests a parallel with the South Arabian storm god Attar, who provides irrigation for the people.
[4] However, that etymology is disputed by Charles G. Häberl (2017), who suggests it is the ʾaqtal pattern noun *awtərā 'excellency', derived from the Semitic root *w-t-r 'to exceed'.
[9] Uthras often have the term Ziwa / Ziua (ࡆࡉࡅࡀ "Radiance') attached after their names, due to their origins from the World of Light.
In Qulasta prayers such as the Asut Malkia, the word niṭufta (spelled niṭupta), which originally means 'drop' and has sometimes also been translated as 'cloud', is also often used as an appellation to refer to the consorts of uthras.
Other minor uthras mentioned in the Qulasta are:[18] In the Mandaean Book of John, Etinṣib Ziwa (Classical Mandaic: ࡏࡕࡉࡍࡑࡉࡁ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, lit.