In the formulaic phrase aivam parū vnā m xš ā yaθ iyam, which is repeated in the beginning of a number of inscriptions of the Achaemenid kings, all scholars have supposed aivam as a numeral pre-modifier and translated the phrase as “ one king of manyˮ . However, exact examination of the syntagmatic relationship of parts of this phrase and its comparison with the phrases such as haya Dā rayava um xš ā yaθ iyam akunauš “ who made Darius kingˮ , explicitly indicates that in the above-mentioned formulaic phrase, the verb, i. e. akunauš , has been deleted; in other words, the structure of the phrase was originally as aivam parū vnā m xš ā yaθ iyam (akunauš ). The present article deals with defining the syntactic role of aivam and xš ā yaθ iyam and justifying the syntactic role of paruvnā m. It has been also attempted to show by citing evidence from Avestan and Old Persian texts that, contrary to the common notion, aivam is not a numeral pre-modifier but it is an unspecified adjective which has been used as direct object of the factitive verb (i. e. akunauš ), and the xš ā yaθ iyam is its predicate, so the phrase can be safely translated as “ who made one (person), king of manyˮ .