Persian language
Persian is a Western Iranian language with three standard varieties.
Persian, also known as Farsi, is a Western Iranian language belonging to the Iranian branch of the Indo-Iranian subdivision of the Indo-European languages. It is a pluricentric language predominantly spoken and used officially within Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan in three mutually intelligible standard varieties: Iranian Persian (Farsi), Afghan Persian (Dari), and Tajiki Persian (Tajik).
- Language family
- Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Iranian, Western Iranian, Southwestern Iranian
- Official in
- Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan
- Writing systems
- Persian alphabet (derivative of Arabic script) in Iran and Afghanistan; Tajik alphabet (derivative of Cyrillic script) in Tajikistan
- Earliest attested form
- Old Persian (6th–4th century BCE)
Lore & Background
It originated in the region of Fars (Persia) in southwestern Iran. Old Persian is attested in cuneiform inscriptions from between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE, while Middle Persian is attested in Aramaic-derived scripts from the third to the tenth centuries. New Persian literature was first recorded in the ninth century, after the Muslim conquest of Persia, adopting the Perso-Arabic script.
Reader's Guide
Persian was the first language to break the monopoly of Arabic on writing in the Muslim world, with Persian poetry becoming a tradition in many eastern courts. It was used officially as a language of bureaucracy by non-native speakers, such as the Ottomans in Anatolia, the Delhi Sultanates and Mughals in the Indian subcontinent, and the Pashtuns in Afghanistan. It influenced neighboring languages, including other Iranian languages, Turkic, Armenian, Georgian, Greek, and Indo-Aryan languages, while borrowing vocabulary from Arabic in the Middle Ages. Famous medieval works include the Shahnameh by Ferdowsi, the works of Rumi, the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, and the poetry of Hafez and Saadi Shirazi. Modern Persian poets include Nima Yooshij, Ahmad Shamlou, and Forugh Farrokhzad. The term 'Persian' is preferred in English by the Academy of Persian Language and Literature, which advises against using 'Farsi' in foreign languages.
Did You Know?
- Persian is the only Iranian language for which close philological relationships between Old, Middle, and New stages are established, representing one and the same language.
- The term 'Farsi' derives from earlier 'Pārsi', with the phonemic shift from /p/ to /f/ due to the influence of Arabic in the Middle Ages.
- Old Persian is one of the earliest attested Indo-European languages, with the oldest known text from the Behistun Inscription dating to the time of King Darius I.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Persian language?
Persian (Farsi) is a Western Iranian language in the Indo-European family, specifically within the Southwestern Iranian branch. It exists as three mutually intelligible standard varieties: Farsi in Iran, Dari in Afghanistan, and Tajik in Tajikistan.
What are Persian language's powers/role?
Persian functions as an official language across three nations, linking speakers from the Caspian coast to the Hindu Kush through shared core vocabulary and grammar. Despite regional differences in pronunciation and some vocabulary, the three standard varieties remain mutually intelligible.
How does Persian language's story end?
Persian's arc has no final chapter—its earliest attested form, Old Persian, dates to the 6th–4th century BCE, and the language continues to evolve and thrive today. It has cycled through Old, Middle, and New Persian stages while remaining a living, spoken language across Central and South Asia.
Why is Persian language important?
Persian carries a continuous literary and cultural tradition stretching back over two millennia, from Achaemenid inscriptions to modern poetry and prose. It also serves as a connective thread among diverse ethnic groups across Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and neighboring regions.
What writing systems does Persian language use?
In Iran and Afghanistan, Persian is written with an alphabet derived from the Arabic script, while Tajikistan employs a Cyrillic-based alphabet for the same language. This makes Persian one of the relatively few languages that officially uses two distinct writing systems in different countries.
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