Persian

[pur-zhuhn, -shuhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to ancient and recent Persia (now Iran), its people, or their language.

noun

1. a member of the native peoples of Iran, descended in part from the ancient Iranians.

2. a citizen of ancient Persia.

3. an Iranian language, the principal language of Iran and western Afghanistan, in its historical and modern forms. Pers, Pers.

4. Architecture.,  a figure of a man used as a column.

5. Persians. Persian blinds.

Persian

/ ˈpɜːʃən /

adjective

1. of or relating to ancient Persia or modern Iran, their inhabitants, or their languages

noun

1. a native, citizen, or inhabitant of modern Iran; an Iranian

2. a member of an Indo-European people of West Iranian speech who established a great empire in SW Asia in the 6th century _bc

3. the language of Iran or Persia in any of its ancient or modern forms, belonging to the West Iranian branch of the Indo-European family See also Avestan Old Persian Pahlavi 2 Farsi

Other Word Forms

• pre-Persian adjective
• pseudo-Persian adjective
• trans-Persian adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Persian¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Persi(a) + -an; replacing Middle English Persien, from Middle French; replacing Old English Persisc ( -ish ¹ )

Example Sentences

The directive designates Turks as the “original” people of modern-day Turkey, which has been inhabited by successions of people throughout history—including Hurrians, Greeks, Armenians, Persians and Kurds.

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“Nature Friends has the same kind of rich Persian culture, a community that celebrates life, nature and beauty.”

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And the station's vaulted and arched concourse, with a dome decorated with Persian motifs, features religious frescoes and artworks honouring Christianity's Virgin Mary, the mother of Christ.

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Sphere Entertainment announced a deal to build a Sphere in the Persian Gulf nation last October, but has been mum on the timing.

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The growing Afghan-Pakistani terrorist hub threatens trade routes through the Persian Gulf, complicates counterterrorism coordination with regional powers, and could dangerously strengthen connections between South Asian and Middle Eastern terrorists, particularly in Syria.

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