Persian

From Middle English percynne, from Middle French persien, from Italian persiano, from Medieval Latin Persiānus, from Latin Persia, from Ancient Greek Περσίς (Persís), from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (p-a-r-s /Pārsa/, “Persia”) (compare modern Persian پارس‎ (Pârs)).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː.ʒən/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈpɝʒən/
• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ʒən
• (dated) IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː(ɹ)ʃən/

Persian (countable and uncountable, plural Persians)

1. (uncountable) The Persian language, or a family of languages spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

   Synonym: Farsi

2. (countable) A person from Persia.
3. (countable) A person of Persian descent.
4. (historical) An Iranian.
5. A Persian cat.
6. (Canada, chiefly northwest Ontario) A pastry local to the Thunder Bay region in Canada often compared to either a cinnamon bun or a donut topped with pink icing.
7. A sheep of the Blackhead Persian breed.
8. A thin silk fabric, formerly used for linings.
   • 1696, J. F. Merchant?, The merchant's ware-house laid open:

     There is of those Persians several lengths.

9. (architecture) Any of a set of male figures used instead of columns to support an entablature.

• The term "Farsi" (likely derived from the Iranian variety name for "Persian") has recently developed currency in English to refer to the Persian language, especially the variety spoken in Iran. Varieties of the Persian language, or languages included in the Persian family of languages spoken primarily in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, are called "Dari" in Afghanistan and "Tajik" or "Tajiki" in Tajikistan.

• Wiktionary’s coverage of Persian terms

Persian (comparative more Persian, superlative most Persian)

1. Of, from, or pertaining to Persia.
2. Of or pertaining to the Persian people.
3. Of or pertaining to the Persian language.

   Synonym: Farsi

• English–Persian and Persian–English dictionary
• ISO 639-1 code fa, ISO 639-3 code fas (SIL)
• Ethnologue entry for Persian, fas ⁠, a language family including:

Persius +‎ -ian

• IPA^(key): /ˈpɜː(ɹ)si.ən/, /ˈpɜː(ɹ)ʃən/
• Homophone: Persean

Persian (comparative more Persian, superlative most Persian)

1. Of or pertaining to Persius (Roman writer)
   • 1998, Stephen Hinds, Allusion and Intertext: Dynamics of Appropriation in Roman Poetry:

     ...as it seems from an Ovidian or Persian standpoint and also, perhaps, from the comic standpoints of Plautus or Caecilius...

• arpines, asperin, paniers, prasine, rapines, saprine, separin

Persian

1. genitive singular of Persia

• parisen, parsien, rapisen