Iran

From Iranian Persian ایران (irân), from Classical Persian ایران (ērān), from Middle Persian 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 (ʾērān, “of the Aryans”). See 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 (ʾērān) for word formation, further etymology and cognates. The name of the political entity is a 3rd-century development that derives from the indigenous ethnolinguistic name of the Iranian peoples, i.e. the great variety of Iranian tribes that spoke an Iranian language.

der

The Persians, in naming their country, make use of one word, which they indifferently pronounce Iroun, and Iran.

ca. 1675, Jean Chardin (Sir John Chardin), Travels in Persia, 1673-1677, fasc. reprint 1988, Dover, page 126

Light was happiness; and the people of Iran, the land of light, were the favourites of heaven; while those of Turan, the gloomy region beyond the mountains to the north, were its enemies.

1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume I, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 25:

"Iran is a vast and ancient country in a strategic location in the Middle East. It borders Russia, Iraq, Turkey, Pakistan, the Gulf of Oman, and the Persian Gulf."

2005, Massoume Price, editor, Iran's Diverse Peoples, ABC-Clio, page xiii:

Islamic Republic of Iran
Islamic Republic of Iran#English

A country in West Asia, in the Middle East. Official name: Islamic Republic of Iran. Capital: Tehran.


Persian

en-noun

Persian (countable and uncountable, plural Persians)

/ˈpɜː(ɹ)ʃən/

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 Early Classical Persian پارس (pārs) or modern Iranian Persian فارس (fârs), where the shift p > f. Equivalent to Persia + -ian.


Persia

/ˈpɜː(ɹ).ʒə/

From Latin Persia, from Ancient Greek Περσίς (Persís), from Old Persian 𐎱𐎠𐎼𐎿 (p-a-r-s /pārsa/).

Persia proper (Persis), the land of the ancient Persians, corresponding to modern-day Fars province in southwestern Iran.


shah

From Persian شاه (šâh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (šāh), from Old Persian 𐏋 (XŠ /xšāyaθiya/). Doublet of check. More at chess.

We had a cordial welcome in Tehran from the shah and Empress Farah, a delightful banquet, and adequate time to discuss the Middle East and nuclear power affairs with the shah.

2011 [1977 December 31], Jimmy Carter, White House Diary, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 156:


mohur

(historical) A gold coin of British India, worth from twelve to fifteen rupees.


Persian Empire

Collocation of 'Persian' (as a demonym of Latinate Persia in the sense of Greek Persis, Old Persian Pārsa) and 'empire'. Translates Latin Imperium Persarum, as attested e.g. in the 1st century (e.g. Quintus Curtius Rufus "Life and exploits of Alexander the Great" 3.3.8).
In English from the 17th centuryhttp://books.google.com/books?id=lLhHAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA37&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1700&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=cY8pAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA400&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1800&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22&f=false, invariably in reference to the Achaemenid Empire (550–330 B.C.E.) conquered by Alexander the Great. Sometimes expanded to Medo-Persian Empirehttp://books.google.com/books?id=AOYqAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA33&dq=%22Medo-Persian+Empire%22&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1800&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Medo-Persian%20Empire%22&f=false (translating Imperium Persarum et Medorum, "empire of (ruled by) Persians and Medians"). The 'et Medorum' is not a reference to Median empire (625–550 B.C.E.), but rather to (1) the tribal affiliation and shared status of the Persians and Medians, (2) the mixed Persian-Median parentage of the founder of the dynasty, Cyrus I.
The term 'Persian empire' has sometimes been extended to the later, "restored" empire ruled by the Sassanid dynastyhttp://books.google.com/books?id=YfoEAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA129&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=1850&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=PNYLJakw1SQC&pg=PA28&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1980&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=falsehttp://books.google.com/books?id=MziRd4ddZz4C&pg=PA100&dq=%22Persian+Empire%22+Sassanian&lr=&as_drrb_is=b&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=1980&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&as_brr=0#v=onepage&q=%22Persian%20Empire%22%20Sassanian&f=false, the ruling dynasty of which was also from Persia in the sense of Greek Persis, Old Persian Pārsa. It is sometimes taken more loosely to refer to the Achaemenid, Parthian and Sassanid states taken together (so Encyclopædia Britannica 2009: "historical empire from about 550 B.C.E.-640 C.E.")

We know how Darius got the Persian Empire from the rest of his fellow Peers, from the first neighing of his generous Steed.

1652, Thomas Fuller, Holy and Profane State, page 140:

(historical) The empire ruled by the Achaemenid dynasty 550–330 B.C.E..


satrap

From Middle English satrape, from Latin satrapēs (“governor”), from Ancient Greek σατράπης (satrápēs), from Old Median *xšaθrapāwan- (literally “kingdom-protector”), which is cognate with Old Persian 𐎧𐏁𐏂𐎱𐎠𐎺𐎠 (xšaçapāvā); see there for more.

Eunuchs were chiefly employed in the harems of the king, and his satraps.

1922, Maneckji Nusservanji Dhalla, Zoroastrian Civilization, page 222:

(historical) A governor of a Persian province.


chariot

From Middle English chariot, from Old French chariot, from char (“cart”), from Latin carrus (“wagon”). Displaced native Old English hrædwæġn (literally “fast wagon”).

ncog

A two-wheeled horse-drawn cart, used in Bronze Age and Early Iron Age warfare.


toman

Borrowed from Classical Persian تومان (tōman), from Mongolian түмэн (tümen).

The band-roll strung with tomans
Which proves the veil a Persian woman's

1845, Robert Browning, The Flight of the Duchess:

(historical, numismatics) A Persian money of account or gold coin issued until 1927, notionally worth 10,000 dinars.


satrapy

Borrowed from Ancient Greek σατραπεία (satrapeía).

Several, which occur as one Satrapy in the system given by Herodotus, are given in the lists as distinct provinces.

1864, Edward Bouverie Pusey, Daniel the Prophet: Nine Lectures Delivered in the Divinity School of the University of Oxford, John Henry and James Parker, page 413:

1951, W. W. Tarn, The Greeks in Bactria and India, Cambridge University Press, 2nd Edition, Digital printing 2010, page 1,
The Seleucid empire in its turn was still, in outward shape, very much the empire of Persia under different rulers; the great satrapies still remained, their military nature emphasised by the governor of a satrapy being no longer called satrap but strategos, 'general'.

A satrapy′s borders were generally the same as those of the previously independent kingdom, with the satrap stationed in the old capital.[…]The Great King expected two things from the satrapies: a regular supply of taxes (called "tribute" because it underlined the satrapy′s subordination to the king) and units for the Persian army when needed.

2013, Michael Burger, The Shaping of Western Civilization, Volume I: From Antiquity to the Mid-Eighteenth Century, University of Toronto Press, page 30:

(historical) The territory governed by a satrap; a province of any of several ancient empires of Western Asia (specifically, of the Median or Achaemenid empires or certain of their successors, including the Sassanian Empire and Hellenistic empires).


siglos

From Ancient Greek σίγλος (síglos), from Semitic. Compare Hebrew שֶׁקֶל (shékel), Akkadian 𒅆𒅗𒇻 (šiqlu).

A silver coin of Achaemenid Persia worth one twentieth of a daric and weighing about 5.6 grams.


mamudi

A subunit of Persian currency, one hundredth of a toman.


Mede

From Latin Medus, from Ancient Greek Μῆδος (Mêdos).

Any of a Western Iranian people who inhabited the ancient region of Media.


daric

From Ancient Greek δᾱρεικός (dāreikós), from Old Persian *daryakah. Doublet of gold and yellow.
Considered by classical authors to be from Δαρεῖος (Dareîos, “Darius”) who standardized the coinage as such, but this is a folk etymology.

A gold coin from Persian Empire, introduced by Darius the Great (522-486 BC) and used until Alexander the Great's invasion (330 BC).


abbasi

From Persian عباسی ('abbâsi); see for more. Doublet of abazi.

(numismatics) A silver coin of Persia, introduced by Safavid Shah Abbas in 16th century, worth about twenty cents.


shahanshah

Borrowed from Classical Persian شَاهَنْشَاه (šāhanšāh), from Middle Persian 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠𐭭 𐭬𐭫𐭪𐭠 (mlkʾn mlkʾ /šāhān šāh/, “king of kings”), which see for more.

der

(historical) King of kings; a title given to the rulers of ancient Persia and sometimes of Armenia.

𒈗𒊭𒈗𒈨𒌍

title of the rulers of ancient Persia: “king of kings” — see also king of kings


Rhazes

From Latin Rhazes, from Arabic اَلرَّازِي (ar-rāzī), from Persian رازی (râzi), a surname meaning "from Ray".

An 8th/9th-century Persian polymath and physician; Abū Bakr Muḥammad ibn Zakariyyā al-Rāzī.


Persian love

The Lesbian is the analogue among women of Persian love among men, and this perversion takes place in two ways, either by friction of the two female bodies, known as tribadism, or by the tongue, designated as cunnilinguism.

1908, Medical Council: Volume 13, page 12:


Medism

The adoption of Persian interests by a Greek, regarded as treachery.