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A thread about Iran and Persia and where did these words came from.
tldr; Iran is the tree. Persian is one of it’s many branches. If you are interested to learn more beyond that, continue reading the thread.
References are in the last tweet.
tldr; Iran is the tree. Persian is one of it’s many branches. If you are interested to learn more beyond that, continue reading the thread.
References are in the last tweet.
‘Persia’ comes from the Old Persian word, ‘Prasa’.
Iran in modern Persian comes from the Middle Persian, ‘Ēran-Wez’ itself a translation of the Avestan, ‘airyanəm vaēǰō’.
That is the name given to one of the lands created by Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrian holy books.
Iran in modern Persian comes from the Middle Persian, ‘Ēran-Wez’ itself a translation of the Avestan, ‘airyanəm vaēǰō’.
That is the name given to one of the lands created by Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrian holy books.
Persia is a geographical location in SW Iran corresponding to the area of the Iranian province of Fars (Pars).
It’s the region were two famous empires were founded by Persians. Achaemenids & Sassanids.
Persian is also the name of a language, a culture & an ethnicity.
It’s the region were two famous empires were founded by Persians. Achaemenids & Sassanids.
Persian is also the name of a language, a culture & an ethnicity.
Due to the extensive contact that Greeks & later Romans had with these empires, Persia became cemented in western tradition as the name for the entirety of the Iranian plateau.
But Persia is just the name of one regions of Iran and Persians are one of the many Iranian people.
But Persia is just the name of one regions of Iran and Persians are one of the many Iranian people.
In Achaemenid era, the kings mostly identified themselves with their Persian ethnicity but they were aware of their Iranianness.
This is Darius introducing himself at the Naqsh-e Rostam inscription:
‘I am Darius.. an Achaemenian, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan’.
This is Darius introducing himself at the Naqsh-e Rostam inscription:
‘I am Darius.. an Achaemenian, a Persian, son of a Persian, an Aryan’.
However by Sassanid era (224-651),
Ardashir I, the founder of Sassanid empire refers to himself as ‘King of Kings of Iran’.
By the time of Sassanid King Shapur I, Iran is no longer just the name of a land in a holy book or just an ethnic identifier but a geographical location
Ardashir I, the founder of Sassanid empire refers to himself as ‘King of Kings of Iran’.
By the time of Sassanid King Shapur I, Iran is no longer just the name of a land in a holy book or just an ethnic identifier but a geographical location
To recap,
Persian: name of an Iranian ethnic group, a language, a culture, a geographical location, a province in Iran.
Iran: name of a land in Zoroastrianism. Name of a country, a plateau, whole bunch of languages (Indo-Iranian) and ethnicities (Iranic) and much more.
Persian: name of an Iranian ethnic group, a language, a culture, a geographical location, a province in Iran.
Iran: name of a land in Zoroastrianism. Name of a country, a plateau, whole bunch of languages (Indo-Iranian) and ethnicities (Iranic) and much more.
Sources: http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/avestan-geography
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/iran-v1-peoples-survey
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/eran-eransah
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/eran-wez
https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Languages/aryan/inscription_of_dariush_grt_rstm.htm
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/iran-v1-peoples-survey
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/eran-eransah
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/eran-wez
https://www.cais-soas.com/CAIS/Languages/aryan/inscription_of_dariush_grt_rstm.htm
