NEW PERSIAN Meaning and
Definition
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New Persian refers to the modern form of the Persian language, also known as Modern Persian or Iranian Persian. It is an Indo-European language that belongs to the southwestern branch of the Iranian languages. New Persian is the official language of Iran and is widely spoken in other countries such as Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and parts of Uzbekistan.
New Persian has evolved from Old Persian, which was prominent during the Achaemenid Empire. It underwent significant transformations over the centuries, especially due to the influence of Arabic after the Islamic conquest of Persia in the 7th century. The combination of Old Persian, Arabic, and other regional languages led to the creation of Middle Persian. However, Middle Persian gradually replaced by New Persian between the 9th and 11th centuries.
New Persian uses the Arabic script and has a rich vocabulary, grammar, and literary tradition. It is characterized by its elegant prose and beautiful poetry, making it one of the world's great classical languages. Key features of New Persian include vowel harmony, the use of verb-final word order, and extensive use of loanwords from Arabic and other languages.
Today, New Persian serves as the lingua franca in Persian-speaking regions, bridging different dialects and facilitating communication across borders. It is taught in schools and universities, and numerous Persian literary works, ranging from epic poetry to modern novels, have been created in this language. New Persian plays a vital role in the cultural, social, and political landscapes of Iran and continues to be cherished and preserved by Persian speakers worldwide.
Etymology of NEW PERSIAN
The term "New Persian" refers to the modern Iranian language, which is also known as Modern Persian or Farsi. The etymology of the word "Persian" can be traced back to the Ancient Greek term "Persís" (Περσίς), which referred to the historical region of Persia, located in modern-day Iran. The Greeks derived this term from the Old Persian word "Pārsa", the name of a confederation of Iranian tribes that inhabited the region. Over time, the language spoken by the Persians became known as "Persian", and it has evolved into the modern-day New Persian/Farsi language spoken in Iran and some neighboring countries.
