[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/persian/)

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# persian

adjective (Persian); noun (a Persian, Persians; Persian — the language, uncountable; a Persian cat)

«persian» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Persian describes Persia, the old name for Iran, and its people, history and culture. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#m1)
2. Persian, also called Farsi, is the main language of Iran, also spoken in Afghanistan (Dari) and Tajikistan (Tajik). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#m2)
3. A Persian is a person from Persia or Iran. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#m3)
4. A Persian, or Persian cat, is a cat breed with long fluffy fur and a flat face. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#m4)
5. A Persian carpet or rug is a hand-woven carpet with rich patterns. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#m5)

### In the lessons

In history lessons the Persian Empire of Cyrus the Great and Darius was one of the largest in the ancient world; Persians fought the Greeks at Marathon and Thermopylae. Persian poets like Rumi and Hafez are still loved. The Persian Gulf is the sea between Iran and Arabia. Words like «paradise», «pyjamas» and «chess» have Persian roots. Phrases: «the Persian Empire», «Persian cat», «Persian carpet», «the Persian Gulf».

### Examples

- Cyrus the Great ruled the Persian Empire. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x1)
- The Greeks fought the Persians at the Battle of Marathon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x2)
- My neighbour speaks Persian at home. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x3)
- Our Persian cat has long white fur that needs brushing every day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x4)
- The living room has a beautiful Persian rug. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x5)
- Persian New Year, Nowruz, starts on the first day of spring. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x6)
- The word «paradise» comes from an old Persian word for a garden. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x7)
- Overwhelmed with grief, he sought consolation from the beautiful Persian. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/#x8)

### Note

Always a capital P. Persian (the language) is uncountable; Persians (people) is countable. Persian is not Arabic: they are different languages, though Persian uses a form of the Arabic alphabet. Iran was called Persia in English until the twentieth century.

## In Jewish tradition

A person from Persia, the great empire that ruled after Babylon. Cyrus and Darius were Persian kings.

**Interpretation.** The tradition remembers Cyrus as the king who let the Jews go home and rebuild the Temple.

### Examples

- So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian. (Writings DAN.6.29, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/persian/#x1)
- The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded heads of fathers' houses; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian. (Writings NEH.12.22, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/persian/#x2)

### Note

Always a capital P. Persian (the language) is uncountable; Persians (people) is countable. Persian is not Arabic: they are different languages, though Persian uses a form of the Arabic alphabet. Iran was called Persia in English until the twentieth century.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «persian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/persian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«persian» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/persian.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «persian» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/persian/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«persian» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/persian.html) on Mova free.