English
Persian
Persian comes from Italian persiano ‘Persian, Iranian’, and goes back to Old Persian p-a-r-s /Pārsa/.
- Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEp-a-r-s /Pārsa/transliteratedoriginal script p-a-r-s /Pārsa/, a transliteration
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠέρσηςPérsēs‘a (male) Persian’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500Persiānus
- Italianc. 1300–presentpersiano‘Persian, Iranian’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600persien
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Persien‘of or pertaining to Persia’
- Englishearliest quotation 1696Persian
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Old Persianc. 600–300 BCEp-a-r-s /Pārsa/transliteratedoriginal script p-a-r-s /Pārsa/, a transliteration
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΠέρσηςPérsēs‘a (male) Persian’
- Medieval Latinc. 600–1500Persiānus
- Italianc. 1300–presentpersiano‘Persian, Iranian’
- Middle Frenchc. 1400–1600persien
- Middle Englishc. 1150–1500Persien‘of or pertaining to Persia’
- Englishearliest quotation 1696Persian
Earliest quotation: 1696, J. F. Merchant?: “There is of those Persians several lengths.”
Formed from Persia + -ian
Old Persian Old Persian form ‘a Persian’
Ancient Greek Πέρσης ‘a (male) Persian’
Latin Persēs/Persa
Latin Persia
English Persia
Every English word from Old Persian p-a-r-s /Pārsa/
Today it means
adj Of, from, or pertaining to Persia.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Old Persian p-a-r-s /Pārsa/ / Persian