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Per·sian (pûrzhən)
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adj.
Of or relating to Persia or Iran, or to their peoples, languages, or cultures.
n.
1. A native or inhabitant of Persia or Iran.
2. Any of the forms of the national language of medieval and modern Iran as written and spoken from about the ninth century AD to modern times, and widely used as a language of culture in Central and South Asia, especially:
a. The western dialect of this language that is the national language of modern Iran. Also called Farsi.
b. The eastern dialect of this language spoken in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Also called Dari.
3. A domestic cat of a large breed originally from the Middle East, having a long flowing coat and a broad head with a snub nose.
(click for a larger image)
Persian
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2020 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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