There are so many types of languages in the world because of different traditions and cultures. Some are official, spoken formally, and some are unofficial, just spoken regionally.
Only twenty-one languages exist in India, but the national language is Hindi, which is spoken throughout the country.
Both Farsi and Persian languages are from Iran. Where Farsi is a term used by local Iranians, which also refers to the Persian language. There are around 7 crore people who speak the Persian language.
Afghanistan, Tajikistan, and Iran all three countries, have declared the Persian language as their official language.
Key Takeaways
- Farsi and Persian refer to the same language, but Farsi is the local name for Persian in Iran.
- Persian is also spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan, while Farsi is spoken only in Iran.
- Farsi and Persian use the same writing system based on the Arabic alphabet but with additional letters.
Farsi vs Persian
Farsi is the local name given to the Persian language in Iran, predominantly spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. Persian is the English term for the language, and it also refers to the broader linguistic, cultural, and historical attributes of the Iranian cultural sphere.
Farsi is the term used by native Iranians, which also illustrates the Persian language, but this term is not officially used. This term is not for the outside world. Farsi terms cannot be used to elaborate on the traditions and culture of Iran. It is just an unofficial term or an endonym for the Persian term.
The Persian language is a very old language which is an official communication language in Iran. The official written work in Iran is done by using the Persian language. The written form of this language is slightly acquired from Arabic text or script. This is why they look similar when written.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Farsi | Persian |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Farsi is the term used by native Iranians, which also illustrates the Persian language, but this term is not officially used. | The Persian language is an ancient language that is an official communicating language in Iran. |
| Endonym | The term Farsi is itself an endonym for the Persian language. | The term Persian is an original term, and it is used officially. |
| Origin | Farsi term is used by native people of Iran, which refers to their formal language named Persian, and it emerged in Iran. | The Persian language is the formal language of Iran, and it was developed in Iran. |
| No. of alphabets | The term Farsi contains five alphabets. | The term Persian contains seven alphabets. |
| Illustrations | Farsi word does not illustrate anything related to Iranian culture and tradition. | The term Persian illustrates everything related to Iran, like Iranian culture, traditions, and its past-related things. |
| Official use | Farsi term is not used officially and in the outside world. | Persian term is the official term of the Iranian language and for the outside world. |
What is Farsi?
Farsi is a local term used by the common public of Iran. It does not reflect anything about Iran but is just used as a normal communication term or day-to-day term. It works as an endonym for the term Persian which is the official language of Iran.
The books and official papers related to administrative work in Iran do not use the term Farsi. Instead, they use the Persian term to describe their language. The term Farsi shows the difference between the original Iranian Persian language and other Persian languages used by other countries.
Farsi term is not widely used because of its no usage in Iranian official papers or documents. It is a Persian term, not an English term, so it is not used outside the Iranian culture.
What is Persian?
The Persian language is officially used in Iran and some other countries also, like Afghanistan and Tajikistan. It has a different name locally, Farsi, and it works as an endonym. Afganistan called their Persian language Dari Persian, and Tajikistan called it Tajiki Persian.
Persian is spoken officially and locally both also the written work is done in the Persian language. It is an English term used for the outside world and as an official term inside Iran. It illustrates everything related to Iranian culture, traditions, and early Iran’s history.
The Arabian text slightly inspires the whole written script of the Persian language. And around seven crore people speak the Persian language around the world. It is a subdivision of Indo-European languages, and its grammar is slightly similar to that of European grammar.
Main Differences Between Farsi and Persian
- Farsi is the term used by native Iranians, which also illustrates the term Persian but this term is not officially used. In contrast, Persian is a very old language and an official communication language in Iran.
- Persian is the official Iranian language term for administration works and the outside world. While the Farsi term is not used officially or in the outside world, it is not famous.
- Farsi word does not illustrate anything related to Iranian culture and tradition. On the other hand, the term Persian illustrates everything related to Iran, like Iranian culture, traditions, and past-related things.
- There is no endonym for the term Farsi. Whereas the term Persian has an endonym which is known as Farsi.
- Farsi word is just for local people of Iran, and it is not used in any books or any other official papers related to administrative work. Whereas the Persian term is used all over in administrative work or papers in Iran.
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031320381900844
- https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/5997/314331cc2b3c680ccdd8eb2930393d214f3d.pdf
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