Iranian
/ɪˈrɑːniən/noun
Relating to Iran, its people, or the family of languages spoken across Iran and parts of neighboring regions.
Did you know?The name Iran is historically connected to Old Iranian *arya-*, a self-designation meaning “Aryan” or “noble,” preserved in the phrase Ērānshahr (“the realm of the Iranians”) in Sasanian tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Iranian
PII
*arya-
“A self-designation meaning “Aryan,” likely “noble” or “member of one’s own people.””
Old Persian
OP
ariya-
“Aryan; belonging to the Iranian peoples.”
Middle Persian
MP
ērān
“The Iranians; the realm or people of Iran.”
Middle Persian
MP
ērānšahr
“The kingdom or realm of the Iranians.”
Modern English
English
Iranian
“Relating to Iran, its people, or its languages.”