Parsi
/ˈpɑːr.si/noun
A member of the Zoroastrian community in India descended from Persian immigrants.
Did you know?Parsis traditionally trace their Indian origins to Zoroastrian refugees who left Persia after the Islamic conquest and preserved fire-temple traditions for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
6th–5th Century BCE
Old Persian
Pārsa
“The name of the Persian people and their homeland in southwestern Iran.”
5th–4th Century BCE
Ancient Greek
Pérsēs / Persís
“Persian; Persia or the Persian land, borrowed from Iranian forms.”
3rd–7th Century CE
Middle Persian
Pārsīg
“Persian, belonging to Persia.”
7th–10th Century
Early New Persian
Pārsī
“Persian; a person associated with Persia.”
8th–10th Century
Gujarati
Parsi
“A Persian Zoroastrian immigrant or descendant in India.”
17th Century–Modern English
English
Parsi
“A member of the Zoroastrian community of India, especially one descended from Persian refugees.”