What is the Difference Between Farsi and Persian?

Farsi and Persian are terms used to describe the Persian language, which is spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan. While there is no significant difference between the two terms, they are used in different contexts and have different connotations:

• Farsi: This term refers to the Persian language spoken in Iran. It is derived from the Persian word "Farsi," which means Persian. In recent decades, the term Farsi has been used more widely in English, particularly to refer to Iran's standard Persian.
• Persian: This term has a longer tradition in Western languages and is used to describe the Persian language as a whole, including its various dialects and regional variations. The Academy of Persian Language and Literature maintains that the endonym Farsi should be used for the language in Persian-speaking countries, while Persian is the appropriate designation in English. The term Persian is also used to describe the ethnicity of people from Iran, while Iranian encompasses the nationality.

In academic circles, the language of Iran is called Modern Standard Persian or simply Persian. In everyday language, Persian is used as a cover term, while Farsi is used in specialized academic and linguistic analyses.

Comparative Table: Farsi vs Persian

The terms "Farsi" and "Persian" are often used interchangeably to refer to the same language, but they are not synonymous. The language is commonly called "Persian" in English, while in Iran, it is referred to as "Farsi". There are some differences between the use of the terms in different regions, but the language itself remains largely the same. Here is a table highlighting the main differences between Farsi and Persian:

While the language itself is mostly the same, there are some regional differences in pronunciation, vocabulary, and even grammar. For example, Dari, the variety of Persian spoken in Afghanistan, retains the Arabic "w" pronunciation of waaw/vaav (و), while Iranian Persian does not. Additionally, the languages of Afghanistan and Tajikistan are often referred to as Dari and Tajiki, respectively, to distinguish them from Persian spoken in Iran.