As explained in a previous blog post, nāz can be a somewhat slippery word to translate for Persian language learners. It is only through exploring the contexts in which it is used and the mood or state which it encompasses, can one begin to grasp its meaning and be able to, in turn, use it
If you eavesdrop on a conversation between two Persian speakers speaking the Farsi of Iran, or listen to any informal programme on the radio or television, then you will soon realize that spoken Persian is quite different from the written language. This is, of course, true of any language, especially of the vernacular of the
The Arrival of Indo-European Languages Foundation Slab: 522-486 BCE Susa, IranLimestoneMusée du Louvre, Paris Found during 19th-century excavations, this slab is inscribed in Old Persian cuneiform with what is known as the foundation inscription of Darius I. In this unique inscription Darius describes the construction of his palace and gives valuable information about bringing workmen
Persian Language Online is a flagship project of the Iran Heritage Foundation, which is proud to have co-organised Epic Iran, a major exhibition currently showing at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Open until September 2021, Epic Iran explores 5,000 years of Iranian art, design and culture, bringing together more than 300 objects from
On our blog this week we have invited Keramat Fathinia, a practising calligrapher, to give us a brief introduction to Persian calligraphy and its history. Born in Iran, Keramat has been teaching calligraphy for over 17 years and has received a distinguished certificate in both Nasta’liq and Shekasteh Nasta’liq styles from the Iranian Calligraphers Association
Last week we had a brief overview of the main lexical differences between Afghan Persian and Iranian Persian. I forgot to mention one very important point – the names of months used in Afghanistan.The calendar most currently in use in Afghanistan is the Solar Hijri Calendar identical to the one used in Iran. The difference
Having become acquainted with the phonology of Afghan Persian, it is time to learn some of the differences in vocabulary between it and Iranian Persian. Again, learners must always keep in mind the complex linguistic backgrounds of Afghan Persian speakers. While the official register of Persian in Afghanistan differs little from that in Iran, a
Persian (referred to as ‘Dari’) is one of the two official languages of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, alongside Pashto. The modern territory of Afghanistan constitutes what is often referred to as ‘Greater Khorasan’ by some scholars and cultural activists and was the centre of Persian literary and cultural activities and Perso-Islamic learning right from
Picking up where we left off a few weeks ago, Iskandar returns to guide us through the Naynama, dealing with various themes and images as we go, from fish in water, to infinity. در غم ما روزها بیگاه شد روزها با سوزها همراه شد روزها گر رفت گو رو باک نیست تو بمان ای آن
After two weeks of initiation toʿarūż, we are ready for some practice. This week, we will read some of the most famous lines from classical Persian poetry and determine their metres. In any classical Persian poem, the metre (وزنvazn, which literally means ‘weight’ in Arabic) remains consistent throughout. The first tip, therefore, is that
Last week I talked about how the Persian metre is based on syllable length, and what short, long, and extra-long syllables are. Analysing a line of poetry down to syllables, and a syllable down to its consonant(s) and vowel, however, is a western methodology that has also been embraced by modern Iranians and Turks. Before
Before the birth of blank verse with modernism, poetry across the world was written according to fixed rhythmic structures, referred to as ‘metres’ in English, from the Greek word μέτρον (métron) ‘measure’. The concept consists of measuring the number of syllables per line and the length (when it applies) of each syllable, so as to
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