Iran

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ɪˈɹɑːn/, /ɪˈɹæn/,

• US IPA: /ɪˈɹɑːn/, /ɪˈɹæn/, /aɪˈɹæn/

Origin

From Middle Persian 𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭, from Proto-Iranian *aryānām ("of the Aryans"), genitive plural of *arya- (as in Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹, Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, Ossetic ир (Ir, "Ossetian")). Compare Parthian 𐭀𐭓𐭉𐭀𐭍 and Sanskrit आर्य ("").

𐭠𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 came to refer to the lands in which Iranians lived during the late 3rd to early 4th centuries. Prior to that time it signified people/culture (i.e. the Iranian nation), rather than geography. The antonymic 𐭠𐭭𐭩𐭥𐭠𐭭 (whence انیران), originally meaning "non-Iranian", underwent a parallel development.

Full definition of Iran

Proper noun

1. A country in the Middle East known as Persia until 1935. Its capital is Tehran. Official name: Islamic Republic of Iran.

Synonyms

• Persia

Related terms

• Iranian
• Persian

Anagrams

• Arin, ARIN
• arni
• NIRA
• rain
• rani
• Rian
• RNAi