Why do people use the word "Farsi" when speaking English?

Question

The word "Farsi" does not exist in the English language.
Imagine if somebody said "I watched a movie from Germany the other day, and I learned some deutsch words from it".
Or: "I went to France and learned some français words there".

Unless the persons saying these sentences were trying to pull a small joke, the sentences sound ridiculous.
It's the exact same with Farsi vs. Persian. Persian is the correct word when speaking English.

"Saying Farsi instead of Persian robs the language and the culture of all the sense of splendor the name Persian has taken on in western languages through two and a half millennia of war, trade, religious and cultural influence, and other forms of confrontation or subtle interaction."

"Persian has been used in a variety of publications including cultural, scientific and diplomatic documents for centuries and therefore it connotes very significant and cultural meanings. Hence changing Persian to Farsi is to negate these important established precedents."

"The word ‘Farsi’ has no foundation in the English language and its relationship to the identity of Iranian civilisation and culture – as reflected in phrases such as ‘Persian literature’, ‘Persian art’ and ‘Persian poetry’ – is not at all clear . . .As well as the linguistic points, when the word Farsi is used in English for the Persian language, it ignores all the positive cultural connotations of the word Persian."

Now I can understand some non-Iranians might have been misinformed and unintentionally uses the word Farsi because they thing it's the correct word.

But some Iranians here use the word Farsi when writing English?????
Shame on you all! :D
And by the way I'm no better than you people, because even I made the mistake of using the word "Farsi" when I wrote in English. So shame on me too. :)

But let's start correcting ourselves and each other, what do you say? :P

Massy · Accepted Answer

Being active on the language section, I even see that using the word "Farsi" is becoming popular among non-Irainians!!
I agree with you we shouldn't mix these two languages.

Ashlelise · Answer

I have been with my Iranian boyfriend for 3 years. When we first met I used the word Persian and was told the correct word was Farsi. Over the past few years every now and then I use them interchangeably depending on who I'm talking to. In fact just a few months ago I told one of his cousins that I knew some Persian and his only response was to correct me and say "Farsi". So when my Iranain friends are telling me to use the word Farsi, that's what I'm going to use.

मिखेल · Answer

Actually, from a linguistic perspective, "Farsi" is the correct term to use when referring specifically to the Persian language as spoken in Iran.

Understand that "Persian," in the broadest sense of the word, is a continuum of three languages: Farsi, Dari (Afghanistan), and Tajik (Tajikistan). I personally prefer "Persian" when speaking in a general sense, because of the "positive cultural connotations" you've mentioned, but there is nothing "incorrect" about using the term Farsi, so long as it is used in reference to the language as spoken in Iran.

Additionally, "Farsi" has become a more common substitute in English for "Persian" for the same reason that Iran is no longer called "Persia." In 1935, Reza Pahlavi asked western governments to use "Iran," which is a native name for the country, rather than "Persia," which is derived from Greek. The same extends to the language.

In summation, Farsi is perfectly acceptable, and is even sometimes more correct than "Persian." The reasons are not only linguistic, but also political.

Don Vito · Answer

Hi,
I agree with you. The correct word for the language is Persian and Iranian for the nationality. The funny part is that some Iranians use Iranian as their language ! not even Farsi or Persian !
So let's just use Persian instead of Farsi in spoken and written English.

Anonymous · Answer

The word Farsi is much older than Persian. Farsi is not THE persian language, but the most important one. By the way, farsi is also spoken in some parts of Afganistan, Tayikistán, Uzbekistánan,

Laurence · Answer

Historically, most foreign names with any currency in English were Anglicized. "Deutsch" became "Dutch" (with a change of meaning), "Vlaams" became "Flemish,  and through a misunderstanding by the ancient Romans, "Ελληνικοc" became "Greek". But around the mid-20th century it gradually becme PC to go native, from fear of offending the susceptabilities of foreigners, particularly Third World ones, so "Cape Dutch" became "Afrikaans" aroun 1910, "Saimese" becme "Thai" in 1931, "Persia" became "Iran" (Farsi for Aryan) after the Shah had been to visit Hitler in 1938, and "Persian" became "Farsi". I still call the little dog a "Pekinese" but I have to refer to its home town as "Beijing". I am, however, still allowed to call the Bishop of Rome "Pope Francis", though I suppose his family calls him "Paco"!
"

Anonymous · Answer

There was really no question. thanks for your research and explanation. It is just common practice, though, that people call the language, originating from Persia, "Farsi".

Anonymous · Answer

It's somewhat farcical.

? · Answer

سلام ، من فكر ميكنم فارسي بهتر باشه . نكته اي كه هست اينه كه كلمه ي فارسي (Farsi ) در زبان انگليسي و ديكشنري وجود داره . پس ميشه از اون در زبان انگليسي بسا گفتار و نوشتار استفاده كرد . اميدوارم كمك كرده باشم .
Regards ,
W.M.

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Why do people use the word "Farsi" when speaking English?

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