Anne-Aurelle
Hello, Hello!
I'm Anne-Aurelle Salvan - or Anita - or Anne - or Anna - honestly, as you wish. How are you? ... I’m assuming you're good. Or sad. Or maybe mad? Guess I’ll never know. What about me, you ask (I know you're dying to know). Sick. Always sick. That’s one way my friends can describe me. I always have tissues and ginger tea. Sarcastic. That’s another way of describing me. Most of the things I say are sarcastic, so, please, don't be offended <3.
I also love languages. But, now, who doesn't? With my love for languages comes my love for cultures. EVERY culture. Literally. Come up to me and PLEASE do talk to me about your culture. I'll also be very happy to talk about my little knowledge of my mixed French and Canadian culture. Now, if like me, you love knowing more about different cultures, then I'm hoping you'll enjoy this blog!
Immerse yourself in the Iranian culture!
In this blog, I will be talking about Iran's culture. More specifically, I will be focusing on its language, Persian - or Fārsi (فارسی). That is to say, I am interested in its history, how its linguistics works, and how it is taught.
What's the best thing about any culture?
FOOD
غذا
AZAA
(My pictures aren't the best, but I promise it's khub!)
Café Aunja
Do you want to get a taste of Iranian culture: food, music, and amazing people? Go to Café Aunja on Sherbrooke street :)
I recommend taking a Koukou sandwich, the hot Persian fog, and the rose cake!
Ajam عجم
Ajam is a London-based band that formed in 2010. It reflects the "people's" native music performed in the streets, markets, traditional sport events, and ritualistic performances. It mixes the traditional folk music with urban and rock beats.
Although I don't understand what is said in most songs, the mix of all the traditional instruments and voice convey the mood very well.
I particularly like this video translated as "I have arrived" because it shows the instruments they use and traditional music and ritualistic dance inspired by the tribal dances in North Khorāsān.
On the band's website, more information about the band and its many different video clips can be found.
Homayoun Shajarian
This is a very famous Iranian singer. He mostly plays classical/traditional Persian music. You don't even have to know Persian to love his songs: his voice and the use of traditional Persian instruments (such as the Tombak, a drum, and Kamancheh, a bowed string instrument) are very powerful and say so much. I like listening to his songs while working on this project.
Provinces of Iran
There are 31 provinces in Iran.
Each provine has its capital, but the country's capital is Tehran located, of course, in the province of Tehran.
Landscapes vary from mountains to deserts and salt lakes.
Pictures of Iran
Here are some pictures of my last trip in Iran - just kidding! I haven't gone yet, but I wish I could: look at all those beautiful places!
Insight on Iran
The first video I watched called "4. La place de la femme n'est pas celle (...)" came up in my recommendations on Youtube. I usually never check videos in my recommendation section, but this time it caught my attention, and I don't regret watching it.
I didn't know what I was expecting from this first video, but what I got was two adorable French people showing life in Iran, more precisely in Tehran: amazing landscapes, the Iranian's hospitality, the division between the cold and luxurious North and the hot and modest South of Tehran, the woman's role in society, the beauty of the capital city, and the cultural norms, such as no kissing in public.
To be honest, at the end of the first video, I had a small tear almost falling down my cheek because of the cultural beauty that was shown in this video. Plus, in these days of self-isolation, watching these types of videos make me sad, but also happy because I get to see another part of the world. I do hope one day I will be able to visit this wonderful country that is too often stereotyped and diminished by the media.
After watching the first video, I obviously had to watch the other videos the couple made in Iran.
The 6th video "La menace de guerre vécue de l'intérieur" shows the stereotypical Iran: a desertic land filled with heat and rocks. The couple also introduces the viewer to the Iranian architecture in mosques and ancient villages. And who visits these wonderful places? Iranians.
"10. On imaginait pas cette jeunesse libérée à Téhéran" is an eye-opener on Iran. Iran is thought to be filled with war and nuclear weapons, but there is so much more. Iran is created not by its government, but by its wonderful people always there to help. This video made me angry. And all of the stereotypes built around Iran make me mad. IRAN IS NOT THAT. Iran is so much more, as explained in the other paragraphs. Even the cities are imagined as simple and with not much to do, but Tehran is a metropolis like any other. With a population of 8.7 million in the city, Tehran has parties, events, art (even contemporary art!), restaurants, etc. Thanks to the media, Iranophobia is real, and Iranians know about it. What surprised me the most (and made me the angriest) is when the interviewee explains that she started talking to people on Facebook and, when these people finally knew she was Iranian, they blocked her. I'm sorry for my vulgar language, but WHAT THE F---??? HOW? How can people be so close-minded about a culture? I can never understand because I cherish every culture, and even more the ones that are diminished.
"9. On doit évacuer la tente au milieu de la nuit" shows an interesting type of construction in the ancient city called Yazd: the ecoconstruction. It was particularly interesting to hear that the inhabitants of the houses change rooms with the change of seasons: during the winter, they will move in rooms that welcome the sun; in summer, they will move to rooms that are hidden from the sun.
"3. Ne viens pas en Iran (...)" was their first video in Iran. I really enjoyed the video because it shows the different landscapes of Iran. If you don't want to watch any of the videos, please do watch this video at 10:46 minutes: it is so so so worth it. This video also shows one of the many Iranian bazaars, and its calmness. What is in bazzars? Anything you want: fruits, carpets, jewelry, hats, lamps, herbs, clothes. There is literally everything. What else is calm? The streets of Iran, whether in villages or cities. Although filled with many people, the roads in the cities are quite calm: there isn't much honking. This only emphasizes how kind and calm the population is. The cars shown in the video are all the same and old models. This makes a huge difference from what is seen in Canada.
Iran: what do you think of? Deserts, sand, hot, or maybe nothing at all. Although true, Iran is not only made of sand. "5. On s'installe ici" shows the north of Iran: the rice country. The landscapes are filled with heat, humidity, trees, water, and small villages. In these small villages, wonderful people welcome the young couple with great hospitality and food, Once again, just like in the capital city of Tehran, the generosity of the Iranian people is shown: the friends' family members give the couple food, villagers invite them to the beach, and complete strangers welcome them with a smile and a "welcome to Iran!". I particularly liked the traditional northern house the couple stayed in: carpets and rice leaf mats cover the floor, the occupants only go inside to sleep, and plants surround the house. All of it is just extremely cozy and peaceful.
"8. Notre bilan après 2 mois (la sécurité dans la rue" offers a tour in the second oldest city in the world: Yazd. What I found the most interesting in this video was at 11:35. What do you hear? Radio music. Crickets. Cars passing by. As mentionned in the 3rd video "Ne viens pas en Iran (...)", the peacefulness of the outside world is heard. As mentionned in the previous videos, the generosity of the Iranian people is always present. And what comes with this generosity is security. The couple mentions that the streets are safe and that they never felt in danger. Even, an example is given to them: if ever a woman is attacked, she will be helped by others as if she was a sister or mother.
I enjoy watching these videos because they show regions of Iran that must be visited. Before researching about Iran, I didn't know much: I knew about its capital city Tehran, I knew about the generosity of the people, and that was pretty much it. Now, thanks to these videos, they have made a great introduction to the wonderful country called Iran. With these videos, I have gotten more information about Iran: places to visit, which I've added pictures of on this blog; the different ethnic groups living in Iran, such as the Baloch people occupying southeast of Iran and extending into Pakistan (Balochistan region); the practiced religions, like the Zoroastrian religion, one of the world's olldest religions still practiced today; and so much more. Overall, these videos made me want to visit Iran and its wonderful culture.
Let's go with extreme stereotypes
Do not take these videos 100% seriously: some are overly exagerated. OK, these go against the previous videos with the French couple, but some facts are true...
The Iranian culture is filled with sour food, taroof (the act of saying you don't want something even if you are dying to have it!), amazing tea, and, of course, tahdig (the crispy/burnt rice!).
For women, it isn't the first time that I have heard that, traditionally, women eat on the ground, often with the children, and gossip about many things. It was also noticed that the Iranian facial features have a large nose, so it is completely normal for the woman to get a nose job.
Although exaggerated, I laughed while watching these videos. I can defnitely backup some of those facts with personal experiences... Behzad does a looooot of tarof: I will keep on insiting for him to have something to eat or drink so that he finally accepts it; we put lime in E-VE-RY-THING; we drink tea EVERY night; and we fight for the tahdig!
Linguistic History
Persian or Farsi?
"Persian" is the English word for the language spoken by Iranians - and others. The word can also refer to the Iranian culture. It comes from the old name of the country of Iran: Persia.
Fārsi is an endonym: it is the Persian word for the language spoken by Iranians. It is used to refer to the New Persian (knowing that there is Old, Middle, and New Persian).
Fun fact! Paarsi (what Iranians used to call their language before the Islamic conquest) was transformed to Faarsi because [p] doesn't exist in Arab.
Overview on Old, Middle, and Modern Persian
Old Persian was spoken until approximately the 3rd century BCE. It was used in southwestern Iran by the Achaemenid court. There were numerous inscriptions written in cunneiform, such as the monument of Darius I at Bīsitūn, Iran.
Middle Persian was spoken from the 3rd century BCE to the 9th century CE (300 BC - 900 CE, so 1200 years). It was also the language of southwestern Iran. Parthian was the language spoken in the northeast and northwest of Iran. Both Middle and Old Persian were the royal court's languages. During the Sāsānian period (224-651 CE), "Pahlavi" referred to the official Middle Persian language, which descended from Parthian.
Modern Persian has been used since the 9th century and didn't undergo many changes. It comes from Middle Persian and Parthian, and it is considered a koine: "a dialect or language of a small area that becomes a common or standard language of a larger area" (Iranian languages). Dialects of Persian are spoken in Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Overall, it is way more simple than its previous forms, since prefixes, infixes, and auxiliary verbs mark tense, mood, voice, and the negative. These have replaced the previous inflectional systems of the older varieties of Persian.
The YouTube video called "The Persian Language in Depth" and "The Persian Language and What Makes it Fascinating" - summarized later in this blog - also does an overview on the history of the language.
More, more, more!
This video gives an overview on the historical linguistic of Persian language. I thought it was a great way to know more when knowing nothing at all!
Here's what I've retained and what connects to the post right above...
Persian originates in Soutwestern Persia, today known as Iran. As mentionned later, there are three varieties of Persian: Tajik (spoken in Tajikistan), Dari (spoken in Afghanistan), and Persian (spoken in Iran). The only differences in those varieties is in the casual language, in which the accent, vocabulary, and spelling differ. As an example, Persian in Iran will have more French loanwords, Dari will have more English loanwords, and Tajik will have more Russian loanwords.
I found this video quite interesting because I learned that some English words come from Persian. Some examples are "kiosk" (from kushk, meaning "palace"), "khaki" (from khak, meaning "dust"), and "lemon" (from limun).
Old Persian (525 BCE - 300 BCE) can be traced back to records written in the First Persian Empire. It then transformed into Middle Persian (300 BCE - 800 CE), also known as Pahlavi. Religious texts were found written during the Zaroastarian period. Then, the Islamic Conquest in 651 AD marked the period known to Iranian scholars as "Two Centuries of Silence" because few, almost no Persian literature was created. Notice that in this video, it is said that this form transformed into Modern Persian around the 9th century, after the end of the ruling of the Arabs in Iran. Further research has to be made about this.
Influence of Arabic
As said in the previous video "The Persian Language and What Makes it Fascinating", the Islamic conquest occured in 651 AD in Persia (today Iran). After the conquest, Arabic took over the Persian language.
Today, Arabic is still spoken by a the Arabic minority living in Khuzestan - problems related to learning Persian in that region were mentionned in the text "Educational Problems of Bilinguals in Elementary Levels". Although only a small percentage of the Iranian population speaks it, Arabic can be seen in Modern Persian: about a third of Persian's lexicon is Arabic loanwords and some of Persian's grammatical construction has been borrowed from Classical Arabic and colloquial Arabic. More information can be found by clicking "Arabic Elements".
Efforts are presently made to eliminate these Arabic loanwords, but Classical Arabic is the language of the Qur'ān, hence the dominant religious language in Iran.
Learning it
Join me on this adventure of learning Fārsi!
Behzad Shakeri بهزاد شاکری
On the left of the picture is Behzad Shakeri, a wonderful human being with whom I live. He was born in Iran and had to leave his country at the age of 11. Although very interesting, I won't get into a huge amount of details about his multiple adventures to come to Canada, but I will talk about him in this blog because he is the one who introduced me to this wonderful language called Persian. He helps me understand the Persian culture and tells me his point of view on different aspects of the culture. Many of the posted content for this blog wouldn't have been possible without him. In this blog, you will find many Behzad says, which means that I've included things he has told me about the particular subject.
Let's do some examples...
Bahaareh (name of Behzad's sister) بهاره
(On a keyboard, it was done by adding these...)
ب
ه
ا
ر
ه
Shahrdaad (name of Behzad's step father) شهرداد
ش
ه
ر
د
ا
د
Parivash (name of Behzad's mom) پریوش
پ
ر
ی
و
ش
taavous ("paon") طاووس
ط
ا
و
و
س
zohr ("midi") ظهر
ظ
ه
ر
Alefbâye
OKOKOKOK.
As you can see, I'm quite excited.
Why?
LET'S LEARN THE PERSIAN ALPHABET (Alefbâye fârsi الفبای فارسی ) :)
Don't forget to read from right to left ;)
The Persian alphabet is based on the Arabic script after the Islamic conquest. However, it has 4 more letters than the Arabic one: ب pe, چ če, ژ že, and گ gâf.
When a word starts with a vowel, ا Alef or ع Ayn is written.
Yes, the Persian alphabet has:
- 2 different letters for [t]:
ت te and ط taa
- 3 different letters for [s]:
ث se, س sin, and ص saad
- 4 different letters for [z]:
ذ zaal, ذ ze, ض zaad, ظ zaa
- 2 different letters for [ɣ]:
غ ġayn and ق q̈âf
- 2 different letters for [h]:
ح he and ه he
What's the difference? Phonetically, it makes no difference when placed in a word. Simply: you just have to know by heart which letter to put! However, I did read that ز ze, س sin, and ت te were the most frequently used ones.
Noun cases (5)
1) Nominative: use the noun as it is. ex. ketāb khub ast ("The book is good"). Literally: book good is.
2) Accusative: -rā added after noun phrase that is the direct object. ex. man ketāb e jadid rā khāndam ("I read the new book"). Literally: I book ezāfe new acc postposition read.
3) Dative: be- added before noun phrase that is the indirect object. ex. man be ketāb negā kardam ("I looked at the book"). Literally: I dat. preposition book looked*.
*the verb to look is a compound verb formed with noun and verb.
4) Locative: dar- before noun phrase. Used to indicate where an action takes place. ex. man dar ketāb neveshtam ("I wrote in the book"). Literally: I loc. preposition book wrote.
5) Ablative: az- before noun phrase. Used to indicate origin or place where an action comes from. ex. man az ketāb amukhtam ("I learned from the book"). Literally: I abl. preposition book learned.
(at 9:56 in the video you will have a summary)
Verbs
Verbs have 2 stems: past tense and present tense.
The past tense stem is made by taking off -an from the infintive form.
The present tense stem is made by taking off -dan from the infinitive form.
ex. khordan ("to eat"; infinitive form)
khord- (past tense stem)
khor- (present tense stem)
!! present tense stem is usually not that predictable, it usually needs to be memorized
Personal endings:
added to the stems
for I = -am
for you = -i
for he/she/it = -ad (and nothing for past)
Behzad says:
-ad will only be used in formal writing. Orally, -e should be used.
for we = -im
for you (plural/polite) = -id
Behzad says:
-id will only be used in formal writing. Orally, -in should be used.
for they = -and
Behzad says:
-and will only be used in formal writing. Orally, -an should be used.
Particles are added in front of verbs to create the different tenses.
Present Tense
For present progressive and general/habitual present tense : mi. ex. mi khorim ("we eat")
It is also possible to do present progressive by adding the conjugated present tense of dāštan ("to have") + mi + conjugated present tense of the verb. This is use colloquially. ex. darim mi khorim ("we are eating")
Past Tense
For simple past, simply add personal ending to past tense stem. ex. Khordim ("we ate")
For imperfect, add particle mi before simple past conjuated verb. mi khordim (in french: nous mangions")
For past progressive, add conjugated past tense of dāštan (“to have”) + mi + conjugated past frm of the verb. This is only an additional form, used only colloquially. ex. dāštim mi khordim ("we were eating")
For simple perfect (or present perfect), add perfect participle (past stem tense + e) + short form of present tense of budan (“to be”: am, i, ast, im, id, and). ex. Khorde and ("they have eaten")
For past perfect (or pluperfect), add perfect participle + past tense of budan ("to be": budam, budi, bud, budim, budid, budand). ex. Khorde budand ("they had eaten")
Future
In colloquial use, it isn't used often since the present tense can be used with future meaning.
It can be written down by adding the conjugated present tense of khāstan (“what”) + past tense stem of main verb. ex. khāhand khord ("they will eat")
Ezāfe
The ezāfe was already mentioned in the grammar section.
It is used to connect:
- a noun and an adjective
ex. ketaab e taaze ("new book")
- two nouns
ex. ketaab e dars ("textbook"). Literally: book ezāfe lesson/course
This is a very interesting and detailed video I found about the features of the Persian language.
The first time I watched this video, my head exploded. So here's a summary of it...
History
Persian (or Faarsi) is an Indo-European language.
It is a pluricentric language that has 3 different standard varieties:
- Standard Persian of Iran
- Standard Dari in Afghanistan
- Standard Tajik of Tajikistan (and Uzbekistan): writing is in a modified form of the syrellic form of the alphabet
The writing for both Persian and Dari are a modified form of the arabic script: it is an abjad - not an alphabet - meaning that there is one glyph (a symbol or letter) for each consonant. Their abjad has the 28 characters of the arabic script, plus 4 more that make consonant distinctions.
Word Order
SOV (subject-object-verb) syntax. ex. U ketāb e tāze rā khānd. ("He read the new book"). Literally: He book ezāfe new accusative postposition read.
Subject pronouns can be dropped, since personal suffixes make the person/number of subject clear. ex. ketāb e tāze rā khānd.
(summary at 11:05)
Adjective goes after the noun.
The adverb can go before or after the direct object, or at the very start of the sentence - but this is very uncommon. It can never go at the end. ex. Darius ketāb e tāze rā sari khānd ("Darius quickly read the new book"). Literally: Darius book ezāfe new acc. postposition quickly read.
(summary at 11:40)
Grammar
There is no grammatical gender and no definite articles.
yek ("one") or the suffix -i is used as the indefinite article. ex. yek ketāb or ketābi (both meaning "a book"). It can be added to either the noun or the adjective. ex. ketāb e jadidi ("a new book"; jadid meaning "new").
Notice that the adjective comes after the noun and both are linked with the particle e, called ezāfe. If the ezāfe is preceded by a vowel, then it transforms to ye. However, if an adjective comes after a noun with the indefinite suffix -i, then ye is omitted. ex. ketābi jadid ("a new book").
The plural form of nouns is formed with the suffix -hā or -ā in colloquial. The adjective does not have a plural form. ex. ketābhā ye jadid ("the new books").
(8:24)
Subject Pronouns
I = man
you (familiar) = to
you (polite) = shomā
he/she = u
it (non-human) = ān
we = mā
you (plural) = shomā
they = ānhā
they (formal): ishān
(11:55)
Object Pronoun Suffixes AND Possessive Suffixes
me/my = -am
you/your = -at
Behzad says:
you/your -at is only in writing formally
Orally, you would use -et
he/she/it/his/her/its = -ash
us/our = -emān
you/your (plural) = -etān
them/their = -eshān
As an object pronoun suffix, it will be attached to the end of verbs. ex. U sari khāndash ("He quickly read it"). Literally: He quickly read(object pronoun suffix for it)
As a possessive suffix, it will be attached to the noun. ex. U sari ketābash ra khānd ("He quickly read his book"). Literally: He quickly book(possessive suffix of his) acc. postposition read.
(12:28/12:43)
Questions
Āyā used in literary Persian as a yes/no marker at the beginning of the question
ex. Āyā khorde budand? (Had they eaten?)
Colloquially, you would just ask the question with intonation.
ex. Khorde budand?
ki = who
che = what
Behzad says che is used in formal Persian. Chi would be used colloquially.
kojā = where
key = when
cherā = why
chetor = how
kodām = which
ex. To che mikhori? (What are you eating?)
Here's a 30-minute video of 6 short lessons on the basics of Persian.
Just like the previous video, here's my recap:
Lesson 1
Formal greeting:
- Salām, man (name) hastam. Literally: Hi, I (name) (conjugated budan in present).
- Az didan-e shomā khoshbakhtam.
Informal greeting:
- Salām, man (name)-am ("Hi, my name is (...)). Literally: Hi, I (name) (shorter version of budan).
- Az didanet koshbakhtam ("Nice to meet you")
Lesson 3
"How are you?":
- Hāl-e shomā chetore? (formal)
- Hālet chetore? (informal)
- Chetori? (informal; shorter form)
Good morning:
- sobh bekheir
Good night:
- shab bekheir
Informal "Bye"
- Khodāfez
Formal "Bye":
- Khodāhāfez
Cultural tip:
When you meet a stranger who is the same gender as you are, only shake hands. However, if you know each other very well and are from the same gender, hug and kiss. Take note that in Persian-speaking countries, you cannot hug/kiss or even shake hands with someone from a different gender.
Lesson 5
"Please":
- Lotfan
- Khāhesh mikonam
ex. Lotfan yek qahve midi. Literally: Please one coffee *give(personal ending for "I").
*the verb give is dādan: the past tense stem would be dād- and the present tense stem would be mid-.
"Excuse me":
- Bebakhshid (used to order/ask something; also as an apology). Literally: forgive(personal ending for "you" (pkural/formal)).
- Bebakhsh (just shorter version)
- Man rā bebakhsh. Literally: I acc. postposition forgive.
Lesson 7
Numbers 11-199
11 yāzdah
12 davāzdah
13 sizdah
14 chāhārdah
15 poonzdah
16 shoonzdah
17 hifdah
18 hijdah
19 noozdah
20 bist
Then, tenth + o + number 1-9
30 si
40 chehel
50 panjāh
60 shast
70 haftād
80 hashtād
90 navad
100 sad
ex. panjāh o shesh 56
ex. bist o yek 21
ex. si o do 32
ex. navad o haft 97
ex. sad o yek 101
ex. sad o dah 110
ex. sad o si o yek 131
ex. sad o navad o noh 199
Lesson 2
"Thank you":
- Kheili mamnoon ("thank you very much"; formal)
- mamnoon ("thank you"; informal)
- Mersi (informal and relaxed)
"You're welcome":
- Khāhesh mikonam. (Also means "please" depending on the context)
- Qābeli nadāre (formal)
Lesson 4
"Can you speak English?":
- Englisi baladid? Literally: English can(personal ending of "you" (formal))?
- Āyā shomā englisi sohbat mikonid. Literally: yes/no question marker you English discussion do(personal ending of "you" (formal))? * notice that the verb is a compound verb.
- Englisi baladi? Literally: English can(personal ending of "you")?
Answer...
- Na, man englisi sohbat nemikonam. Literally: No, I English discussion (negation prefix)do(personal ending of "I").
- Na, man englisi balad nistam. Literally: No, I English can (negative version of present tense budan (hastan))
- Bale, man Englisi baladam. Literally: Yes (formal), I English can(personal ending for "I")
- Yek kami ("a little")
Other languages...
- Itāliāyi [i-tā-lyā-i] ("Italian")
- Roosi [roussi] ("Russian")
- Espāniyāyi [Es-pā-nyā-i] ("Spanish")
- ālmāni [āl-mā-ni] ("German")
Lesson 6
Numbers 0-10:
0 sefr [séfr]
1 yek [yek]
2 do [do]
3 se [sé]
4 chāhār [chā-hār]
5 panj [panj]
6 shesh [shish]
7 haft [haft]
8 hasht [hasht]
9 noh [noh]
10 dah [dah]
My number is:
- Shomāreye man (number) ast.
Lesson 8
"How much is it?":
- Cheqadr ast?
- Chand ast? (more common)
- Chande? ("how much?")
Toman is the currency in Iran.
ex. In sad Toman ast. Literally: this 100 toman is.
The Iranian Languages, written by Gernot Windfuhr, a professor of Iranian Studies at the University of Michigan, offers grammatical and historical information about the various Iranian languages and dialects, such as Old Iranian, Middle Iranian, Persian, Kurdish, Pashto, and much more.
For this blog, I have only focused on the eighth chapter of the book, which talks about Persian and Tajik. This chapter helped me in writing my paper since it offers a detailed explanation on Persian's morphology. What did I learn? HAH! Let's take the most interesting things...
- When adding -hā (universally applicable) or -ān (used more in the literary register) to a noun, it transforms it into its plural form. When adding these to an adjective that has the grammatical role of a noun, you have to be more careful... animacy is shown: -hā will be added to inanimate, while -ān will be added to animate. For example, digar-ān (= others (referring to other people)) vs digar-hā (= others (referring to other things)).
- Verbs can be formed by adding -id to the noun or nominal stem - however this is not common anymore, For example, nām (= name) can be transformed to the verb nāmid (= to name).
- To negate, simply add the prefix ne- in front of mi or na- in front of anything else. For example, ne-mi-gu-yam (= I won’t say) and na-raft (= (he) did not go)
This book is extremely useful for anyone who wants to learn more about Iranian languages. I recommend watching the videos I have posted earlier, and then dive into this book for more precise information - that is exactly what I will be doing this summer! I recommend doing this because some subjects that were mentionned in the videos, such as personal endings, word order, prefixes used to differentiate the different tenses and moods, ezāfe, noun cases, and much more, are presented in greater detail in this book. Plus, in this book, it also talks about the colloquial use of the language, so you don't need to annoy a Behzad ;)
Midounam
Here's the vocabulary I've been learning. You'll also find sentence examples at the end :)
Learn Persian with apps!
I've downloaded a Persian-learning app! The app is called "Learn Languages with Ling" created by Simya Solutions Ltd. Education.
I do recommend this app, but after the 2 first lessons, you have to pay for it :(
Even if I only did the two lessons, I still learned new Persian vocabulary. All of it is written in the word document above.
Drops now has Persian!
I knew this app already since I used it to learn German vocabulary. Although you only have 5 minutes every 10 hours (if you don't want to pay) to practice, I think it's a good app because there is more accessibility than Ling.
The Persian words are also written better (in roman letters) than Ling. I am still getting used to the alphabet, so I don't learn many words, but it's great practice and only takes 5 minutes of your day (or 10 minutes if you practice in the morning and at night, like I do!) .
This article, written by Azita H. Taleghani, who has a PhD degree in linguistics, presents the Persian grammar books that were written since the Sassanian Empire (224-651 AD). This article is useful because it informs me on many other references on the grammar of Persian language, such as The Syntax of Iranian Languages written by Jila Ghomeshi, who is a Linguistics professor at the University of Manitoba.
The article taught me about Farhangestān-e zabān va adab-e Fārsi ("The Academy of Persian Language and Literature"), which promotes research on the Persian culture (language, literature, heritage, and other Iranian languages). It has also taught me that the linguists in the Educational Minsitry of Iran are working on the "Basic Words of Persian" (283), which will help the further investigations that have to be made on first and second languge learners.
This article was particularly interesting because, like the two articles posted in the "How it is Taught" section below, the author mentions that "Persian language instructors need to have organized and well-developed textbooks for teaching Persian at different level" (284).
How it is Taught
This is an article written by Dr. Amireza Vakilifard, an associate professor of second language didactics, and 3 other people that studied applied linguistics, Dr. Saman Ebadi, Dr. Bahador Sadeghi, and Mr. Mahmood Zamani. The article was about a study made with 70 non-Iranian students (either from Asia, Europe, and Africa) at three levels of university degrees (Bachelor’s degree (BA), Master of Arts (MA), or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)). The purpose of the study was to identify the different factors that could demotivate Persian-learners from learning the language.
In this study, the most demotivating factor was "Learning contents, materials, and facilities", which concerned the grammar-based instruction, the topics of the learning materials and learning facilities. It was concluded thatnew
The second demotivating factor was "Experience of Failure", which included the "learners’ experience of failure such as the low or disappointing score in examinations and inability to memorize vocabulary and expressions" (7). The solution proposed was that teachers should emphasize that what is most important when learning a language is the act of communicating and reading, not the overall grade.
There were 3 other demotivating factors (“Attitude towards Foreign Language Learning”, “The Teacher”, and “Attitude towards Persian Speaking Community”) that were tested, but they weren't considered demotivating. As an example, contrary to other studies that were made with second-language learners, "The teacher", which relates to the teacher's behaviour and class content, wasn't a demotivating factor in this study.
The study was concluded with a new factor that was related to time: "Students who spend more time on learning and manage their time more efficiently while learning can be more motivated and organized in achieving their purposes" (13). If students have less time to learn a language, then they can be demotivated more quickly.
I found this study quite interesting because, as a Language student, the demotivating factors are quite the same for me.
This article, written by Dr. Anousha Sedighi, a professor of the Persian Language, studies the characteristics, linguistics abilities, and attitudes of Persian heritage speakers. She defines Persian heritage speakers as Iranians who do not live in Iran and who have only been exposed to Persian at home. It is stated that, in 2010, more than three million Iranians were living abroad.
This article is particularly interesting because it connects to the first article I posted (the one above). Both remark that there is a lack of suitable textbook and instructional material. Sedighi says that this is particularly true for the heritage students, who all have different levels in Persian. For example, an Iranian seaking with both of her Iranian parents will have a different Persian level of an Iranian who only speaks Persian with his/her grandparents. Hence, material for heritage speakers should be adapted individually to every student's needs.
Like the first article posted, some demotivating factors are also mentioned in this article, such as the heritage speakers' accents that is obviously different from the native speakers. On top of this, motivating factors are mentioned; the main one being that the heritage speakers want to improve their literacy/written skills.
The article also informed me more on the style of the Persian language. In Persian, there is the formal/written style, the informal/spoken style, and the formal/spoken style. For example, the accusative postposition rā (seen in the YouTube video "The Persian Language in Depth") will be pronounced ro when speaking colloquially.
Like Langfocus, compound verbs are also mentioned. Sedighi writes that 70% to 80% of Persian words are compound verbs (formed with at least one non-verbal element and a verbal element). Sedighi writes that kārdān" ("to do") and shodān ("to become") are the most commonly used verbs to create compound verbs. As a result, heritage speakers will often code-switch with those verbs because their vocabulary isn't as advanced as native speakers'. As an example, the English "log-in" will be used like, log-in kārdi? ("did you log-in?").
Finally, the author's goal in writing this article is to have more research done "on developing, preserving, and revitalizing Persian language skills amongst the future Persian diaspora generation" (684). She states that a lot more research has to be done for Persian heritage speakers.
In this short article, Hayat Ameri, an assistant professor in the Department of Lingusitics at Tarbiat Modares University, resumes a study that was made with 60 teachers and elementary students living in the south of Iran, Khuzestan, where Arab is a commonly used language. The professor states that "differences between morphological and syntactic structure of Arabic language on one side and Persian language on the other, is a significant factor causing problems in speaking, reading and writing skills of Persian at elementary level in bilingual areas" (1).
The conclusion was that these bilingual students have difficulty with verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in Persian. They do not have any difficulty with nouns because most Persian nouns come from Arabic.
This article was particularly interesting to read because, like the previous articles, non-linguistic problems were identified, such as the "inappropriateness of the instructional books, inappropriateness of the teaching methods" (5), and "shortage of educational equipments in the schools" (5). However, it did not precise what these meant.
SOURCES
Academic
Afari, Janet et al. “Iran - Languages.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 13 May 2020, www.britannica.com/place/Iran/Languages.
Ameri, Hayat. “Educational Problems of Bilinguals in Elementary Levels.” Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 114, Feb. 2014, pp. 826–830. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.792.
Anousha Sedighi. “Teaching Persian to Heritage Speakers.” Iranian Studies, vol. 43, no. 5, 2010, p. 683-697. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/00210862.2010.518033.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Pahlavi language.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 16 Aug. 2018, www.britannica.com/topic/Pahlavi-language.
The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. “Persian language.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 4 Oct. 2019, www.britannica.com/topic/Persian-language.
Emmerick, Ronald Eric. “Iranian languages.” Encyclopædia Britannica Online, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 23 Feb. 2016, www.britannica.com/topic/Iranian-languages.
Taleghani, Azita H. “Persian Linguistics in the Twentieth Century.” Iranian Studies, vol. 42, no. 2, 2009, pp. 275–284. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/25597547. Accessed 12 May 2020.
Vakilifard, Amireza, et al. “Investigating Demotivating Factors in Foreign Language Learners: The Case of Non-Iranian Persian Language Learners.” Cogent Education, vol. 7, no. 1, Jan. 2020. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1080/2331186X.2019.1690232.
Windfuhr, Gernot. The Iranian Languages, Routledge, 2009. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=512107&site=eds-live&scope=site&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_446.
Non-Academic
"About." Ajam, ajammusic.com/about-ajam/.
"About Iran." Iran.ir, en.iran.ir/about/.
“Ajam - Oomadam (Official Music Video) / عجم - اومدم” YouTube, uploaded by Ajam Band, 22 Feb. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmdekB45wcc.
"Arabic language v. Arabic Elements in Persian." Encyclopædia Iranica, 20 July 2002, www.iranicaonline.org/articles/arabic-v.
“8. Notre bilan après 2 mois (la sécurité dans la rue).” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 23 Sept. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_RN2IJZDSE.
Emelda, M. "Difference Between Farsi and Persian." Difference Between.net, www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/culture-miscellaneous/difference-between-farsi-and-persian/.
“5. On s'installe ici ?” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 12 Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEIAAjeqMpM&t.
“4. La place de la femme n'est pas celle que l'on croit.” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 29 July 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVe8xuv9BKA&t.
“Learn Persian in 30 Minutes - ALL the Basics You Need.” YouTube, uploaded by Learn Persian with PersianPod101.com, 16 Feb. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdpmOxtUBqE&t.
“9. On doit évacuer la tente au milieu de la nuit.” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 2 Oct. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FD9yC5cc5V0.
“Persian Alphabet. (Learn Farsi with Paria part 2)” YouTube, uploaded by Paria Akhavass, 16 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIqVK37XMd8&feature=youtu.be.
"Persian (Fārsī / فارسی)." Omniglot, omniglot.com/writing/persian.htm.
“The Persian Language and What Makes It Fascinating.” YouTube, uploaded by Langfocus, 24 Jan. 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZtlDNcbeE8&t.
“The Persian Language IN DEPTH.” YouTube, uploaded by Langfocus, 15 Feb. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYLxjL27Q5w&t.
Romero, Angel. "Artist Profiles: Homayoun Shajarian." World Music Central.org, 24 Aug. 2018, worldmusiccentral.org/2018/08/24/artist-profiles-homayoun-shajarian/.
“6. La menace de guerre vécue de l'intérieur.” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 20 Aug. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YJ5Gf2r3sc&t.
“3. Ne viens pas en Iran pendant le ramadan.” YouTube, uploaded by Les Artisans de demain, 22 July 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=craDhdeb0ys&t.
“You Know You Are Dating a Persian (Iranian) Man When...” YouTube, uploaded by Dating Beyond Borders, 14 Mar. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=FZ_eyVDH-Kw&feature=emb_logo.
“You Know You Are Dating a Persian (Iranian) Woman When...” YouTube, uploaded by Dating Beyond Borders, 19 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4N45h5jzQk.