▁Pers ian ▁is ▁the ▁appropriate ▁design ation ▁of ▁the ▁language ▁in ▁English , ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁the ▁longer ▁tradition ▁in ▁western ▁languages ▁and ▁better ▁express es ▁the ▁role ▁of ▁the ▁language ▁as ▁a ▁mark ▁of ▁cultural ▁and ▁national ▁continu ity . ▁E min ent ▁Iran ian ▁historian ▁and ▁lingu ist ▁E hs an ▁Y ar sh ater , ▁founder ▁of ▁Encyclop ædia ▁Iran ica ▁and ▁the ▁Center ▁for ▁Iran ian ▁Studies ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University , ▁mentions ▁the ▁same ▁concern ▁in ▁an ▁academic ▁journal ▁on ▁Iran ology , ▁reject ing ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁Far si ▁in ▁foreign ▁languages . ▁ ▁Et ym olog ically , ▁the ▁Pers ian ▁term ▁ ▁der ives ▁from ▁its ▁earlier ▁form ▁ ▁( ▁in ▁Middle ▁Pers ian ), ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁comes ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁root ▁as ▁the ▁English ▁term ▁Pers ian . ▁The ▁ph on em ic ▁shift ▁from ▁ ▁to ▁ ▁is ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁medieval ▁Arab ic ▁influ ences ▁that ▁followed ▁the ▁Arab ▁con quest ▁of ▁Iran , ▁and ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁lack ▁of ▁the ▁ph on eme ▁ ▁in ▁Standard ▁Arab ic . ▁ ▁Standard ▁vari eties ' ▁names ▁ ▁Iran ' s ▁standard ▁Pers ian ▁has ▁been ▁called , ▁apart ▁from ▁Pers ian ▁and ▁Far si , ▁by ▁names ▁such ▁as ▁Iran ian ▁Pers ian ▁and ▁Western ▁Pers ian , ▁exclus ively . ▁Official ly , ▁the ▁official ▁language ▁of ▁Iran ▁is ▁designated ▁simply ▁as ▁Pers ian ▁( , ▁). ▁ ▁D ari ▁Pers ian ▁( , ▁), ▁that ▁is ▁the ▁standard