PERS

Pers is a historical term tied to Persis, the ancient region in southwestern Iran known in Greek and Latin sources as Persis or Pars. The name lies at the root of Persia, the traditional Western designation for the Iranian realm. In various sources, Pers can be encountered as an abbreviated or anglicized form referring to the people or language of Persia, though it is not commonly used as a separate modern demographic label.

Persians are an Iranian ethnic group who speak Persian, or Farsi, a member of the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European language family. Today, Persian-speaking populations are concentrated mainly in Iran, with Dari spoken in Afghanistan and Tajik in Tajikistan, reflecting historic linguistic and cultural ties across the Persianate world. The term Pers is more often encountered in historical or scholarly contexts rather than in contemporary everyday usage.

Historically, Persis (Pars) was the homeland of the Achaemenid Empire, established in the 6th century BCE, with Persepolis among its iconic royal sites. The Achaemenids were followed by Parthian and Sassanian dynasties, all of which drew on Persian cultural and administrative traditions. After the Islamic conquest, Persianate empires and cultural spheres continued to shape much of the region, influencing language, literature, art, and governance for many centuries. The Western name Persia remained in common use until the early 20th century, when the government of Iran requested that foreign nations adopt Iran as the official name of the country.

In modern usage, the term Persian typically denotes the language and the ethnolinguistic group associated with Iran and neighboring Persianate regions, while Pers as a standalone label is largely confined to historical or linguistic discussions. See also Pars, Fars Province, Persian language, Iran.