alFarsi

alFarsi is a nisba, an Arabic-language descriptive element attached to a personal name to indicate origin or affiliation. Specifically, alFarsi denotes Persian origin, derived from Farsi, the self-designation of the Persian language. In Arabic spelling, the nisba appears in variants such as al-Fārisi, al-Fārsi, or al-Farsi, depending on transliteration and vocalization.

Historically, the nisba al-Farsi has been used in biographical and scholarly literature to identify individuals who were Persian or connected with Persia (the broader cultural and geographic region of Iran and surrounding areas). As with other nisbas, it functions as a descriptor within a full Arabic name, rather than as a standalone surname in the modern sense.

In modern contexts, alFarsi can appear as a surname or pen name, sometimes rendered simply as Farsi or Fārisi in English transliteration. The form chosen often reflects regional orthography, personal preference, or the conventions of publishing in a given language.

Because alFarsi is a linguistic marker rather than a single person, institution, or concept, its interpretation depends on context within historical or contemporary texts. Researchers encountering the nisba should consider transliteration variants and the possibility of regional differences in naming conventions.

See also: nisba, Fars, Persian language (Fārsi).