ایران

For Iranians, ایران carries layers older than the modern state: Ferdowsi's Shahnameh repeatedly invokes ایران زمین (irân-zamin), "the land of Iran," as a poetic homeland. The distinction between "Persia" abroad and "Iran" at home still surfaces in diaspora identity debates. The adjective ایرانی (irâni) covers nationality; پارسی or فارسی refers to the language and Persian cultural heritage.