Persian Language Dominance and the Loss of Minority Languages in Iran

Abstract

Iran is home to many different ethnic groups who speak different minority languages. Despite that, the Persian language, among others, has dominated other languages and connected Iranian diverse ethnic and linguistic groups with each other. Scholars have attributed its dominance to its linguistic features and the attempts of Iranian elites throughout history to safeguard the Iranian culture and the Persian language from those of non-Iranian ones. Iranian elites have endeavoured not only to maintain the Persian language but purge it from non-Persian words and concepts, namely Arabic and Turkish. However, as a result of that dominance, not only other minority languages in Iran have been lost but their speakers shifted toward the Persian language. This paper presents a historical account of that language dominance and loss to advocate that Iranian linguists and language revitalizers can learn from the language revitalization practices around the world to maintain and revitalize their minority languages.