Persian
Glottolog calls it: Western Farsi
Reference material, with every source named. Our own communities are further down the page.
Endangerment status
Not endangered
Children are still learning this language at home.
Source: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master)
ISO 639-3 pes · ISO 639-1 fa · Glottocode west2369
Speakers at home
The census does not count this language separately. It is folded into a broader category, and the figures below are that whole category — not this language. How many of those people speak it is recorded nowhere. Category: Persian (incl. Farsi, Dari)
By state
- California234,187limited English 91,794
- Texas43,774limited English 15,924
- Virginia37,590limited English 14,317
- New York29,802limited English 11,871
- Maryland17,419limited English 6,715
- Washington16,825limited English 6,396
- Georgia11,278limited English 3,717
- Florida11,057limited English 3,185
- Illinois9,769limited English 3,349
- Massachusetts8,895limited English 2,783
- Arizona8,813limited English 3,191
- Pennsylvania6,880limited English 2,168
- New Jersey6,577limited English 2,049
- Nevada6,011limited English 2,631
- Ohio5,742limited English 1,899
- Michigan5,453limited English 2,286
- Colorado5,413limited English 1,953
- North Carolina5,385limited English 1,814
- Oregon5,152limited English 1,906
- Indiana3,472limited English 969
- Minnesota3,100limited English 1,287
- Tennessee3,024limited English 1,066
- Utah2,956limited English 1,052
- Connecticut2,901limited English 632
- Oklahoma2,635limited English 844
- Missouri2,392limited English 1,096
- Nebraska1,944limited English 842
- Wisconsin1,774limited English 732
- Louisiana1,743limited English 973
- Kentucky1,666limited English 462
- Kansas1,624limited English 479
- South Carolina1,528limited English 567
- New Mexico1,340limited English 421
- Idaho1,243limited English 799
- Iowa1,167limited English 374
- Alabama1,041limited English 279
- Maine876limited English 440
- Hawaii585limited English 19
- Rhode Island462limited English 131
- New Hampshire432limited English 269
- Delaware363limited English 187
- North Dakota307limited English 94
- Vermont254limited English 7
- Arkansas250limited English 40
- West Virginia214limited English 50
- South Dakota160limited English 114
- Mississippi146limited English 21
- Alaska111limited English 56
- Montana86limited English 0
- Wyoming30limited English 0
By city
- Los Angeles52,292limited English 19,128
- New York City14,513limited English 7,214
- San Diego14,301limited English 4,542
- San Jose8,713limited English 2,462
- Houston8,091limited English 2,528
- Sacramento4,235limited English 1,964
- Chicago2,981limited English 264
- Dallas2,697limited English 731
- Seattle2,622limited English 1,597
- Boston1,826limited English 505
- Phoenix1,355limited English 1,005
- Charlotte1,176limited English 587
- Philadelphia984limited English 251
- Columbus859limited English 312
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year. The second figure counts people who speak English less than “very well”.
The census publishes this table for every state but for only a handful of cities. A city missing from this list is one it does not publish, not one where nobody speaks the language.
Help record this language 0 / 10
Ten small things, each answerable in under a minute by anyone who speaks the language. You do not need to prepare, and you do not have to do them in order.
- A greetingnone yet
How do you greet someone, and how do they answer?
- Numbersnone yet
Count from one to ten.
- Familynone yet
The words for mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, child.
- Saying goodbyenone yet
How did the oldest person you knew say goodbye?
- Foodnone yet
Name a dish and say how it is made.
- Weather and seasonsnone yet
Describe today’s weather, then name the seasons.
- A place namenone yet
The name of your home place in this language, and what it means.
- A proverbnone yet
A saying that does not translate well. Say it, then explain it.
- A song for a childnone yet
Sing something that was sung to you.
- A storynone yet
A story you were told as a child. Take as long as you need.
Join a community for this language to add a recording
You keep what you record. It stays credited to you, nobody else can change it, and you can delete it at any time.
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CultureMesh, "Persian" language page (https://www.culturemesh.com/languages/persian-22). Endangerment status: Glottolog (glottolog-cldf, master). Speakers at home: US Census Bureau, ACS table B16001 (via Census Reporter), ACS 2024 5-year.