Reading: Today’s reading material is a segment from prominent Iranian historian and linguist Ahmad Kasravi’s monumental work “Azari, ya zaban-e bastan-e Azarbaygan” (“Azari, or the ancient language of Azerbaijan”). See the pages 15-16 of the following PDF file.
Listening: Football games in Iran are among the arenas where political controversies and ethnic nationalism often boil over. In this broadcast of “Cheshmandaz”, an analytical program by Iran International, the controversial events surrounding a 2019 soccer match between Tabriz's Tractor Sazi and Tehran's Esteghlal teams are discussed and debated. In particular, the program highlights chants by Tractor fans promoting separatist messages and expressing support for the Turkish army.
Subject of Conversation: Language, ethnicity and national identity (زبان، قومیت و هویت ملی)
In this group discussion, students will reflect on the relationship between language, ethnic identity, and national belonging, with a particular focus on the Turkic-speaking ethnic groups in Iran. The discussion will touch on how linguistic and ethnic identities interact with broader national dynamics. Emphasis will be placed on using key vocabulary from the day’s reading and listening materials to express complex ideas in Persian. Students will be encouraged to share their opinions, compare regional dynamics, and ask one another questions in Persian.
Homework:
- Complete reading the text provided in the reading section and learn the vocabulary.
- Do some research and write a short essay with one of the following titles: “The name of Azarbaijan”; “The language of Azarbaijan”; “Pan-Turkism in Iran”; “The Turkic-speaking population of Iran”.
- Prepare for tomorrow’s discussion.
Vocabulary (Reading):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| جا باز کردن | jā bāz kardan | to make room |
| کنار زدن | kenār zadan | to push out, to expel |
| گذشته از | gozašte az | besides |
| خاندان | xāndān | family, dynasty |
| بیگمان | bigomān | undoubtedly |
| بومی | bumi | native |
| دوبیتی | dobeyti | do-bayti (Persian quatrain) |
| نیا | niyā | ancestor |
| با این حال | bā in hāl | however, nevertheless |
| زیستن | zistan | to live |
| بنیادگزار | bonyādgozār | founder |
| شعر سرودن | še‘r sorudan | to compose poetry |
| از چیزی/کسی پیروی کردن | az čizi/kasi peyravi kardan | to follow something/someone |
| لیکن | likan | however, but |
| ناسازگار | nāsāzegār | incompatible |
| با چیزی سازگار بودن | bā čizi sāzegār budan | to be in accordance with something |
| چیرگی | čiregi | victory |
| چیره شدن | čire šodan | to become victorious |
| رواج | ravāj | prevalence, being common, popularity |
| پدید آمدن | padid āmadan | to emerge, to appear |
| روزگار | ruzegār | era, time, days |
| به سود | be sud-e | to the benefit of |
| در سایه | dar sāye-ye | under the shadow of, thanks to |
| پیش‌آمد | pišāmad | event, happening |
| یکباره | yekbāre | all at once |
| پیرو | peyrou | follower |
| یار | yār | companion, ally |
| صوفیگری | sufigari | Sufism |
| باطنیگری | bātinigari | esotericism |
| خراباتیگری | xarābātigari | dervish-like lifestyle |
| کشتار | koštār | massacre, killing |
| گردانفراز | gardānafraz | brave warrior, self-sacrificer |
| جانباز | jānbāz | martyr, someone who sacrifices himself |
| چامه‌سرایی | čāmesarāyi | composing heroic poetry |
| پنداربافی | pendārbāfi | fantasizing |
| ستایشگری | setāyešgari | eulogizing, praising (in written or oral form) |
| فیروزبختی | firuzbaxti | good fortune |
| دست به دوش کسی نهادن | dast be duš-e kasi nahādan | to stand shoulder to shoulder with someone |
| بدین سان | bedinsān | in this manner, thus |
| لقب | laqab | title, epithet |
Vocabulary (Listening):
| Persian Word | Transcription | English Translation |
| حاشیه (جمع: حواشی) | hāšiye (plur. havāši) | margin, edge |
| سر دادن | sar dādan | to chant |
| نژادپرستانه | nežādparastāne | in a racist manner |
| هوادار | havādār | fan, supporter |
| موجی از | mouji az | a wave of |
| واکنش | vākeoneš | reaction |
| تماشاگر | tamāšāgar | spectator, viewer |
| انتشار | entešār | publication |
| فضای مجازی | fazā-ye majāzi | virtual space |
| محروم شدن | mahrum šodan | to be deprived |
| خودسوزی | xodsuzi | self-immolation |
| بر سیاق | bar siyāq-e | in the style of |
| مضامین (مفرد: مضمون) | mazāmin (sing. mazmun) | themes, contents |
| جدایی‌طلبانه | jodāyitalabāne | separatist, in a separatist manner |
| بیانیه | bayāniyye | statement |
| قابل اغماض | qābel-e eγmāz | tolerable, negligible |
| کارگروه | kārgoruh | working group |
| برخورد | barxord | confrontation |
| شکاف | šekāf | crack, split |
| تخلیه | taxliye | discharge, exhaustion; evacuation |
| صراحتاً | serāhatan | explicitly |
| شماتت | šamātat | rejoicing at the misfortune of another |
| جنایات جنگی | jenāyāt-e jangi | war crimes |
| گستاخانه | gostāxāne | impudently, boldly |
| تحت لوای | taht-e lavā-ye | under the pretext of, under the banner of |
| هویت‌طلبی | hoviyyattalabi | identity-seeking |