Parsi

• a person from Pars (the middle-Persian word for Fars), a region now within the geographical boundaries of Iran, and is roughly the original homeland of the Persian people. The word Persia itself derives from Persis, the Greek form of Pars.
• a member of the close-knit Zoroastrian community from/in India, and are descendants of people who, in the 8th century, emigrated to India from Persia to escape religious persecution. Indian census data (2001) records 69,601 Parsis in India, with a concentration in and around the city of Bombay. The number of Parsis worldwide is estimated to be less than 100,000. In 2004, the Indian government accorded the Parsi community the status of scheduled tribe which provides them with special protection and direct representation in Parliament. One famous Parsi was singer-musician Freddie Mercury.

See also Persian language#Nomenclature where Parsi is

1. the Persian language term for the Persian language itself.
2. the Persian language term for a speaker of the Persian language.

Parsee is the British colonial english spelling for Parsi.

External references

• UNESCO's cultural diversity program foundation for the preservation of Parsi and Zoroastrian culture and heritage: http://www.unescoparzor.com/