Arya (Iran)

Arya (Avestan: 𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, airiia; Old Persian: 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹, ariyaʰ; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭩𐭫‎, er; Parthian: 𐭀𐭓𐭉‎, ary; Bactrian: αρια, aria;) was the ethnonym used by Iranians during the early History of Iran. In contrast to cognates of Arya used by the Vedic people and Iranic steppe nomads, the term is commonly translated using the modern ethnonym Iranian.

During Old Iranian times, Arya was used in an ethnic, linguistic and religious sense. It also acquired a political meaning, during the Middle Iranian period, as Eran Shar (dominion of the Aryas). Arya was also contrasted with Anarya (Avestan: 𐬀𐬥𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀, anairiia; Middle Persian: 𐭠𐭭𐭩𐭥‎, aner), denoting foreign lands and peoples.

After the Islamic conquest of Iran, the ethnonym fell out of use, but the term Eran (of the Aryas) experienced a revival during the Iranian Renaissance, now as a toponym for Greater Iran. The modern ethnonym Iranian is a back-formation from the toponym Eran, itself a back-formation from the older Arya.