Preserving Persian Script Amid Screens and Social Media
TEHRAN -- In Iran, the preservation and regulation of Persian orthography—rasm-ul-khat—has long been considered not just a matter of linguistic precision but of cultural identity.
For decades, the Academy of Persian Language and Literature has served as the country’s authoritative body on matters of grammar, spelling, and orthographic standards, shaping both educational curricula and public discourse.
“Persian orthography is a visual phenomenon,” notes Morteza Ghasemi, associate professor of Persian grammar at the Academy. “The eyes of readers grow accustomed to it. Media can therefore play a powerful role in normalizing and reinforcing proper usage in both perception and thought.”
The Academy’s Department of Persian Grammar and Orthography was established in 1991, tasked with codifying modern Persian grammar, producing standardized spelling guides, and coordinating with the Ministry of Education to ensure uniformity across textbooks.
Over the years, it has collaborated with universities, media organizations, and even the national broadcaster to implement these standards. The department’s early leaders, including the late Ali-Ashraf Sadeghi, oversaw
the first official Persian orthography manual in 2002 and a subsequent revised edition.
Later, Muhammad Dabirmoqaddam, another senior Academy member, spearheaded a comprehensive review of the orthography rules, culminating in the 2022 edition of the Persian orthography guide, now undergoing further refinement after three years of public feedback.
Beyond textual codification, the Academy has engaged deeply with the digital and social media landscape, confronting the growing influence of colloquial and spoken Persian in online communication.
Scholars have long warned against the intrusion of informal speech into written texts, fearing it could erode the language’s precision and cultural resonance.
Yet, rather than attempting a strict prohibition, the Academy has sought to chart a pragmatic course: developing a “spoken Persian orthography” that establishes clear conventions for casual, online, and multimedia contexts.
This approach acknowledges the realities of contemporary communication while maintaining a standard reference for formal writing.
The Academy’s efforts extend into education. Since 2011, a dedicated Department of Persian Language Education has monitored textbooks and curricula, ensuring that Academy-approved orthography and terminology reach students from primary school through high school.
Legal mandates reinforce this effort: a 1996 law and its executive regulations explicitly prohibit the use of foreign terms in official publications, and a 2006 presidential directive required state-run media and subsidized publications to follow the Academy’s approved orthography.
Despite these formal structures, challenges persist. Enforcement is inconsistent, particularly in early education, and the rapid expansion of digital media has introduced new orthographic variations at a pace the Academy struggles to match. Yet the institution’s approach is deliberate and culturally attuned.
By leveraging broadcast media, online platforms, and educational programs, the Academy aims not simply to impose rules but to habituate readers to the visual and intellectual standards of Persian orthography.
In doing so, it seeks to ensure that the Persian language continues to carry the moral, philosophical, and historical values embedded in its literature, sustaining a linguistic and cultural continuity that is central to Iranian identity.
As Ghasemi emphasizes, “Persian is more than a language; it is the vessel of civilization, ethics, mysticism, and hope. Preserving its orthography is preserving the very lens through which a culture understands itself and communicates with the world.”