In Iran, Pizzas Will Now Be Called Loaves
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has ordered government and cultural bodies to use modified Persian words to replace foreign words that have crept into the language, such as “pizzas,” which will now be known as “elastic loaves,” state media reported Saturday.
The decree, issued last week, orders all governmental agencies, newspapers and publications to use words deemed more appropriate by the official language watchdog, the Farhangestan Zaban va Adab-e-Farsi, or Persian Academy, the official news agency IRNA reported.
The academy has introduced more than 2,000 words as alternatives for some of the foreign words, mostly from Western languages, that have become common in Iran.
The government is less sensitive about Arabic words, because it is the language of the Koran.
Among other changes, a “chat” will become a “short talk” and a “cabin” will be renamed a “small room,” according to the academy’s website.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
