‘Haftak’ and ‘Padpakhsh’; The Difficult Path of Suggested Words by the Academy

The recent selection of new words by the Academy of Persian Language and Literature has once again drawn the attention of media and users. Nasrin Parvizi, the deputy of word selection at the Academy, recently announced that the Academy has chosen the Persian equivalent ‘Haftak’ for the foreign word ‘tick’. Ms. Parvizi stated that the choice of this word is due to the similarity of the tick mark (✔️) with the Persian number seven and mentioned that instead of the verb ‘to tick’, one can use its equivalent ‘haftak zadan’. In August, the word ‘Padpakhsh’ was also approved as the Persian equivalent of the English word ‘podcast’. Ms. Parvizi explained that in the word ‘padpakhsh’, the ‘pad’ part was accepted, and the word ‘pakhsh’ was chosen instead of ‘cast’. In another part of the interview, Ms. Parvizi mentioned that the word ‘Webava’ was initially suggested in 1385 (2006), but due to ‘user complaints’, the word ‘padpakhsh’ replaced it. The Academy has also approved new words for word combinations; for example, ‘padsazi’ instead of ‘ing’ and ‘namapad’ instead of ‘video’ are used. Additionally, for the word ‘podcatcher’, which refers to any program for receiving and broadcasting podcasts, the word ‘padgir’ has been approved. The Academy's specialized word selection groups have approved about 70,000 words in various fields over the past years. Some of these words have gradually been used, but many have not gained attention, and some have become subjects of humor among citizens. Mazaher Shahamat, a poet and literary critic, accuses the Islamic Republic of politicizing language in this regard, while Hafez Khiyavi, a fiction writer residing in Iran, states that he will not use the Academy's words until they are used by the people. However, Ali Abdollahi, a poet and translator residing in Germany, claims that he strives to use Persian equivalents, especially in translation. The Academy of Persian Language and Literature has a long history in Iran, but especially during the Islamic Republic, its performance has faced much criticism. Shahamat holds the Islamic Republic responsible for the Academy's performance, while Abdollahi argues that the positive actions of the Academy in any period should not be denied. Daryush Ashouri, a prominent scholar, translator, and linguist, previously told Radio Farda that the acceptance of new words relates to ‘language habits, and people must get used to certain things’. He also explained the strangeness of some Academy words: ‘For example, consider the word university, which was created as an equivalent for the French ‘université’. The late Abbas Eqbal, a prominent scholar and historian, would say, “Even if you hit my head, I will not say university; I will say université or dar al-ilm.” This relates to his language habits. But for me and the generations after me who grew up with the word university, it is not a strange word; however, for him, it was very strange.’ Ashouri emphasized that words that are more readable and compatible with public taste and language habits are accepted, while those that do not meet this standard are naturally discarded. Currently, the authority of the Academy of Persian Language has diminished due to the widespread prevalence of internet communications and extensive migrations from Iran and Afghanistan in recent decades, as well as the establishment of numerous Persian-language publications and media abroad. Language boundaries are no longer limited to geographical borders, and this dispersion has made the creation and acceptance of new words more difficult than ever.