آریا

Learned borrowing from Old Persian 𐎠𐎼𐎡𐎹 (a-r-i-y /⁠Aryaʰ⁠/) or Avestan 𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬋 (aⁱriiō), ultimately from Proto-Indo-Iranian *Áryas (see for more information). Doublet of ایر (êr, “Iranian”), which was inherited via Middle Persian 𐭠𐭩𐭫 (ʾyl /⁠ēr⁠/). Compare Urdu آریہ (ārya, “Aryan”). Attested in the Neo-Persian period when used by Hamza Isfahani in the 10th century AD as a synonym of ایران (êrân, “Iran”). The modern usage of it in reference to the supposed Aryan race dates back to the early 20th century, when Sadeq Rezazadeh Shafaq became the first to use it in place of the earlier آریان (âryân), which was borrowed in the late 19th century from either French aryen or English Aryan by Mirza Aqa Khan Kermani.