One Thousand & One Persian-English Proverbs: Learning Language and Culture Through Commonly Used Sayings (Paperback)

by Simin K. Habibian (Author), Hadi Khorsandi (Author), Shusha Guppy (Author) "A cultural gap is growing between the adults and children of Iranian families residing outside of Iran..." (more)
Key Phrases: Simin Habibian, New York

Editorial Reviews

Review
The collection is an indispensible reference material for Persian Language courses. -- Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

The collection is an indispensible reference material for Persian Language courses. --Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

Product Description
This third edition has collected 1001 of the most well-known Persian proverbs and has found the equivalent or similar of each in English. A literal translation of each proverb in English is included. In addition, 180 proverbs with illustrations have been included for the reader to guess at. An answer key in the back tells the reader which proverb each illustration represents.

The book is suited for those learning Persian and for second generation Iranian-Americans who wish to further expand their understanding of their mother language and culture. The reader who does not read or speak Persian will also find it a pleasant read.

It includes introductions by Shusha Guppy and Hadi Khorsandi.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Ibex Pub; 3 edition (January 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1588140210
• ISBN-13: 978-1588140210
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #134,231 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great learning tool, March 22, 2006

By	S. M. Hogan (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

and fun to boot. The literal translations of the proverbs make this book very useful for building your Persian vocabulary. I've learned literally hundreds of new words making my way through this book. I also appreciate the concise but information-packed footnotes.

My only request if Ms. Habibian ever does another edition would be for a little more vowelling or transliteration, especially for the more unusual words. That would make this book an even better learning tool.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove of wisdom, February 9, 2008

By	Jean Michael Guhl (McLean, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

If someone is curious about Iran and the Iranians, this book is just the right way to learn as it is a pleasant and fun-packed way to discover other facets of human wisdom. Are the Iranians as different from us that some largely uncultured US media would like them to be? Certainly not! As a student in 3rd year of farsi, I have found this book excellent to memorize many words and phrases. Persian proverbs are often close if not pure poetry. As all Iranians have a strong liking for root-deep sayings, just learn a few, and you'll sure to make new friends when traveling abroad or in LA!
"You have to see Leyli from the eyes of Majnoon". A nice reading even for those who don't read farsi.