Farsiwan

Fārsīwān (Persian: فارسیوان or its regional forms: Pārsīwān or Pārsībān meaning Persian speaker) is a contemporary designation for Persian-speaking communities in Afghanistan and its diaspora. Historically, the term was used to refer to settled farmers and urban dwellers who spoke Persian, and who are largely identified with the Tajik population.

The name combines the word "Fārsī" with the Persian suffix "wān". "Wān" is the local colloquial pronunciation of the more commonly known Persian suffix "bān". The exchange of the "b" sound for the softer "w" sound is common in the Persian spoken in Afghanistan, as in "āb", meaning water, being pronounced as "aw".

Although Farsiwans are sometimes erroneously referred to as Tajiks in literature, the term primarily denotes Persian-speaking, sedentary communities, historically distinguished by their adherence to Shia Islam and their roles as farmers and urban dwellers. The term Farsiwan has sometimes been applied by Pashtuns to refer both to Tajiks and to the other settled Persian-speaking groups.