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🧑‍🦳 A follower 📜 Related to faith
Zoroastrian

Zoroastrian

3 9.9
A person who follows the ancient Persian religion of Zoroaster
  • noun
  • /ˌzɔːrəˈæstriən/
translation icon : zoroastriano
  • Then why don't they do something to stop the persecution of Jews, Bahais, and Zoroastrians in Iranistan?

Examples

  • The Zoroastrian community celebrates several important festivals, such as Nowruz, the Persian New Year.

  • These were non-Muslims, including Christians, Jews and Zoroastrians, who were treated as an underclass and made to pay extra tax.

  • We Zoroastrians leave our bodies to the vultures.

    The Physician (2013)

  • The Jews and Zoroastrians are among the oldest non-Muslim communities in Iran.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Both the Jews and Zoroastrians also had one deputy each representing the interests of their communities in the pre-Islamic Republic era.

    Academic text (2007)

  • Freddie, your parents... they're conservative Zoroastrians.

    Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

  • The Zoroastrian's ash-colored skin stretched taut over fragile bones.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • The Indian immigrant community in DFW is composed of Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Zoroastrians, and some smaller religious communities.

    Academic text (2005)

  • First, among the long-extant religious minorities within Iran, both Jews and Zoroastrians proved among the most eager converts to the Bahá'í faith.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Many Zoroastrians believe in the concept of dualism, where good and evil are in constant conflict.

Surface Forms

Zoroastrian singular
Zoroastrians plural

Morphology

Zoroastrian = Zoroaster (semi-transparent) = Zoroaster + ian

The suffix '-ian' productively marks affiliation or origin, so form is regular, but understanding requires knowledge of the proper name Zoroaster which many learners may not have.

Etymology

Zoroastrian comes from the prophet Zoroaster, whose old Persian name Zarathustra is often said to mean 'golden star' or 'golden light'. So a Zoroastrian is a follower of Zoroaster and of the ancient Persian faith that values light and truth.