Aab: water
Aabad: a suffix used in place names meaning a habitable community, village, or city
Ahura Mazda: a deity of goodness and light in Zoroastrianism, literally the Wise God
Andarooni: inner
Ayatollah: a title for high-ranking Shia clerics
Basij: a paramilitary volunteer militia organization under the order of the Supreme Leader
Basiji: a member of the paramilitary volunteer militia organization
Baten: the inner truth
Bonyad: a revolutionary and religious foundation engaged in economic and business activities
Birooni: outer
Chelo: saffroned Persian rice
Chelo-Kabab: saffroned Persian rice and kabab
Faghih: a Shia jurist
Hijab: a veil that covers the head and chest
Hoseiniyeh (Huseiniyeh): a Shia congregation place serving as site for religious ceremonies especially during the anniversary of Imam Hossein’s martyrdom
Imam: one of the 12 Shia religious leaders
Imamzadeh: a shrine-tomb of the descendants of Imams who are related to Prophet Mohammad
Iran-shahr: the Greater Iran, the regions of western, central and southern Asia that have been under Iranian rule
Jameheh-ye Kolangi: “pick-axe society,” a society marked by short-termism
Koncour: a standardized test used as one of the means to gain admission to public universities
Majles Shoora Eslami: the Iranian Parliament
Marja: a high ranking Shia cleric
Mojahedin: (People’s Mojahedin of Iran): a left-leaning Islamist-Marxist group opposing the Shah and the Islamic Republic regimes
Partibazi: benefiting from the advantages to which one is not entitled by establishing privileged interpersonal relationships
Pool-Chai: literally tea expenses, small bribes
Mojtahed: a high-ranking cleric who masters the religious jurisprudence and theology
Ostan: Iranian name for province
Ostandar: governor of a province
Qanat: a series of well-like vertical shafts, connected by sloping tunnels
Raante: rent
Ravabet: relationships
Taarof: a mixture of polite and friendly expressions and gestures
Tazieh: a theatrical passion play
Vali-Faghih: the Supreme Leader
Velayat Faghih: guardianship of the jurist
Zaher: the appearance