Persian Cataloging Page -- Guidelines for Establishing Persian Names

Guidelines for Cataloging Persian Materials

Choice of Entry for Classical Authors

The choices of entry element for Persian classical authors remain the same as for Arabic classical authors. The main entry element may be any of the various elements of a name -- khitab, kunyah, ism, patronymic, laqab, or nisbah. "Determine this from reference sources" (22.22B1). If the author is very well known or if the classical person is not an author, reference sources such as the Encyclopaedia Iranica, Encyclopaedia of Islam, Encyclopaedia Britannica may be consulted and their data (dates, etc.) quoted in headings as they appear. In general, consult at least one reference source aside from the piece in hand as follows:
  1. If the author is found in Fihrist-i mustanad, choose the element(s) in the entry-heading as the main heading entry element.
  2. If the author is not found in Fihrist-i mustanad, consult Storey or any other reference source. If the author is not found in any other reference source than Fihrist-i mustanad, use the entry element(s) as found and provide references as appropriate.
  3. If the author is not found in any reference sources, choose as the main heading entry element a surname in the following order:
    1. Takhallus.
    2. Phrases marked ma'ruf bih, mashhur bih, etc.
    3. Any unusual surname (not derived from a place name or madhhab).
    4. A surname derived from a place name (Isfahani).
    5. A surname derived from a madhab (Shafii)
  4. If there are no surname elements present, enter under the ism and father-patronymic in direct order.
      Note: In citing a second or third reference source, quote the name in full.
Persian Cataloging Page -- Guidelines for Establishing Persian Names