parasang

Meaning

Noun

• A historical Iranian unit of itinerant distance used throughout the Western Mediterranean and the Middle East in antiquity, originally the distance travelled in one hour, and generally assumed to be equivalent to about six kilometres.

Origin

• From Latin parasanga, from Ancient Greek παρασάγγης, from unattested Old Persian *frasanhva- (indigenously attested only in Middle Iranian onwards); compare Middle Persian ("frasang (4 Roman miles)") (whence Persian فرسنگ). farsang.