Jacques Prévert: …poems,” which were collected in Paroles (1945; “Words”). Many were put to music by Josef Kosma and reached a vast audience of young people who liked Prévert’s anticlerical, anarchistic, iconoclastic tones, crackling with humour. He lashed out at stupidity, hypocrisy, and war, and he sang of lovers in the street…

Armenia: Cultural life: …19th and early 20th centuries, Hakob Paronian and Ervand Otian were notable satirical novelists, and Grigor Zohrab wrote realist short stories. Paronian was also a comic playwright, whose plays still entertain Armenian audiences. The most celebrated novelist was Hakob Meliq-Hakobian, called Raffi, and perhaps the best dramatist of recent times…

pun, a humorous use of a word in such a way as to suggest different meanings or applications, or a play on words, as in the use of the word rings in the following nursery rhyme: Common as jokes and in riddles, puns also may be used seriously, as in John Donne’s “A Hymne to God the Father”: This

Herāt: …largest of these is the Selseleh-ye Safīd Kūh (Paropamisus Range). The province is traversed from east to west by the Harīrūd River, along which most of the people live in agricultural oases. The capital, located in the largest oasis, is a centre of Afghan trade with Iran and Turkmenistan and…

homopteran: Sound production: The female of Paropia has a striated tymbal that is poorly developed in the male. The sound-producing organ in the female is probably a primitive condition. Unlike cicadas, several leafhopper males produce calls in darkness and commonly produce mating calls when females are near. Rivalry calls between males…

Páros, island, one of the Cyclades (Modern Greek: Kykládes) in the Aegean Sea, Greece, separated from Náxos (Náchos) on the east by a channel 4 miles (6 km) wide. It constitutes a dímos (municipality) in the South Aegean (Nótio Aigaío) periféreia (region). With an area of 75 square miles (194

salivary gland: The parotid salivary glands, the largest of the three, are located between the ear and ascending branch of the lower jaw. Each gland is enclosed in a tissue capsule and is composed of fat tissue and cells that secrete mainly serous fluids. Each gland’s major duct…

salivary gland: The parotid salivary glands, the largest of the three, are located between the ear and ascending branch of the lower jaw. Each gland is enclosed in a tissue capsule and is composed of fat tissue and cells that secrete mainly serous fluids. Each gland’s major duct…

mumps , acute contagious disease caused by a virus and characterized by inflammatory swelling of the salivary glands. It frequently occurs as an epidemic and most commonly affects young persons who are between 5 and 15 years of age. The incubation period is about 17 to 21 days after contact; danger

Second Coming, in Christianity, the future return of Christ in glory, when it is understood that he will set up his kingdom, judge his enemies, and reward the faithful, living and dead. Early Christians believed the Advent to be imminent (see millennium), and most Christian theologians since then

childhood disease and disorder: Cardiovascular disorders: An exception is paroxysmal atrial tachycardia, a disorder characterized by a steady, rapid heart rate, which in infants may exceed 300 beats per minute. If the disorder persists, it may lead to heart failure. Treatment with digitalis usually restores normal rhythm.

hemolysis:

cardiovascular disease: Ventricular dysfunction in heart failure: …of breath while sleeping (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea) that is related to circulatory inadequacy and fluid overload. When this occurs, the patient is awakened suddenly and suffers severe anxiety and breathlessness that may require half an hour, or longer, from which to recover.

Dombrock blood group system: …a rare condition known as paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria, in which red blood cells undergo premature destruction by immune cells.

Sintra: …the castle, Ferdinand created the Parque da Pena, a series of gardens and walking paths that incorporated more than 2,000 species of domestic and nonnative plants. Loosely adopting the conventions established by the English garden movement in the 18th century, the park incorporates natural elements throughout, adapting to the area’s…

San Rafael National Park, national park, southern Chile, on the Pacific coast. Established in 1945, it occupies an area of 2,300 sq mi (5,900 sq km). One of its great attractions is Laguna San Rafael (Lake San Rafael), a fjord more than 10 mi (16 km) long between Península de Taitao and the

Iguaçu Falls: …Park (1939) in Brazil and Iguazú National Park (1934) in Argentina. Both parks were created to preserve the vegetation, wildlife, and scenic beauty associated with the falls. In 1984 the Argentine park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and two years later the Brazilian park was also granted World…

Iguaçu Falls: …established, one by each country—Iguaçu National Park (1939) in Brazil and Iguazú National Park (1934) in Argentina. Both parks were created to preserve the vegetation, wildlife, and scenic beauty associated with the falls. In 1984 the Argentine park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site, and two years later…

Los Glaciares National Park, national park in Santa Cruz provincia, southwestern Argentina, in the Andes surrounding the western extensions of Lakes Argentino and Viedma, at the Chilean border. It has an area of 1,722 square miles (4,459 square km) and was established in 1937. The park has two

Nahuel Huapí National Park, national park in Río Negro and Neuquén provinces, southwestern Argentina. It encompasses Lake Nahuel Huapí in the Andes adjacent to the Chilean border. It originated as a reserve in 1903 with a private donation of 18,500 acres (7,500 hectares). It became Argentina’s

Chapultepec Zoo, zoo located in Mexico City on the original site of Montezuma’s game reserve. Opened in 1926, the zoo is administered by the municipal government. Its grounds cover 13.5 hectares (33 acres) and house nearly 2,000 specimens of about 280 species, mostly in Victorian-style caging. The

floor covering: Early floor coverings: …was later used decoratively in parquetry designs.

Grenada: French settlement: The French governor of Martinique, Jacques-Dyel du Parquet, purchased Grenada from a French company in 1650 and established a settlement at St. George’s. Grenada remained French until 1762, when it capitulated to the British. It was formally ceded to Britain in 1763 by the Treaty of Paris. In 1779 it…

floor covering: Early floor coverings: …was later used decoratively in parquetry designs.

Catherine Parr was the sixth and last wife of King Henry VIII of England (ruled 1509–47). Catherine was a daughter of Sir Thomas Parr of Kendall, an official of the royal household. She had been widowed twice—in marriages to Edward Borough (b. c. 1508–d. c. 1533) and to John Neville, Lord Latimer

life span: Actual versus possible life span: …physician, performed an autopsy on Thomas Parr and the account of the autopsy was cited for many years as evidence that Harvey—in his paper—had confirmed Parr’s age. Quite apart from the fact that it is impossible to accurately determine the age of a person by an autopsy, Harvey made no…

William Parr, Marquess Northampton was the brother of Henry VIII’s queen Catherine Parr, and a Protestant supporter of Lady Jane Grey and Queen Elizabeth I. He took part in suppressing the uprising in the north of England in 1537 and, after serving as member of Parliament for Northamptonshire, was

Violeta Parra was a Chilean composer, folk singer, and social activist, best known as one of the founders of the politically inflected Nueva Canción (“New Song”) movement. In addition, she painted, wrote poetry, sculpted, and wove arpilleras (folk tapestries). Her best-known song, “Gracias a la

Nicanor Parra was one of the most important Latin American poets of his time, the originator of so-called antipoetry (poetry that opposes traditional poetic techniques or styles). Parra studied mathematics and physics at the University of Chile in Santiago; at Brown University, Providence, Rhode

Violeta Parra was a Chilean composer, folk singer, and social activist, best known as one of the founders of the politically inflected Nueva Canción (“New Song”) movement. In addition, she painted, wrote poetry, sculpted, and wove arpilleras (folk tapestries). Her best-known song, “Gracias a la

parakeet, any of numerous seed-eating parrots of small size, slender build, and long, tapering tail. In this sense the name is given to some 115 species in 30 genera of the subfamily Psittacinae (family Psittacidae) and has influenced another parrot name, lorikeet (see parrot). To indicate size

Hidalgo del Parral, city, south-central Chihuahua estado (state), north-central Mexico. The city, renamed in honour of the patriot Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, lies on the Parral River 5,449 feet (1,661 metres) above sea level and south of Chihuahua, the state capital. An important mining town in the

Parramatta, city within the Sydney metropolitan area, eastern New South Wales, Australia. It lies along the 15-mile- (24-km-) long Parramatta River (which enters Port Jackson harbour). The second European settlement in Australia, it was founded in 1788 by Governor Arthur Phillip as a western

Sir Walter Parratt was an organist who exerted great influence by his understanding of Bach. At age 11, he was organist at a local church, and later held positions as organist of Magdalen College, Oxford (1872) and St. George’s Chapel, Windsor (1882); professor of music, Oxford (1908–18); and

Parrhasius was one of the greatest painters of ancient Greece. Parrhasius was born in Ephesus, Ionia (now part of Turkey), and later settled in Athens. He was praised by ancient critics as a master of outline drawing, and he apparently relied on subtle contours rather than the new technique of

Italy: Birth of the Italian republic: …and Party of Action leader Ferruccio Parri. The CLNs continued to administer the northern regions and the larger northern factories for a short time. Up to 15,000 Fascists were purged or killed, and in some areas (such as Emilia and Tuscany) reprisals continued through 1946. Women “collaborators” had their heads…

Vernon L. Parrington was an American literary historian and teacher noted for his far-reaching appraisal of American literary history. Parrington grew up in Emporia, Kan., and was educated at the College of Emporia and Harvard University. He taught English and modern languages at the College of

Vernon L. Parrington was an American literary historian and teacher noted for his far-reaching appraisal of American literary history. Parrington grew up in Emporia, Kan., and was educated at the College of Emporia and Harvard University. He taught English and modern languages at the College of

Parris Island, one of the Sea Islands on the Atlantic coast, in Port Royal Sound, just south of the island and town of Port Royal, in Beaufort county, southern South Carolina, U.S. Spanish Franciscans and Jesuits came there in the 1520s and attempted to establish missions among the Native

Alexander Parris was an American architect, a principal exponent of the Greek Revival style in early 19th-century Massachusetts. Parris was apprenticed to a carpenter as a boy and subsequently studied design in Portland, Maine. His houses in that city include the Hunnewell-Shepley House (1805) and

Salem witch trials: Fits and contortions: …them by Tituba, Parris’s daughter Betty (age 9), his niece Abigail Williams (age 11), and their friend Ann Putnam, Jr. (about age 12), began indulging in fortune-telling. In January 1692 Betty’s and Abigail’s increasingly strange behaviour (described by at least one historian as juvenile deliquency) came to include fits. They…

Salem witch trials: Setting the scene: …the influence of the Putnams, Samuel Parris, a merchant from Boston by way of Barbados, became the pastor of the village’s Congregational church. Parris, whose largely theological studies at Harvard College (now Harvard University) had been interrupted before he could graduate, was in the process of changing careers from business…

Anne Parrish was an American philanthropist whose school for indigent girls, founded in the late 18th century, existed well into the 20th. Parrish grew up in a Quaker home where charitable works were greatly valued. When her parents fell victim to the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, she vowed that

Celestia Susannah Parrish was an American educator who worked in the South to open higher education to women and to promote progressive education for children. Parrish was orphaned during the Civil War and thereafter was reared by relatives. She received an irregular education but had a strong

Maxfield Parrish was an American illustrator and painter who was perhaps the most popular commercial artist in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The son of an artist, Parrish was educated at Haverford College, Pennsylvania, and studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the

Maxfield Parrish was an American illustrator and painter who was perhaps the most popular commercial artist in the United States in the first half of the 20th century. The son of an artist, Parrish was educated at Haverford College, Pennsylvania, and studied art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the

Leonardo Sciascia: …Le parrocchie di Regalpetra (1956; Salt in the Wound), chronicles the history of a small Sicilian town and the effect of politics on the lives of the townspeople. He further examined what he termed sicilitudine (“Sicilian-ness”) in the four stories of Gli zii di Sicilia (1958; Sicilian Uncles). Although Sicilian…

psittaciform: macaws, and parrotlets (or parrolets), in addition to the lorikeets (including lories) as well as the kea and the kakapo of New Zealand. Members of the cockatoo family, Cacatuidae, live only in the region of Australia and New Guinea. This group also includes

psittaciform, (order Psittaciformes), any member of the group of more than 360 species of generally brightly coloured noisy birds to which the general name parrot may be applied. All belong to just two families. In the family Psittacidae are parakeets (including the budgerigars, rosellas, and

parrot, term applied to a large group of gaudy, raucous birds of the family Psittacidae. Parrot also is used in reference to any member of a larger bird group, order Psittaciformes, which includes cockatoos (family Cacatuidae) as well. Parrots have been kept as cage birds since ancient times, and

Australian literature: Literature in the 21st century: Carey’s other 21st-century efforts included Parrot and Olivier in America (2009), focusing on a character modeled on 19th-century French social observer Alexis de Tocqueville, and Amnesia (2015), which employs cybercrime as the lens through which to view the Battle of Brisbane (1942), a clash between U.S. soldiers and Australian military…

psittacosis, infectious disease of worldwide distribution caused by the bacterial parasite Chlamydia psittaci and transmitted to humans from various birds. The infection has been found in about 70 different species of birds. However, the principal sources of human infection are pet birds, such as

parrot fish, any of about 80 species of fishes of the family Scaridae, a group sometimes regarded as a subfamily of Labridae (order Perciformes), found on tropical reefs. Parrot fishes are elongated, usually rather blunt-headed and deep-bodied, and often very brightly coloured. They have large

heliconia: Major species: …species, the parrot heliconia (H. psittacorum), named for its resemblance to a parrot’s plumage, has greenish yellow flowers with black spots near the tips and red bracts; a number of horticultural varieties of other colours have also been developed. The flower bracts of hanging lobster claw, or false bird-of-paradise…

pitcher plant: Sarraceniaceae: The parrot pitcher plant (S. psittacina) has small, fat, red-veined leaves that are topped by beaklike lids and bears dark red flowers. The sweet pitcher plant (S. rubra) produces dull red, violet-scented flowers. The crimson pitcher plant (S. leucophylla) has white trumpet-shaped pitchers with ruffled upright…

Clianthus: …bill, or red kowhai (Clianthus puniceus), and kakabeak (C. maximus) are native to New Zealand and Australia, respectively. Both plants are grown as ornamentals but are considered endangered species in the wild.

André Parrot was a French archaeologist, Protestant theologian, and museum director noted for having discovered the ancient Mesopotamian city of Mari (now in Syria), previously known only from references in Babylonian texts. Parrot began excavations in 1933 at Tall al-Ḥarīrī and, from a temple

parrotbill, (family Paradoxornithidae), any of several species of small to medium titmouselike birds, mostly brown and gray with soft, loose plumage and distinctive strongly arched, parrotlike bills. They live in brushy grasslands of Central and Eastern Asia. A well-known garden bird in Chinese

Hamamelidaceae: …also an outstanding trait of Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica), a small tree from northern Iran. Its flowers, produced before the leaves, have drooping stamens, lack petals, and have brown leaflike bracts. This tree’s close-grained wood is very strong, as are the twigs of the related Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, which is used…

Hamamelidaceae: …the twigs of the related Parrotiopsis jacquemontiana, which is used in its native Himalayan area for making baskets and bridges. A deciduous tree with petalless flowers, white bracts, and erect stamens, it is taller than Persian ironwood, reaching about 6 metres (20 feet). The still taller Japanese shrub Disanthus cercidifolius…

psittaciform: macaws, and parrotlets (or parrolets), in addition to the lorikeets (including lories) as well as the kea and the kakapo of New Zealand. Members of the cockatoo family, Cacatuidae, live only in the region of Australia and New Guinea. This group also includes

Robert Parker Parrott was an American inventor who developed the rifled cannon known as the Parrott gun, the most formidable cannon of its time. Parrott was graduated from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New York, in 1824 but resigned from the army in 1836 to become superintendent of the

artificial intelligence: English dialogue: …early AI programs, Eliza and Parry, gave an eerie semblance of intelligent conversation. (Details of both were first published in 1966.) Eliza, written by Joseph Weizenbaum of MIT’s AI Laboratory, simulated a human therapist. Parry, written by Stanford University psychiatrist Kenneth Colby, simulated a human paranoiac. Psychiatrists who were asked…

Mauke, easternmost of the southern Cook Islands, a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand in the South Pacific Ocean. Known for its rich soil, Mauke is called the “garden” of the Cook Islands. It is a raised coral atoll of low formation (100 feet [30 metres] high) and oval in

Parry Islands, archipelago in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories, Canada. The archipelago is part of the Queen Elizabeth Islands. It lies south and west of Ellesmere Island in the Arctic Ocean. Major islands are Devon, Cornwallis, Bathurst, Melville, and Prince

pine: Major North American pines: The Parry piñon (P. quadrifolia) is the four-needle piñon of southern California and northern Baja California. Nut pine, or pinyon pine (P. edulis), is the most widely distributed tree of this nut group. The seeds of the group are large and tasty and are sold in…

Parry Sound, town, seat of Parry Sound district, southeastern Ontario, Canada. It lies on the eastern shore of Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, at the mouth of the Seguin River, 120 miles (190 km) north of Toronto. Named in honour of the Arctic explorer Sir William Parry, the town was founded in the

Sir Hubert Hastings Parry, Baronet was a composer, writer, and teacher, influential in the revival of English music at the end of the 19th century. While at Eton, where he studied composition, he took the bachelor of music degree from Oxford (1867). Among his later teachers, the pianist Edward

Homer: Homer as an oral poet: …name of an American scholar, Milman Parry, that the Homeric tradition was an oral one—that this was a kind of poetry made and passed down by word of mouth and without the intervention of writing. Indeed Homer’s own term for a poet is aoidos, “singer.” The Odyssey describes two such…

Celtic literature: The second revival: R. Williams Parry showed a superb gift of poetic observation, while Sir Thomas Parry-Williams combined a mystical love for his native Gwynedd with an almost scientific analysis of his own metaphysical preoccupations. Older poets, such as Cynan (A. Evans-Jones), William Morris, and Wil Ifan (William…

Arcade Fire: …and percussion, along with keyboardist Richard Reed Parry (b. October 4, 1977) and bassist Tim Kingsbury. The band’s ranks continued to swell, including additional drummers, violinists, and others.

Sir Hubert Hastings Parry, Baronet was a composer, writer, and teacher, influential in the revival of English music at the end of the 19th century. While at Eton, where he studied composition, he took the bachelor of music degree from Oxford (1867). Among his later teachers, the pianist Edward

Sir Hubert Hastings Parry, Baronet was a composer, writer, and teacher, influential in the revival of English music at the end of the 19th century. While at Eton, where he studied composition, he took the bachelor of music degree from Oxford (1867). Among his later teachers, the pianist Edward

Arctic: 19th-century attempts at the passage: …in command to Ross was William (later Sir William) Parry. He was not convinced that no sound existed, and in 1819–20, in HMS Hecla and Griper, he made a voyage through Lancaster Sound to Melville Island, where he wintered. Blocked by ice in M’Clure Strait, he next (1821–23) tried the…

Celtic literature: The second revival: …of poetic observation, while Sir Thomas Parry-Williams combined a mystical love for his native Gwynedd with an almost scientific analysis of his own metaphysical preoccupations. Older poets, such as Cynan (A. Evans-Jones), William Morris, and Wil Ifan (William Evans), clung to earlier lyrical models, although many others, like D. Gwenallt…

Persis, ancient country in the southwestern part of Iran, roughly coextensive with the modern region of Fārs. Its name was derived from the Iranian tribe of the Parsua (Parsuash; Parsumash; Persians), who settled there in the 7th century bc. Herodotus lists the leading Persian tribes as the

human nervous system: Midbrain: …the pars reticulata and the pars compacta. Cells of the pars compacta contain the dark pigment melanin; these cells synthesize dopamine and project to either the caudate nucleus or the putamen. By inhibiting the action of large aspiny striatal neurons in the caudate nucleus and the putamen (described above in…

hormone: Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (intermedin): …is also found in the pars distalis of bony fishes. Here neurosecretory fibres arise from a localized region of the hypothalamus, called the nucleus lateralis tuberis, and end in contact either with the various types of secretory cells or with blood capillaries related to them. The other route of chemical…

Italy: The factors shaping political factions: The term pars ecclesiae (“party of the church”), which became more common in the second half of the 13th century, has generally been viewed as a reference to support for the papacy, but it also referred to support for local churches. Both meanings of the term are…

human ear: Tympanic membrane: …the ring is open, the pars flaccida, is slack, but the far greater portion, the pars tensa, is tightly stretched. The appearance and mobility of the tympanic membrane are important for the diagnosis of middle-ear disease, which is especially common in young children. When viewed with the otoscope, the healthy…

endocrine system: Class Insecta: …brain, the largest being the pars intercerebralis. The paired corpora cardiaca (singular, corpus cardiacum) and the paired corpora allata (singular, corpus allatum) are both neurohemal organs that store brain neurohormones, but each has some endocrine cells as well. The ventral nerve cord and associated ganglia also contain neurosecretory cells and…

hormone: Melanocyte-stimulating hormone (intermedin): …route is characteristic of the pars intermedia region, in which neurosecretory fibres from the hypothalamus control the functioning of the secretory cells. If the pars intermedia is separated from its direct connection with the floor of the brain, for example, MSH secretion in amphibians increases, and prolonged darkening of the…

inheritance: Limits on freedom of testation: …share in the estate (pars legitima), of which none of them could be deprived except upon serious cause stated in the will. When, after the fall of the Roman Empire, testamentary disposition came to be recognized again in the later Middle Ages, custom generally required that some minimum share,…

human nervous system: Midbrain: …consists of two parts, the pars reticulata and the pars compacta. Cells of the pars compacta contain the dark pigment melanin; these cells synthesize dopamine and project to either the caudate nucleus or the putamen. By inhibiting the action of large aspiny striatal neurons in the caudate nucleus and the…

human ear: Tympanic membrane: …the far greater portion, the pars tensa, is tightly stretched. The appearance and mobility of the tympanic membrane are important for the diagnosis of middle-ear disease, which is especially common in young children. When viewed with the otoscope, the healthy membrane is translucent and pearl-gray in colour, sometimes with a…

Persis, ancient country in the southwestern part of Iran, roughly coextensive with the modern region of Fārs. Its name was derived from the Iranian tribe of the Parsua (Parsuash; Parsumash; Persians), who settled there in the 7th century bc. Herodotus lists the leading Persian tribes as the

Persepolis, an ancient capital of the kings of the Achaemenian dynasty of Iran (Persia), located about 30 miles (50 km) northeast of Shīrāz in the Fars region of southwestern Iran. The site lies near the confluence of the Pulvār (Sīvand) and Kor rivers. In 1979 the ruins were designated a UNESCO

parsec, unit for expressing distances to stars and galaxies, used by professional astronomers. It represents the distance at which the radius of Earth’s orbit subtends an angle of one second of arc. Thus, a star at a distance of one parsec would have a parallax of one second, and the distance of an

Parsi, member of a group of followers in India of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). The Parsis, whose name means “Persians,” are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by Muslims. They live chiefly in Mumbai and in a few towns and

Zoroastrianism: …(Persian) immigrants are known as Parsis, or Parsees.

Russia: The 20th century: … and the meta-metaphoric poetry of Aleksey Parshchikov, Olga Sedakova, Ilya Kutik, and others. The turbulent 1990s were a difficult period for most Russian writers and poets. The publishing industry, adversely affected by the economic downturn, struggled to regain its footing in the conditions of a market economy. Nonetheless, private foundations…

Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara (“Ford-maker,” i.e., saviour) of the present age, according to Jainism, a religion of India. Parshvanatha was the first Tirthankara for whom there is historical evidence, but this evidence is intricately interwoven with legend. He is said to have preceded by about

Parshvanatha, the 23rd Tirthankara (“Ford-maker,” i.e., saviour) of the present age, according to Jainism, a religion of India. Parshvanatha was the first Tirthankara for whom there is historical evidence, but this evidence is intricately interwoven with legend. He is said to have preceded by about

Parsi, member of a group of followers in India of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). The Parsis, whose name means “Persians,” are descended from Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid religious persecution by Muslims. They live chiefly in Mumbai and in a few towns and

Parsifal, music drama in three acts by German composer Richard Wagner, with a German libretto by the composer. The work was first performed at Bayreuth, Bavaria, Germany, on July 26, 1882, not long before Wagner’s death, on February 13, 1883. The Transformation Music from Act I and the Good Friday

Zoroastrianism: …(Persian) immigrants are known as Parsis, or Parsees.

Occam’s razor, principle stated by the Scholastic philosopher William of Ockham (1285–1347/49) that pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate, “plurality should not be posited without necessity.” The principle gives precedence to simplicity: of two competing theories, the simpler explanation of

C. Lloyd Morgan: …come to be called the principle of parsimony: in Morgan’s words (An Introduction to Comparative Psychology, 1894), “In no case may we interpret an action as the outcome of the exercise of a higher psychical faculty, if it can be interpreted as the outcome of the exercise of one which…

information processing: Semantic content analysis: Syntactic relations are described by parsing (decomposing) the grammar of sentences (Figure 3). For semantic representation, three related formalisms dominate. In a so-called semantic network, conceptual entities such as objects, actions, or events are represented as a graph of linked nodes (Figure 4). “Frames” represent, in a similar graph network,…

Persian literature: Modern Iran: Best known outside Iran is Shahrnoush Parsipour’s novella Zanān bidūn-i mardān (1978; Women Without Men), which recounts the attempts of five women to overcome the limitations put upon their lives by male dominance in a traditional society. Like many other contemporary Iranian writers, Parsipour uses the narrative technique of magic…