C14: from Old French, from Medieval Latin persus, perhaps changed from Latin Persicus Persian
Perse in British English
(pɜːs, French pɛrs)
noun
Saint-John (ˈsɪndʒən), real name Alexis Saint-Léger. 1887–1975, French poet, born in Guadeloupe. His works include Anabase (1922) and Chronique (1960). Nobel prize for literature 1960