It traces the historical development of the Persian language, providing a comprehensive resource to scholars and academic researchers, as well as describing usage in its many variations throughout the world.

The original series initially consisted of 3 million records (Persian: برگه, bargeh, lit.

'note slips') (up to 100 records for each word or proper noun) until Dehkhoda's death and currently contains 500,000 entries that according to the latest digital release of the dictionary by Tehran University Press (version 3.0) are based on an ever-growing library of over 2300 volumes in lexicology and various other scientific fields.

The work became so significant that in 1945, a bill was proposed in the Majles, signed by numerous members of the Iranian Parliament, including Mohammed Mossadegh, to allocate a special budget and staff to completing the project.

Offices were provided for the task inside the compounds of the Majles itself, and later on, the entire project was moved to University of Tehran College of Humanities, with additional staffing, where the Dehkhoda Institute was founded, and where it remains until this day.