Etymology Map
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Balkan

3 stages from Ottoman Turkish to English.

Today it means relating to the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, or the region itself

Where does the word "balkan" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish balkan, passing through German before entering English (1800s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
balkan
Ottoman Turkish · medieval
"wooded mountains"
the Turkish name for the Stara Planina range that crosses Bulgaria
2
Stage 2 of 3
Balkanhalbinsel
German · 1808
"Balkan Peninsula"
the geographer August Zeune extended the mountain name to the whole 'Balkan Peninsula' in 1808
3
Stage 3 of 3
Balkan
English · 1800s
"of or relating to the Balkan Peninsula"
the mountain-range name had reached English by 1794 for the Stara Planina alone; the peninsula-wide sense followed Zeune's German coinage
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Read the full story

Balkan’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: balkan meant “wooded mountains.” The Turkish name for the Stara Planina range that crosses Bulgaria. By 1808, the word had taken hold in German as Balkanhalbinsel. The geographer August Zeune extended the mountain name to the whole 'Balkan Peninsula' in 1808. It reached English by 1800s as Balkan. The mountain-range name had reached English by 1794 for the Stara Planina alone; the peninsula-wide sense followed Zeune's German coinage. Today, balkan means relating to the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe, or the region itself.