Etymology Map
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Borek

3 stages from Ottoman Turkish to English.

Today it means a baked or fried pastry of thin dough with a savoury filling

Where does the word "borek" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish börek, passing through Bosnian before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
börek
Ottoman Turkish · 1400s-1500s
"filled pastry"
pies of paper-thin dough spread with Ottoman rule across the Balkans and Middle East
2
Stage 2 of 3
burek
Bosnian · 1600s
"meat pastry"
in Bosnia 'burek' means only the meat-filled spiral; cheese or spinach versions are called 'pita'
3
Stage 3 of 3
borek
English · 1900s
"savoury filled pastry"
entered English through Turkish, Balkan and Armenian cooking
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Read the full story

Borek’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: börek meant “filled pastry.” Pies of paper-thin dough spread with Ottoman rule across the Balkans and Middle East. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Bosnian as burek. In Bosnia 'burek' means only the meat-filled spiral; cheese or spinach versions are called 'pita'. It reached English by 1900s as borek. Entered English through Turkish, Balkan and Armenian cooking. Today, borek means a baked or fried pastry of thin dough with a savoury filling.