Etymology Map
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Cacik

2 stages from Ottoman Turkish to English.

Today it means a Turkish cold dish of yogurt, cucumber, garlic and mint

Where does the word "cacik" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish cacık, adopted directly into English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 2
cacık
Ottoman Turkish · 1600s
"yogurt and cucumber dish"
older forms meant a kind of edible herb; Greek 'tzatziki' is borrowed from it
2
Stage 2 of 2
cacik
English · 1900s
"yogurt and cucumber dip"
entered English through Turkish restaurants, often thinner than Greek tzatziki
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Read the full story

Cacik’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: cacık meant “yogurt and cucumber dish.” Older forms meant a kind of edible herb; Greek 'tzatziki' is borrowed from it. It reached English by 1900s as cacik. Entered English through Turkish restaurants, often thinner than Greek tzatziki. Today, cacik means a Turkish cold dish of yogurt, cucumber, garlic and mint.