Etymology Map
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Chorba

4 stages from Persian to English.

Today it means a soup or stew of Turkey and the Balkans

Where does the word "chorba" come from? It comes from Persian shūrbā, passing through Ottoman Turkish and Serbian before entering English (1900s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
shūrbā
Persian · medieval
"salty stew"
from 'shūr', salty, plus 'bā', stew
2
Stage 2 of 4
çorba
Ottoman Turkish · 1500s
"soup"
the soup kitchens of Ottoman charitable complexes fed the poor with çorba
3
Stage 3 of 4
čorba
Serbian · 1600s
"soup"
spread with Ottoman rule across the Balkans
4
Stage 4 of 4
chorba
English · 1900s
"soup"
entered English through Balkan and Turkish cooking
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Read the full story

Chorba’s story begins in Persian: shūrbā meant “salty stew.” From 'shūr', salty, plus 'bā', stew. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as çorba. The soup kitchens of Ottoman charitable complexes fed the poor with çorba. From there it passed into Serbian as čorba by 1600s. Spread with Ottoman rule across the Balkans. It reached English by 1900s as chorba. Entered English through Balkan and Turkish cooking. Today, chorba means a soup or stew of Turkey and the Balkans.