dervish

Where does the word "dervish" come from? It comes from Persian darvish, and was adopted directly into English (1500s).

Dervish’s story begins in Persian: darvish meant “a poor mendicant, a Sufi ascetic.” A Sufi Muslim ascetic known for whirling meditative dance. It reached English by 1500s as dervish. Persian 'poor man'; first recorded around 1550 in the Scots tract 'The Complaynt of Scotland'; the Mevlevi order founded by followers of Rumi is known for its whirling dance. Today, dervish means a member of a Sufi Muslim order known for ascetic practice and whirling dance.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval darvish "a poor mendicant, a Sufi ascetic", a Sufi Muslim ascetic known for whirling meditative dance.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1500s dervish "a member of a Sufi order known for ecstatic dance", Persian 'poor man'; first recorded around 1550 in the Scots tract 'The Complaynt of Scotland'; the Mevlevi order founded by followers of Rumi is known for its whirling dance.