dolma

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

Dolma’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: dolma meant “stuffed, filled.” Literally stuffed, from dolmak (to be filled), describing stuffed grape leaves or vegetables. It reached English by 1900s as dolma. Turkish 'stuffed thing', from 'dolmak', to be filled. Today, dolma means a dish of stuffed grape leaves or vegetables, common across the eastern Mediterranean.

1. Stage 1 · Ottoman Turkish · medieval dolma "stuffed, filled", literally stuffed, from dolmak (to be filled), describing stuffed grape leaves or vegetables.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1900s dolma "a dish of stuffed grape leaves or vegetables", Turkish 'stuffed thing', from 'dolmak', to be filled.