Back to all words

Dolman

4 stages from Ottoman Turkish to English.

Today it means a long Turkish robe; a hussar's braided jacket; a loose cape-like women's garment

Where does the word "dolman" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish dolama, passing through Hungarian and German before entering English (1580s).

dolama→dolmány→Dolman→dolman

Ottoman Turkish · 1500s

a long robe worn by the Janissaries, from 'dolamak', to wind around

Hungarian · 1600s

"hussar's jacket"

Hungarian hussars made it a short braided jacket, and hussar uniform spread across European armies

German · 1700s

"hussar's jacket"

adopted with the hussar regiments of Prussia and Austria

English · 1580s

"a hussar's jacket; a cape-like coat"

first a Turkish robe; 'dolman sleeves', cut deep from the waist, date from 1930s fashion

Drag to pan · scroll to zoom

Read the full story

Dolman’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: dolama meant “long robe.” A long robe worn by the Janissaries, from 'dolamak', to wind around. By 1600s, the word had taken hold in Hungarian as dolmány. Hungarian hussars made it a short braided jacket, and hussar uniform spread across European armies. From there it passed into German as Dolman by 1700s. Adopted with the hussar regiments of Prussia and Austria. It reached English by 1580s as dolman. First a Turkish robe; 'dolman sleeves', cut deep from the waist, date from 1930s fashion. Today, dolman means a long Turkish robe; a hussar's braided jacket; a loose cape-like women's garment.