halva

Where does the word "halva" come from? It comes from Arabic halwa, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Halva’s story begins in Arabic: halwa meant “sweet.” Literally sweet, a dense confection made from sesame paste or flour and sugar. It reached English by 1800s as halva. Arabic 'sweet'; tahini halva spread through the Ottoman Empire. Today, halva means a dense sweet confection made from sesame paste, flour, or nuts.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval halwa "sweet", literally sweet, a dense confection made from sesame paste or flour and sugar.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s halva "a dense sweet confection made from sesame paste or flour", Arabic 'sweet'; tahini halva spread through the Ottoman Empire.