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Where does the word "hodja" come from? It comes from Persian khwāja, passing through Turkish before entering English (1800s).
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Where does the word "hodja" come from? It comes from Persian khwāja, passing through Turkish before entering English (1800s).
Hodja’s story begins in Persian: khwāja meant “master.” 'master', a title of respect for scholars and merchants. By 1200s, the word had taken hold in Turkish as hoca. Nasreddin Hodja, the wise fool of Akşehir, is the hero of countless comic tales. It reached English by 1800s as hodja. Entered English through translations of the Nasreddin Hodja stories. Today, hodja means a Muslim teacher or religious scholar in Turkey and the Balkans.
- Stage 1 · Persian · medieval khwāja "master", 'master', a title of respect for scholars and merchants.
- Stage 2 · Turkish · 1200s hoca "teacher", Nasreddin Hodja, the wise fool of Akşehir, is the hero of countless comic tales.
- Stage 3 · English · 1800s hodja "Muslim teacher", entered English through translations of the Nasreddin Hodja stories.