karagoz

Where does the word "karagoz" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish Karagöz, and was adopted directly into English (1800s).

Karagoz’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: Karagöz meant “black-eyed (a puppet hero).” 'black eye', the rough everyman who trades insults with the pompous Hacivat; legend makes them builders of a Bursa mosque. It reached English by 1800s as Karagöz. Described by Western visitors to Ramadan-night performances in Istanbul; UNESCO listed the tradition in 2009. Today, karagoz means the traditional Turkish shadow-puppet theatre, named after its main character.

1. Stage 1 · Ottoman Turkish · 1500s-1600s Karagöz "black-eyed (a puppet hero)", 'black eye', the rough everyman who trades insults with the pompous Hacivat; legend makes them builders of a Bursa mosque.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1800s Karagöz "Turkish shadow theatre", described by Western visitors to Ramadan-night performances in Istanbul; UNESCO listed the tradition in 2009.