labneh

Where does the word "labneh" come from? It comes from Arabic laban, passing through Levantine Arabic before entering English (1900s).

Labneh’s story begins in Arabic: laban meant “yogurt, white curd.” Yogurt, from a root meaning white, describing the strained white curd. By unknown, the word had taken hold in Levantine Arabic as labneh. The strained-yogurt cheese eaten across the Levant. It reached English by 1900s as labneh. Often rolled into balls and stored in olive oil. Today, labneh means a tangy soft cheese made by straining yogurt, common across the Levant.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval laban "yogurt, white curd", yogurt, from a root meaning white, describing the strained white curd.
2. Stage 2 · Levantine Arabic · unknown labneh "strained yogurt cheese", the strained-yogurt cheese eaten across the Levant.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1900s labneh "a tangy strained-yogurt spread or cheese", often rolled into balls and stored in olive oil.