lahmacun

Where does the word "lahmacun" come from? It comes from Arabic laḥm bi-ʿajīn, passing through Turkish before entering English (2000s).

Lahmacun’s story begins in Arabic: laḥm bi-ʿajīn meant “meat flatbread.” 'meat with dough', a Levantine flatbread still baked in Aleppo. By 1900s, the word had taken hold in Turkish as lahmacun. The cities of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa both claim the best version. It reached English by 2000s as lahmacun. Often called 'Turkish pizza' in English-speaking kebab shops. Today, lahmacun means a thin, crisp flatbread topped with spiced minced meat.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval laḥm bi-ʿajīn "meat flatbread", 'meat with dough', a Levantine flatbread still baked in Aleppo.
2. Stage 2 · Turkish · 1900s lahmacun "spiced meat flatbread", the cities of Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa both claim the best version.
3. Stage 3 · English · 2000s lahmacun "meat-topped flatbread", often called 'Turkish pizza' in English-speaking kebab shops.