macrame

Where does the word "macrame" come from? It comes from Arabic miqrama, passing through Turkish and French before entering English (1860s).

Macrame’s story begins in Arabic: miqrama meant “an ornamental fringed cloth.” An ornamental fringed cloth or veil. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Turkish as makrama. A towel or napkin, carried through Ottoman Turkish trade. From there it passed into French as macrame by 1800s. Adapted into French decorative craft vocabulary. It reached English by 1860s as macrame. Settled as the English word for the knotting craft. Today, macrame means a craft of tying knotted cord into decorative patterns.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval miqrama "an ornamental fringed cloth", an ornamental fringed cloth or veil.
2. Stage 2 · Turkish · 1700s makrama "towel, napkin", a towel or napkin, carried through Ottoman Turkish trade.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1800s macrame "knotted decorative cord work", adapted into French decorative craft vocabulary.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1860s macrame "a craft of knotting cord into decorative patterns", settled as the English word for the knotting craft.