Etymology Map
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Mangal

4 stages from Arabic to English.

Today it means a charcoal grill or brazier used for barbecuing meat

Where does the word "mangal" come from? It comes from Arabic manqal, passing through Ottoman Turkish and Russian before entering English (2000s).

1
Stage 1 of 4
manqal
Arabic · medieval
"brazier"
a portable brazier for heating rooms and cooking
2
Stage 2 of 4
mangal
Ottoman Turkish · 1500s
"brazier, grill"
braziers of brass or copper warmed Ottoman houses; today it means a barbecue grill
3
Stage 3 of 4
mangal
Russian · 1800s
"barbecue grill"
became the standard name for a shashlik grill
4
Stage 4 of 4
mangal
English · 2000s
"Turkish grill"
spread through the Turkish charcoal-grill restaurants of north London
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Read the full story

Mangal’s story begins in Arabic: manqal meant “brazier.” A portable brazier for heating rooms and cooking. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as mangal. Braziers of brass or copper warmed Ottoman houses; today it means a barbecue grill. From there it passed into Russian as mangal by 1800s. Became the standard name for a shashlik grill. It reached English by 2000s as mangal. Spread through the Turkish charcoal-grill restaurants of north London. Today, mangal means a charcoal grill or brazier used for barbecuing meat.