Etymology Map
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Pilaf

3 stages from Persian to English.

Today it means a dish of rice cooked in seasoned broth, often with meat, vegetables, or dried fruit

Where does the word "pilaf" come from? It comes from Persian pilaw, passing through Turkish before entering English (1610s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
pilaw
Persian · medieval
"rice dish cooked in broth"
a dish of seasoned rice cooked in broth
2
Stage 2 of 3
pilav
Turkish · medieval
"rice dish with meat"
adopted and spread through the Ottoman Empire's cuisine
3
Stage 3 of 3
pilau / pilaf
English · 1610s
"seasoned rice dish"
entered English with notoriously unstable spelling
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