shish kebab

Where does the word "shish kebab" come from? It comes from Ottoman Turkish şiş kebap, and was adopted directly into English (1910s).

Shish kebab’s story begins in Ottoman Turkish: şiş kebap meant “skewered roast meat.” 'şiş' is the Turkish for skewer; soldiers and herders grilled meat this way over open fires. It reached English by 1910s as shish kebab. Armenian-American restaurateurs such as George Mardikian of San Francisco made it popular in the United States. Today, shish kebab means cubes of meat grilled on a skewer.

1. Stage 1 · Ottoman Turkish · medieval şiş kebap "skewered roast meat", 'şiş' is the Turkish for skewer; soldiers and herders grilled meat this way over open fires.
2. Stage 2 · English · 1910s shish kebab "skewered grilled meat", Armenian-American restaurateurs such as George Mardikian of San Francisco made it popular in the United States.