shisha

Where does the word "shisha" come from? It comes from Persian shishe, passing through Ottoman Turkish and Egyptian Arabic before entering English (1900s).

Shisha’s story begins in Persian: shishe meant “glass.” Literally meant "glass" or "mirror". By medieval, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as şişe. Came to mean "bottle," describing the glass base of the water pipe. From there it passed into Egyptian Arabic as shisha by 1800s. Narrowed to the water pipe's glass bowl and then the whole device. It reached English by 1900s as shisha. Spread internationally with the popularity of flavored tobacco smoking. Today, shisha means a water pipe used for smoking flavored tobacco, or the tobacco itself.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval shishe "glass", literally meant "glass" or "mirror".
2. Stage 2 · Ottoman Turkish · medieval şişe "bottle", came to mean "bottle," describing the glass base of the water pipe.
3. Stage 3 · Egyptian Arabic · 1800s shisha "water pipe", narrowed to the water pipe's glass bowl and then the whole device.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1900s shisha "water pipe / flavored tobacco", spread internationally with the popularity of flavored tobacco smoking.