tulip

Where does the word "tulip" come from? It comes from Persian dulband, passing through Ottoman Turkish and French before entering English (1550s-1600s).

Tulip’s story begins in Persian: dulband meant “turban.” Literally "turban", describing the flower's shape. By 1500s, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as tülbend. The flower was closely tied to Ottoman court culture. From there it passed into French as tulipe by 1500s-1600s. Spread across Europe during the tulip trade boom. It reached English by 1550s-1600s as tulip. Settled as the English name for the flower. Today, tulip means a cup-shaped, spring-blooming flower grown from a bulb.

1. Stage 1 · Persian · medieval dulband "turban", literally "turban", describing the flower's shape.
2. Stage 2 · Ottoman Turkish · 1500s tülbend "turban-like flower", the flower was closely tied to Ottoman court culture.
3. Stage 3 · French · 1500s-1600s tulipe "the tulip flower", spread across Europe during the tulip trade boom.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1550s-1600s tulip "the tulip flower", settled as the English name for the flower.