turkish delight

Where does the word "turkish delight" come from? It comes from Arabic rāḥat al-ḥulqūm, passing through Ottoman Turkish before entering English (1870s).

Turkish delight’s story begins in Arabic: rāḥat al-ḥulqūm meant “throat's ease.” 'comfort of the throat', the source of Turkish 'lokum'. By 1700s, the word had taken hold in Ottoman Turkish as lokum. The confectioner Hacı Bekir opened his Istanbul shop in 1777, and his lokum became famous across Europe. It reached English by 1870s as Turkish delight. Coined in English for lokum; C. S. Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (1950) made it famous. Today, turkish delight means a sweet of starch and sugar gel, flavoured and dusted with icing sugar.

1. Stage 1 · Arabic · medieval rāḥat al-ḥulqūm "throat's ease", 'comfort of the throat', the source of Turkish 'lokum'.
2. Stage 2 · Ottoman Turkish · 1700s lokum "gel confection", the confectioner Hacı Bekir opened his Istanbul shop in 1777, and his lokum became famous across Europe.
3. Stage 3 · English · 1870s Turkish delight "gel confection", coined in English for lokum; C. S. Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' (1950) made it famous.