Etymology Map
Back to all words

Turkish delight

3 stages from Arabic to English.

Today it means a sweet of starch and sugar gel, flavoured and dusted with icing sugar

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

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

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.