Etymograph

English

giaour

Giaour comes from Ottoman Turkish كاور ‘kafir, giaour, infidel, non-Muslim,…’, and goes back to Classical Persian گَاوُر.

  1. Classical Persianc. 900–presentگَاوُرgāwur
  2. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928كاورgâvur‘kafir, giaour, infidel, non-Muslim, disbeliever, one who is not a Muslim’
  3. Venetanmoderngiaur
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentgiaour
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1813same form

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Classical Persianc. 900–presentگَاوُرgāwur
  2. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928كاورgâvur‘kafir, giaour, infidel, non-Muslim, disbeliever, one who is not a Muslim’
  3. Venetanmoderngiaur
  4. Frenchc. 1600–presentgiaour
  5. Englishearliest quotation 1813same form

Earliest quotation: 1813, Lord Byron, The Giaour: “And far beyond the Moslem's power / Had wrong'd…”

Every English word from Classical Persian گَاوُر

Today it means

noun A non-Muslim, especially a Christian, an infidel; especially as used by Turkish people with particular reference to Christians such as Greeks, Armenians, Bulgarians, Serbs and Assyrians.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Classical Persian گَاوُر / giaour

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