Etymograph

English

khalva

Khalva comes from Ottoman Turkish حلوا ‘halva, a traditional Middle Eastern confection…’, from Classical Persian حلوا ‘sweetmeat’, and ultimately from Arabic حَلْوَى ‘candy, confection, dessert’.

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentحَلْوَى‘candy, confection, dessert’
  2. Classical Persianc. 900–presentحلواhalwā‘sweetmeat’
  3. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928same formhalva/helva‘halva, a traditional Middle Eastern confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and…’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1823khalva

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Lineage

  1. Arabicc. 500–presentحَلْوَى‘candy, confection, dessert’
  2. Classical Persianc. 900–presentحلواhalwā‘sweetmeat’
  3. Ottoman Turkishc. 1300–1928same formhalva/helva‘halva, a traditional Middle Eastern confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and…’
  4. Englishearliest quotation 1823khalva

Earliest quotation: 1823, William Gell, Narrative of a Journey in the Morea: “We were thus obliged to enter into an agreement…”

Every English word from Arabic حَلْوَى

Today it means

noun —

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

Etymograph / Arabic حَلْوَى / khalva

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