Etymology

minaret

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Today it means: The tall slender tower of an Islamic mosque, from which the muezzin recites the adhan (call to prayer). Full definition →

French minaret ← Ottoman Turkish مناره ← Arabic مَنَارَة (manāra)
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The story

  1. Arabicمَنَارَة (manāra)
  2. Ottoman Turkishمناره
  3. Frenchminaret
  4. English todayminaret

First attested in 1682. Borrowed from French minaret, from Ottoman Turkish مناره (Turkish minare), from Arabic مَنَارَة (manāra, “lighthouse, minaret”). See note on pronunciations and borrowing of words with ـَة (-a). From the same Proto-Semitic root *nūr- (“light”) as menorah.

Words from the same roots

Arabicمَنَارَة all →

kinara

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.