Words travel: how Persia shaped German language
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Ludwig Paul, a professor of Iranian studies at the University of Hamburg, has traced many German words to Persian origins.
For centuries, Iran served as a crossroads for cultures, allowing words to travel between regions. Before the Islamic era, Persian contributed terms to Greek, which then made their way into German. From the 8th to 11th centuries, Arab traders spread words like “citron” and “aubergine” across the Mediterranean and into Europe, often via routes like the Silk Road.
Some words have made circuitous journeys. The word “pyjama”, now common in Europe, originated in Persia as “pāǧāme” meaning loose trousers, travelled to India, then to England, and eventually back to Iran via French. Similarly, the German word for kiosk comes from the Persian “kōšk” (small castle) which passed through Turkish and Russian before arriving in Germany, where it eventually came to mean small shops. Even everyday terms have surprising histories.
While the origin of the word "Schorle" (sparkling water mixed with juice) is debated, the word shares a root with a Persian term for tumult. Paul notes that languages are constantly evolving and that understanding a word’s history can foster greater cultural awareness, though a shared language does not guarantee peace between nations. He finds that increased public interest in the etymology of words has sparked conversations with friends and family.
