Giaour
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Giaour or Ghiaour written gâvur in modern Turkish, is a derogatory word used by Turkish people to describe all who are non Muslims, with particular reference to Christians and at times to Greeks. [1][2]
The word is a Turkish adaptation of the Persian gdwr or gbr, an infidel. The term was first employed as a term of contempt and reproach, but has become so general that in most cases its use is only mildly pejorative. A similar fate happened to the Arabic equivalent kaffir, or unbeliever, which was so widespread that it became the proper name of various peoples and countries (see Kaffir). The word was so common it was sometimes even used without being intended as an insult by the Turks who didn't see anything wrong with it. [3]
The word is borrowed into some languages in the Balkans, like "Гяур" in Bulgarian, "Ghiaur" in Romanian, "kaurin" in Serbian and Croatian and "kaurr" in Albanian.
[edit] See also
- The Giaour, a poem by Lord Byron
[edit] References
- ^ James Lewis Farley, Turks and Christians,Adamant Media Corporation, ISBN 1402187866
- ^ James Finn. Stirring Times, Or, Records from Jerusalem Consular Chronicles of 1853 To 1856, 2004, p. 12
- ^ Francis Lieber, Thomas Gamaliel Bradford, Encyclopaedia Americana: A Popular Dictionary of Arts, Sciences, Literature, 1831
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
