BosanskiTurkish words in Bosnian
Some of the most Bosnian-sounding words came from Turkish.
Bosnian has hundreds of everyday words that came from Turkish over centuries of contact, many of them about the home, food and coffee: kahva, džezva, fildžan, sofra, komšija, čaršija.
Linguists call them turcizmi. Many of them are the warmest, most at-home words in the language, which is exactly why heritage learners recognize them. They are shared across Bosnia and the wider region, whoever's table you are sitting at.
Coffee and the table
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| kahva | coffee | |
| džezva | džezva (coffee pot) | |
| fildžan | fildžan (small cup) | |
| šećer | sugar | |
| sofra | the table / the spread | |
| čaj | tea |
Food
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| burek | burek (meat pita) | |
| ćevapi | ćevapi (grilled minced meat) | |
| baklava | baklava | |
| rahat lokum | Turkish delight |
Home and town
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| komšija | neighbor | |
| čaršija | old bazaar / town center | |
| pendžer | window (old/poetic) |
Feelings
| Audio | Bosnian | English |
|---|---|---|
| sevdah | sevdah (longing, soulful love) | |
| dilber / dilberče | beloved / sweetheart (endearment) |
sevdah, a longing, soulful love, is also the name of Bosnia's best-known traditional song style, sevdalinka.
Questions
Why does Bosnian have Turkish words?
Centuries of contact during Ottoman rule left hundreds of Turkish words in everyday Bosnian, especially around the home, food and coffee.
Is kahva a Turkish word?
It came into Bosnian from Turkish kahve. In Bosnian it is simply the word for coffee.