kebab (English)

Where does "kebab" come from?

The word 'kebab' traces its roots back to the Arabic term 'kabāb,' which refers to roasted meat. It traveled through Persian, Turkish, and Urdu before entering English as a culinary staple associated with skewered or spit-roasted dishes.

Full etymology tree

• kebab (English), 'A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted on a skewer or spit, especially a doner kebab.'
  • borrowed kebap (Turkish), 'kebab'
    • inherited كباب (kebab) (Ottoman Turkish)
      • borrowed كَبَاب (kabāb) (Arabic), 'kebab'
        • borrowed כבבא (kbbʾ) (Jewish Babylonian Aramaic)
          • derived כבב (kbb) (Aramaic)
            • inherited *kabab- (Proto-Semitic)

Direct ancestors

• kebap (Turkish)
• cevapi (English)

Updated July 2026

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris