kebab
Meaning
A dish of pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables roasted or grilled on a skewer or spit.
Usage
We ordered chicken and lamb kebabs from the street vendor.
The aroma of sizzling kebabs filled the air at the summer festival.
She prefers vegetable kebabs with peppers, onions, and mushrooms.
Etymology
The word 'kebab' entered the English lexicon in the late 17th century, borrowed from the Arabic 'kabāb'. This Arabic term is itself believed to be derived from the Persian 'kabāb', which refers to roasted or fried meat. The journey of this culinary term reflects the spread of Middle Eastern and South Asian cuisines, carried through trade and cultural exchange. In English, it has come to specifically denote skewered and grilled meat or vegetables, solidifying its place as a key term in international food vocabulary.
Analysis
The word 'kebab' is a simplex loanword. It originates from the Arabic word 'kabāb', which itself likely came from the Persian 'kabāb', meaning "fried meat". Its functional role is as a single, unanalyzable unit in English.