Did You Know?
Is it your fate to tie macrame while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed "kismet" from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately derives from the Arabic "qisma," meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, "macrame," "coffee," "sherbet," and "minaret") have roots in those languages too. In the case of "macrame" and "minaret," there is a little French influence as well. "Coffee" and "macrame" also have Italian relations, and "sherbet" has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink.
Quick Quiz: What flower's name comes from the Turkish word for "turban"? The answer is ...
