This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Jorge Stolfi (talk | contribs) at 22:36, 20 January 2006 (bypass Kaffir, tweaks, format. DEL chinese "devil" analogy (seemed quite superfluous)). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 22:36, 20 January 2006 by Jorge Stolfi (talk | contribs) (bypass Kaffir, tweaks, format. DEL chinese "devil" analogy (seemed quite superfluous))(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Giaour is a word used by the Turks to describe all who are not Moslems, with especial reference to Christians.
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 no insult is intended in its use. A similar fate happened to the Arabic equivalent kaffir, or unbeliever, which was so widespread that it become the proper name of various peoples and countries (see Kaffir).
See also
- The Giaour, a poem by Lord Byron
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty|title=(help)
