Biber
/ˈbiː.bər/noun
A pepper, especially a chili pepper, used chiefly as a loanword from Turkish.
Did you know?Biber belongs to the same ancient word-family as pepper and paprika, whose roots can be traced back through Greek and Latin to Sanskrit pippalī, the name of the long pepper plant.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
pippalī
“Long pepper, an aromatic plant and spice”
Ancient Greek
Greek
πέπερι (peperi)
“Pepper; a borrowing associated with eastern spice trade”
Classical Latin
Latin
piper
“Pepper, especially the pungent spice”
Middle Persian
Middle Persian
piper
“Pepper; transmitted through Iranian trade networks”
Ottoman Turkish
Turkish
biber
“Pepper, especially a hot pepper”
Modern English
English
biber
“A pepper or chili pepper, used as a rare loanword”