Kaïk
/keɪk/noun
A small, light boat, especially one formerly used on the Bosporus and in the eastern Mediterranean.
Did you know?Kaïk is an English variant of caique, ultimately borrowed through French and Italian from Ottoman Turkish kayık, meaning a small boat.
Etymological Timeline
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
kayık
“A small boat or light rowing vessel”
17th–18th Century
Italian
caicco
“A small boat, especially one used in the eastern Mediterranean”
17th–18th Century
French
caïque
“A small Mediterranean or Turkish boat”
18th Century
English
caique
“A small boat used in the Levant and around Constantinople”
19th Century
English
kaïk
“A variant spelling for caique”
Modern English
English
kaïk
“A small light boat, chiefly in historical or specialized use”