Kalpak
/ˈkæl.pæk/noun
A tall, usually fur or felt hat traditionally worn in parts of Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the Balkans.
Did you know?The kalpak is strongly associated with Kyrgyz identity, and the white Kyrgyz ak kalpak remains a powerful national symbol worn in ceremonies and public life.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic period
Proto-Turkic
*qalpaq
“Reconstructed ancestral form meaning a cap or hat; the exact deeper origin is uncertain.”
Medieval period
Kipchak Turkic
qalpaq
“A traditional cap or hat, especially in the Turkic-speaking steppe world.”
Medieval period
Tatar and other Turkic languages
qalpaq / kalpaq
“A distinctive national or regional hat, with forms varying by community and material.”
18th–19th Century
Russian
калпак (kalpak)
“A tall traditional hat, borrowed from Turkic languages and used for Central Asian and Balkan headwear.”
19th Century
English
kalpak
“An English borrowing for a traditional fur or felt hat of Central Asian or related regional styles.”
Modern English
English
kalpak
“A traditional Central Asian, Caucasian, or Balkan hat, often referring specifically to the Kyrgyz ak kalpak.”