Karagöz
/kaɾaˈɟœz/noun
A traditional Turkish shadow-puppet character and the theatrical form centered on his adventures.
Did you know?Karagöz shadow theater was inscribed by UNESCO in 2009 as an element of Turkey’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, although its exact historical origin remains disputed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*kara
“Black or dark-colored”
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*göz
“Eye”
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
Karagöz
“Literally “black eye”; a personal name or nickname”
16th Century
Ottoman Turkish
Karagöz
“The central comic figure of Turkish shadow theater, commonly paired with Hacivat”
19th Century
Turkish
Karagöz
“The name of the traditional shadow-play genre as well as its principal character”
Modern English
English
Karagöz
“A Turkish shadow-puppet theater tradition or its characteristic protagonist”