Karakul
/ˈkærəkʊl/noun
A breed of coarse-haired sheep from Central Asia, especially valued for its curly lambs’ pelts.
Did you know?The name refers to Qara-Kul, a region associated with a lake in Central Asia, where the breed was historically developed.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*kara
“Black or dark-colored”
Proto-Turkic
Proto-Turkic
*köl
“Lake or inland body of water”
Medieval Turkic
Turkic
qara köl
“Black lake”
19th Century
Uzbek
qoraqo‘l
“Black lake; the Central Asian place-name associated with the sheep breed”
19th Century
Russian
каракуль
“Karakul sheep or its curly lambskin”
Modern English
English
karakul
“A Central Asian sheep breed or the fur made from its lambs’ pelts”
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