Narghile
/ˈnɑːrɡɪli/noun
A water pipe used for smoking flavored tobacco or other substances, especially in the Middle East and South Asia.
Did you know?Narghile ultimately comes from Persian nārgil, “coconut,” likely reflecting the coconut-shell vessels used in early forms of the pipe.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Sanskrit
Sanskrit
nārikela
“Coconut”
Late Antiquity
Middle Persian
nār(i)g
“Coconut; the form that influenced later Persian usage”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
nārijīl
“Coconut”
15th–16th Century
Ottoman Turkish
nargile
“Water pipe, named through the Persian word for coconut”
19th Century
English
narghile
“A hookah or water pipe”