Paprika
/pəˈpriːkə/noun
A spice made from dried and ground red peppers, or the pepper itself.
Did you know?The word entered English through German from Hungarian papriká, and Hungarian itself likely borrowed it from Serbian/Croatian papar meaning “pepper,” ultimately tracing back to the same ancient root behind black pepper.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peper-
“A root associated with pepper and pungent spice.”
Latin
Latin
piper
“Black pepper.”
Late Latin
Latin
piperacium
“Pepper-like; relating to pepper.”
South Slavic
Slavic
papar
“Pepper.”
Hungarian
Hungarian
paprika
“Pepper; later specifically the ground red pepper spice.”
German
German
Paprika
“Paprika; red pepper spice.”
English
English
paprika
“A powdered spice made from dried peppers.”
Explore more surprising origins