Talk:tulip

The mere supposition of Latin borrowing from Turkish is untenable and risible. From a chronological point of view it may be either Mediæval Latin borrowing from Ottoman Turkish, or Neo-Latin borrowing from Turkish. Please specify. The uſer hight Bogorm converſation 21:10, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

From en:WP:

Although tulips are associated with The Netherlands, commercial cultivation of the flower began in the Ottoman Empire. The tulip, or lale (from Persian لاله, lâleh) as it is also called in Iran and Turkey, is a flower indigenous to a vast area encompassing parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. The word tulip, which earlier appeared in English in forms such as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze"), and is ultimately derived from the Persian language dulband ("turban").

71.66.97.228 21:39, 7 July 2010 (UTC)

You see? by way of Modern Latin - Modern Latin is even newer than Neo-Latin. Leaving it as Latin is unacceptable. The uſer hight Bogorm converſation 07:15, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

A first appearance in Latin in 19th century Contemporary (Modern) Latin wouldn't make sense if "tulipa" or "tulipant" were already being used in Middle or Old English, hundreds of years earlier. The zenith of the Ottoman Empire was the 17th century, by which time the West probably knew all about tulips. 71.66.97.228 07:27, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

Possibly also a term of endearment

John Camden Hotten's Slang Dictionary (1873) has "my tulip, a term of endearment used by the lower orders to persons and animals; 'Kim up, my tulip,' as the coster said to his donkey when thrashing him with an ash stick." So it might be an endearing or ironic nickname like buttercup or sweetpea. Couldn't find with a quick glance at Google Books for e.g. "listen, tulip". Equinox ◑ 16:15, 1 April 2021 (UTC)