A non-Muslim person, particularly a Christian; a derogatory or dismissive term historically used in Ottoman Turkish contexts for those outside the Islamic faith.
From Turkish 'gâvur', derived from Greek 'gabar' or 'gâbros', which may come from Middle Persian 'gabr' meaning 'infidel' or 'Zoroastrian'. The term entered English through Turkish usage during Ottoman rule.
Lord Byron popularized this word in English with his 1813 poem 'The Giaour', which depicted a Christian protagonist in Ottoman-ruled Greece—it's a fascinating example of how literature introduces foreign political and religious terminology into English.
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