Ottoman Empire
Preserved but no longer current.
The Turkish Empire, so called from Othman, or Osman, I, the founder, about 1300, of the dynasty. Our otto- man, a kind of sofa having some resemblance to an oriental couch, is, of course, the same word.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Ottoman Empire” mean?
The Turkish Empire, so called from Othman, or Osman, I, the founder, about 1300, of the dynasty. Our otto- man, a kind of sofa having some resemblance to an oriental couch, is, of course, the same word.
Is “Ottoman Empire” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.