Kismets

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. Occurrences of the term relate to multiple destinies or fates; it can mean various predetermined outcomes or the idea of fortunate or unlucky chances shaping events
  2. Refers to several instances of destiny conceived as a set of possible life courses or consequential events believed to be inevitable or influenced by fortune
  3. Describes multiple concepts of fate viewed as predetermined occurrences or the luck determining individual or collective pathways in life

Etymology: The word "kismet" entered English in the mid-19th century, borrowed from Turkish, where it means "fate" or "destiny." Turkish itself derived it from the Arabic word "qismah" (or "qismat" in some dialects), which translates to "portion" or "lot," reflecting the idea of one's allotted share in life. This concept was deeply rooted in Islamic culture, where the idea of divine predestination shaped much of the worldview. The Arabic root "q-s-m" means "to divide" or "to apportion," which explains how the term came to signify the portion of life that fate assigns to each individual. This sense of a predetermined share or destiny evolved into a more poetic and philosophical notion of fate or fortune in Turkish and then English. The word was popularized in English during the British colonial period in the Indian subcontinent, where interaction with Turkish and Arabic speakers brought such terms into wider use. Unlike many English words derived from classical languages, this term carries a strong cultural and religious resonance, emphasizing the idea that life’s course is beyond human control and subject to a divine allotment. It’s often used in contexts relating to fate, chance, or inevitable outcomes, retaining much of its original spiritual weight. The plural form "kismets," though less common, simply follows English conventions for forming plurals, even though the original term is generally treated as uncountable or singular when referring to the abstract concept of fate. Its journey from a concrete idea of "portion" to the abstract "destiny" mirrors a broader linguistic transformation that many words undergo when crossing cultures and languages.

Synonyms: fates, destinies, fortunes, lot, karma

Antonyms: free will, choice, randomness