Seraglios

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A harem or group of women living in a household, especially in historical Muslim contexts
2. a place reserved for the women of a polygamous family, often featuring luxurious accommodations
3. an enclosure where women are kept separate for the purpose of privacy and protection within a domestic setting

Etymology: "Seraglios" is the plural of "seraglio," and the plural is the more natural of the two forms in English, since the noun has been borrowed twice over. The English word comes from Italian "serraglio," meaning an enclosure or a place that is locked up. That Italian sense traces back through Vulgar Latin "serrāculum" to the Latin verb "serāre," to lock up or close, which itself comes from "sera," a bolt or lock. The most surprising twist is how the word became attached to the Ottoman palace. Italian "serraglio" was used, largely because it sounded similar, to translate Turkish "saray," meaning palace. So a word that originally described a locked-up enclosure became the European name for the sultan's residence in Constantinople, and by extension for the private quarters where his women lived. Its close relatives "serai" and "serail" followed the same path into English and other European languages.

Synonyms: harem, palace, dormitory