Where does “Balkans” come from?

Balkans (English) comes from Turkish Balkan, from Ottoman Turkish بالقان — The Balkan mountains.

Ancestry of “Balkans”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1TurkishBalkanwooded, craggy mountain range
2Ottoman TurkishبالقانThe Balkan mountains
Every word from Ottoman Turkish بالقان →Every word from Turkish Balkan →