a Muslim student of divinity and jurisprudence, esp in Turkey
Word origin
C17: from Turkish, from Persian sōkhtah aflame (with love of learning)
softa in American English
(ˈsɔftə, ˈsɑf-)
noun
a Turkish Muslim theological student
Word origin
[1605–15; ‹ Turk ‹ Pers sōkhta lit., fired (by love of learning)]This word is first recorded in the period 1605–15. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: classic, gothic, ideal, inverse, surface