The English language has many borrowed words. English is basically a Germanic language by structure. English vocabulary, however, comes from everywhere. In this posting I talk briefly about the history of English and where many of its borrowed words come from. Finally I talk about parts of many common English words that came from Greek or Latin. There will be many example words and sentences. The download at the end will give you more practice using and understanding borrowed words in English.
How borrowed words work in English
Prior to 1066, the people living in the British Isles had no need for borrowed words. They spoke a German language called Old English. It is related to what we speak today. In 1066, William the Conqueror of France conquered Britain. The language of the nobles became French. The common people, however, still spoke Old English. Because of this, a double vocabulary developed in English. For example, everyone liked pork. The nobles called it by the French word, porc, while the common people called it swine. Both words exist in modern English, although pork is more common. As Christianity spread, more words form other European counties crept into English.
Some fun facts about borrowed words
Here is a brief summary of where many borrowed words in English come from: Latin–29%, French–29%, Greek–6%, other languages–6%, and proper names–4%. That leaves only 26% of English words that are actually English! There is very little that is original about English. Since its words come form so many languages, many may have come from yours.
When English borrowed words, it kept the original spellings from the original languages. All languages borrow words, but many change the rules to fit their phonetics. For example, photograph is a Greek word. Ph has the sound /f/ in Greek. English has kept the ph, but Spanish has changed it to f as in fotografia. This is why English spelling is so difficult and often does not make sense, even for native English speakers.
Some common borrowed words in English
Below is a list of borrowed words and the language they come from. You probably use many f these words every day.
- dollar (Dutch)–connected to a mint where coins are made.
- zero (Arabic)–Many words relating to math come form Arabic.
- alarm (Italian)–to arms
- banana, zebra, jumbo, yam (African tribal languages)
- ketchup (Chinese)
- pyjamas (Urdu and Persian)
- giraffe (Arabic)
- anime, sushi, karaoke (Japanese)
- moccasin (Native American tribal languages)
- ski (Norwegian)
- penguin (Welsh)
- ballot (Italian)–means a small pebble cast into a box to vote
- canteloupe (Italian)–named after a town where this melon grows
- massage (French)
Common parts of words borrowed from Greek
Many common English words were borrowed, in part form Greek. Many other languages have also borrowed these word parts, so you language may have cognates with these words. This will make it easier for you to earn them. You will see the word part, some example words, and an example sentence.
- anti (against)–antibacterial. You need to shower with antibacterial soap before surgery.
- ast (er)–astronomy, asteroid. Astronomy is the study of stars and planets.
- aqu (water)–aquarium. A fish may live in an aquarium.
- auto (self)–automatic. An automatic transmission changes gears by itself.
- bio (life)–biology, biography. A biography is the story of someone’s life.
- chrome (color)–monochrome. A monochrome image has only one color.
- chrono (time)–chronicle. A chronicle is a story told over time.
- geo (earth)–geology. Geology is the study of the earth.
- graph (write)–autograph. Your autograph is your signature.
- hydr (water)–dehydrate. If you don’t drink enough water, you may become dehydrated.
- path (feel)–sympathy. I felt sympathy for her when her father died.
- phono (sound)–telephone. You can hear someone’s voice on the telephone.
- photo (light)–photocopy. Please make a photocopy of this recipe for me.
- tele (far)–television. A television lets you see shows all over the world.
Some common parts of words borrowed from Latin
Although no one speaks Latin anymore, many parts of Latin live on in word parts. Many languages have borrowed from Latin, especially for math, science, and medical words. Chances are you have Latin cognates in your language.
- audi (hear)–audience. The audience enjoyed the concert.
- bene (good)–benefit. My new job has many excellent benefits.
- brev (short– brief, abbreviate. We can abbreviate Mister to Mr.
- circ (round)–circle, circus, circulate. We may need to circulate if there is no place to park.
- dict (say)–dictate, diction. Dictate the letter you want to send, and I’ll write it.
- doc (teach)–document, doctrine. Please read this document before you make a decision.
- gen (birth)–generation. There are 3 generations in her home, the grandparents, the parents, and the kids.
- jur (law) jury–On no! I just got a summons for jury duty.
- lev (lift)–elevate, elevator. Take the elevator to the 5th floor.
- luc, lum (light)–translucent, illuminate. You can see some light through something translucent.
- manu (hand)–manicure, manual. A construction worker does manual labor.
- mis, mit (send)–transmit. You can transmit your message several ways.
- pac (peace)–pacifist. A pacifist does not believe in war.
- port (carry)–portable, export. A laptop is a portable computer.
- scrib, scrip (write)–script, describe. Please describe your hometown.
- sens (feel)–sensitive. She is sensitive, as her feelings are easily hurt.
- terr (earth)–territory, terrestrial. A wolf has a huge territory in the wild.
- tim (fear)–timid. A timid person is fearful and shy.
- vac (empty)–vacuum, evacuate. Please evacuate the building when you hear the fire alarm.
- vid, vis (see)–video, vision. He has poor vision, so he needs glasses.
You now know that English has many words borrowed from other languages. In fact, most English words are borrowed from somewhere else. Many borrowed words are of Greek or Latin origin. A large number of these words have cognates in many languages. If you know what many of these common word parts mean, it will help your English vocabulary to grow. The download will give you additional practice using and understanding many of our borrowed words.
You can download the practice sheet now!
Idioms of the day
- to stop at nothing–This means to be willing to do anything to achieve success. Stephen will stop at nothing to win a large Christmas bonus.
- to law down the law–This means to strongly assert your authority. After Charlie got into his fifth car accident, his parents laid down the law. No more driving!
40+ Borrowed Words in English and How They Got Into It
11 min
Created: November 24th, 2022Last updated: April 12th, 2023
Contents
You might not believe that, but borrowed words in English constitute almost 80% of a general language vocabulary. It means that the majority of common words you learn at school, hear in songs, or read in books, originally belong to different foreign languages. In this article, we will discuss the most popular English borrowed words, their history, and the ways they got into our daily conversations.
What are loanwords, and where did they come from?
Today, English is one of the most spoken languages in the world. Almost 1.5 billion people use it as their native or second language. But when it just appeared hundreds of years ago, it wasn’t so widespread. And, of course, it wasn’t that rich. Throughout history, English has been highly affected by various cultures, countries, and languages. And that is when the borrowed words came into view.
According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a loanword is a word taken from one language and used in another during particular circumstances. Most English words emerged under the impact of French and Latin speeches. You can also hear some terms and phrases that initially belonged to Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian, Greek, and even Russian languages. To understand how it happened, we need to dive into history.
Before becoming a major state, England was often subjected to conquests and attacks by other nations. And as we know, society has the most significant influence on vocabulary formation. Thus, Latin loanwords appeared as a consequence of the conquest of England by the Roman Empire and after the Christianization of Central Europe.
The Scandinavian words are connected with the year 870, when the Scandinavian conquerors overpowered England. French loan words in English appeared in the XI century in connection with the Norman Conquest. Now they make up almost 30% of the English vocabulary. Other countries also had their impact – for example, many German words appeared in English vocabulary during the World War.
How did borrowed English words come to be?
Now that you know a little about history, it is time to discuss some grammar details. You might not even realize that some words you’ve been using daily initially appeared in foreign languages. And to understand them better, let’s find out how exactly they’ve become common English words. There are three main ways of vocabulary transitions from one language to another.
- Transcription. It is the phonetic way of borrowing vocabulary units in which the original pronunciation of the word is preserved. Vivid examples of borrowed words created by transcription are the words “bouquet” and “ballet,” which come from French.
- Transliteration. This method means borrowing the word’s written form; English letters replace the original ones, and the word is pronounced according to the English rules. You can see examples of transliteration in “audience” (from the Latin word audio) and “democracy” (from the Greek word demos).
- Loan translation. This borrowing method involves copying foreign words, phrases, and expressions according to their literal meanings. For example, the term below one’s dignity came from the Latin phrase infra dignitatem. Another illustration of this borrowing method is the expression vicious circle – initially, it was the Latin term circulus vitiosus.
These are three main ways of borrowing English words from other languages. They are rare nowadays since most of the modern vocabulary was established hundreds of years ago. But now that you know their origins and ways of creating, it is time to learn the most common loanwords in English.
40+ English borrowed words examples
As we mentioned earlier, English was mostly impacted by French, Latin, and Scandinavian. Below, you will find the most common examples of borrowed words from these languages. So make yourself comfortable, and we are going to start.
French loanwords in English
Almost a thousand years ago, in 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England. Back then, Normans spoke Old French. Therefore, this language became a leading language in the conquered country. People spoke it for two reasons – first, it was necessary because some terms were unknown in Britain.
The second reason appeared later. Occasionally, speaking French became fancier than speaking English – people from high society considered English to be the language of peasants. Fortunately, those times are far behind us. But some expressions we use in our daily speech still remind us of them. Here are some examples of English words from another language.
- Pork, beef, mutton, veal.
It is hard to imagine that these tasty words we use nowadays were highly debated in ancient England. When French became trendy among aristocrats, the traditional word “swin” was replaced by its fancier version, “porc.” This way, “swin” was mainly used to describe what the peasants were breeding, while “porc” defined the food of the aristocrats. Later these two words borrowed from other languages transformed a little to suit English grammar rules – “swin” became “swine,” and “porc” became “pork.”
The same thing happened to other food. To separate themselves from the peasantry, aristocrats began to use different words for animals (cow, sheep, calf) and the meat they provided (beef, mutton, veal). And even though today we don’t have such division into social strata, we still use historical reminders of those times in our speech.
- Carpenter, execute, court, tailor, government.
These words might confuse you since they have very little in common. But in the times of the Norman Conquest, they were widespread among the elite (by the way, this is also a borrowed word.) Once again, people from high society used them to separate themselves from ordinary people, show respect to the new governors, and easily communicate with the conquerors.
Most words were connected to the royal court, shipbuilding, the army, etc. At the same time, the words duke and duchess, battle, cadet, captain, lieutenant, judge, attorney, and others came into use.
- Beautiful, visit, music, rewrite, explore, hour.
These words came into English from French a few centuries later and date back to the Renaissance. People started to travel the world, visit new places, and discover unknown art pieces. New things needed some names, and that is where the loan translation began. Most expressions that describe art come from French. For example, the word “beautiful” is a loan translation of the French word “beau,” and “music” came from “musique.”
- Leisure, gourmand, feudal, brother, garden.
When England again had a monarch in the Stuart era, many new words also came from France. Mostly, it was due to the social strata – the aristocrats learned many new words from the French nobility and used them in their language with minimal modifications.
Latin loan words list in English
Another significant influence English received from the Latin language. It all started in the times of the Roman Empire and continued during the Christianization. Even though Latin is considered a dead language now, we still use many words that came from it thousands of years ago. And believe us, some of them might really surprise you.
- Alibi.
This Latin word literally means “to be somewhere else.” But when it became a legal term, its definition slightly changed. Now it means that a person couldn’t be charged for committing a crime since they have significant proof of being in another place.
- Labor.
Labor in Latin means hard work, while in English, we usually use it to refer to any kind of physical work. This word has become the producer of other common terms – laboratory, collaboration, and elaborate.
- Agenda.
The word agenda came from the Latin verb agere, which meant performing any action. Today we use this term to describe the list of problems we will discuss at the meeting or the goals we are going to reach. Another way of using this word is to define one’s unclear, hidden motives.
- Visa.
Today we can’t imagine traveling to a foreign country without this document or permission for its absence. In Ancient Rome, this word was also used to define a document – the one that had been checked (charta visa – the document that had been seen).
- Video.
We all know the modern definition of this term. It is one of the best examples of words borrowed from other languages because we use it quite often in our daily lives. The original term is Latin, meaning “I see.”
- Etc.
You regularly see this abbreviation in the Promova blog articles. But have you ever wondered what it means? This shortcut came from the Latin word et cetera, which had the same meaning – and so on.
- AM & PM.
We can see these abbreviations every time we look at the watch or a phone screen to check the time. And we bet you’ve never known that they also came from Latin – ante meridiem and post meridiem, meaning before and after midday.
English words from other languages
You already know that Latin and French had the most significant impact on English vocabulary. But these are not the only languages that affect our daily speeches. Below, you will find the most common terms that came into English from foreign countries. And some of them can be really unexpected.
- Dollar.
Yes, you’ve read it right. Initially, this word appeared in the Czech Republic (Bohemia) in the XVI century. This was due to the fact that the country started to mint its own silver coins. It came to the USA almost three hundred years later, at the end of the XVIII century.
- Anonymous.
Now we use this word to define someone who doesn’t show their identity. In Ancient Greece, where the world was originally used, it had a similar meaning – someone who doesn’t have a name.
- Avatar.
In modern English, this word has two meanings – the famous James Cameron movie we all adore or the profile picture on social media. But initially, it is a Hindi word that means the incarnation of God in the human form.
- Candy.
This sweet word is definitely borrowed, but there are still some debates about its origin. It might be the loan translation of the French word (sucre candi – sugar candy), the Persian word qand (sugar), or the Sanskrit word khanda (sugar).
- Babushka.
This fashion word came to English from the Russian language. Originally, it meant a grandmother. But the modern definition describes a scarf tied on the head with a knot under the chin.
- Robot.
Another common word you didn’t expect to be borrowed. But it is – for the first time, this word appeared in the book R. U. R. written by Czech writer Karel Capek. It was a novel about artificial people called guess what? Robots. The best part about this story is that the book was published in 1921 – long before we started to really make robots.
- Chocolate.
One more tasty borrowed word in our list. It came from an Aztec language that is now considered dead. In the original, it was called xocolatl. You can still hear this word in some central regions of Mexico.
- Kindergarten.
We all use this term when talking about the place where kids go before school. Initially, it is a German word. Its literal translation is the children’s garden. You can hear this word not only in English but also in many other languages.
- Piano.
In English, this expression describes a popular musical instrument. The word came from the Italian term piano-forte. In the original language, it means “softly-loudly.” Also, this musical term means that you need to play a certain fragment of the composition softly.
7
How to learn English words borrowed from other languages with the Promova app?
Learning English borrowed words might be beneficial for language practice. It can help you understand the origin of some terms, find proper pronunciation, and better interpret the definition of some expressions. But this process might be tricky for those who are just starting their English-learning journey. Luckily, we have a solution.
Promova is a modern online language-learning platform that offers many studying options for students worldwide. You can choose from several opportunities according to your proficiency level, studying preferences, etc. For example, if your goal is to practice speaking, you can join our free Conversation Club to discuss various topics with students from different countries.
If you prefer personal lessons, say no more! You can seek help from our team of professional tutors, who will be happy to provide you with all the information you need based on your language level. For those who like company instead, we offer group lessons, where you can make your studying process fun, meet new people, and make friends from all over the world.
Lastly, to those of you who like to study alone, Promova offers a convenient state-of-the-art application available for different devices. Here you can find everything you need to practice English alone, including various topics, interesting lessons, speaking and vocabulary practices (where you can find a complete English loan words list), and much more.
Therefore, don’t waste any more time and visit the Promova website right away to see what it has to offer, whether you are an experienced language speaker or just a beginner, prefer to study alone or in a group.
Conclusion
All in all, what was a loanword a hundred years ago, is now just a regular part of our speeches. Today borrowed words have become an integral part of the English language – we eat chocolate, walk our children to the kindergarten, discuss the agenda at work, and go to bed before 12 PM. But it is important to know the origins; we hope this article will help you with that. Please share your favorite borrowed words in the comments – we will be happy to learn something new!
FAQ
What are borrowed words?
According to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, a borrowed word or loanword is a word from a foreign language used in its initial form. Nowadays, almost 80% of all English vocabulary consists of borrowed words. Most of these terms came from French, Latin, German, Scandinavian, Spanish, Italian, Hindi, and Russian languages.
Why are there so many loanwords in English?
Most borrowed words appeared in English during particular historical events. For example, Latin words are connected to the Christianization of England and the times of the Roman Empire. French words came with the Norman Conquest, and German – came with the First and Second World Wars. Some words appeared like loan translations because English vocabulary didn’t have the proper definition (like the Australian word kangaroo – British people never saw this animal, so they called it as the Australian people did).
What are the most common English words borrowed from French?
During different historical periods, English vocabulary was replenished with various words. For example, the times of William the Conqueror brought the words battle, army, soldier, lieutenant, captain, cadet, duke, and duchess. The Renaissance came with the words beautiful, art, and music, and in times of the Stuart Era, the words leisure, gourmand, and garden appeared.
What are the most common English words borrowed from Latin?
The most common English words borrowed from the Latin language are agenda (from the verb agere), alibi (from the Latin alibi – to be somewhere else), labor (Latin – hard work), and visa (charta visa – a document that had been seen). Some of the most popular borrowed Latin terms are vicious circle (circulus vitiosus) and Carpe Diem (seize the moment).
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
According to surveys,[1][2] the percentage of modern English words derived from each language group are as follows:
| Latin | ≈29% |
| French | ≈29% |
| Germanic | ≈26% |
| Greek | ≈5% |
| Others | ≈10% |
The following are lists of words in the English language that are known as «loanwords» or «borrowings,» which are derived from other languages.
For Old English-derived words, see List of English words of Old English origin.
- English words of African origin
- List of English words of Afrikaans origin
- List of South African English regionalisms
- List of South African slang words
- List of English words from indigenous languages of the Americas
- List of English words of Arabic origin
- List of Arabic star names
- List of English words of Australian Aboriginal origin
- List of English words of Brittonic origin
- Lists of English words of Celtic origin
- List of English words of Chinese origin
- List of English words of Czech origin
- List of English words of Dravidian origin (Kannada, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu)
- List of English words of Dutch origin
- List of English words of Afrikaans origin
- List of South African slang words
- List of place names of Dutch origin
- Australian places with Dutch names
- List of English words of Etruscan origin
- List of English words of Finnish origin
- List of English words of French origin
- Glossary of ballet, mostly French words
- List of French expressions in English
- List of English words with dual French and Anglo-Saxon variations
- List of pseudo-French words adapted to English
- List of English Latinates of Germanic origin
- List of English words of Gaulish origin
- List of German expressions in English
- List of pseudo-German words adapted to English
- English words of Greek origin (a discussion rather than a list)
- List of Greek morphemes used in English
- List of English words of Hawaiian origin
- List of English words of Hebrew origin
- List of English words of Hindi or Urdu origin
- List of English words of Hungarian origin
- List of English words of Indian origin
- List of English words of Indonesian origin, including from Javanese, Malay (Sumatran) Sundanese, Papuan (West Papua), Balinese, Dayak and other local languages in Indonesia
- List of English words of Irish origin
- List of Irish words used in the English language
- List of English words of Italian origin
- List of Italian musical terms used in English
- List of English words of Japanese origin
- List of English words of Korean origin
- List of Latin words with English derivatives
- List of English words of Malay origin
- List of English words of Māori origin
- List of English words of Niger-Congo origin
- List of English words of Old Norse origin
- List of English words of Persian origin
- List of English words of Philippine origin
- List of English words of Polish origin
- List of English words of Polynesian origin
- List of English words of Portuguese origin
- List of English words of Romani origin
- List of English words of Romanian origin
- List of English words of Russian origin
- List of English words of Sami origin
- List of English words of Sanskrit origin
- List of English words of Scandinavian origin (incl. Danish, Norwegian)
- List of English words of Scots origin
- List of English words of Scottish Gaelic origin
- List of English words of Semitic origin
- List of English words of Spanish origin
- List of English words of Swedish origin
- List of English words of Turkic origin
- List of English words of Ukrainian origin
- List of English words of Welsh origin
- List of English words of Yiddish origin
- List of English words of Zulu origin
See also[edit]
- Anglicisation
- English terms with diacritical marks
- Inkhorn term
- Linguistic purism in English
- List of Germanic and Latinate equivalents in English
- List of Greek and Latin roots in English
- List of proposed etymologies of OK
- List of Latin legal terms
References[edit]
- ^ Finkenstaedt, Thomas; Dieter Wolff (1973). Ordered profusion; studies in dictionaries and the English lexicon. C. Winter. ISBN 3-533-02253-6.
- ^ Joseph M. Williams (1986) [1975]. Origins of the English Language. A social and linguistic history. Free Press. ISBN 0029344700.[page needed]
External links[edit]
- Ancient Egyptian Loan-Words in English
- List of etymologies of English words
By
Last updated:
March 16, 2023
89 English Words That Come from Other Languages [with Pronunciation and Examples]
You probably already find the number of words in English a little dizzying, but did you know that many of them actually came from other languages? Maybe even from your language?
That means some words will be really easy for you to learn, so you can quickly expand your English vocabulary.
Let’s explore 45 common words that English “took” from other languages.
Contents
- From French
- From German
- From Yiddish
- From Spanish
- From Japanese
- From Native American Languages
- From Chinese
- From Arabic
- From Russian
- From Portuguese
- From Swedish
- From Italian
- From Korean
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
From French
In some ways, English, French and German are almost like three siblings who grew up together. Each language influenced the other two in some way, but one of the biggest influences on English was French.
In fact, from the 9th century until the 14th century, a form of French was even the “official” language in the courts of England! During those years, the common (non-royal) people spoke an older form of English, while the kings, queens and members of the court spoke French. And to make it more confusing, most documents were written in Latin.
As you can imagine, there was a lot of mixing between those languages. So let’s look at some interesting English words that still “look French.”
One more note: Be sure to listen to the pronunciations for these originally-French words. Many are probably said differently than you might expect!
1. Art
The word “art” originated from the Latin ars which originally meant “skill” or “craft”. It came to English through Old French.
Example:
She enjoys abstract art.
2. Beef
“Beef” came to English from the Old French word boef. But that’s not the only meat name with French origins! “Mutton,” “veal” and “pork” are all thought to be derived from Old French.
Example:
Cut the beef into slices and serve it with the sauce.
3. Ballet
This is a form of dance that developed in France.
Keep in mind that you don’t pronounce the “t” at the end. Instead, the second syllable should sound like “lay,” with the same vowel sound as the letter “a.”
Example:
My niece and nephew are in ballet class, so I watched their 5-hour ballet performance on Saturday. It was pretty long.
4. Cafe
It is written both with the accent mark (“café”) and without it (“cafe”) in English.
“Cafe” comes from the French word for “coffee,” but it’s also very similar the word for coffee in many other languages.
Example:
I’ve only got about 20 minutes for lunch, so I’ll just stop at a cafe for a quick sandwich.
5. Country
Originally from Latin, the English word “country” likely comes most directly from the Old French word cuntree.
Example:
I prefer to live in a hot country.
6. Croissant
A croissant is a type of pastry or bread that is light and flaky. A similar type of bread in English is a “crescent roll.”
Example:
Tina really loves to make croissants because they taste better than other types of bread.
7. Dance
The word “Dance” likely comes from the Old French verb dancier which means “to dance”.
Example:
He danced her across the floor.
8. Dragon
An awful lot of animal names (mythical and otherwise) can be traced back to French, but let’s face facts: “dragon” is the most fun. Other animals who owe their names to French include griffin, phoenix, dolphin, squirrel and more. You can guess which ones are real.
Example:
A dragon guarded the treasure.
9. Entrepreneur
An “entrepreneur” is a person who starts their own company. Other common forms of the word include “entrepreneurship” (a noun) or “entrepreneurial” (an adjective).
Example:
Elon Musk, the man who started SpaceX and Tesla Motors, is one of the most famous entrepreneurs in the world.
10. Faux pas
This phrase describes making a social mistake. It has several silent letters, including the “x” and the “s.”
If you make a “faux pas”, then the mistake usually isn’t very big and doesn’t hurt anyone physically, but it can make people uncomfortable.
Example:
I committed a pretty big faux pas last night. I kept trying to offer Maria beers, but I completely forgot that she stopped drinking alcohol three years ago!
11. Fruit
The word “fruit” passed through Old French (as fruges) before making its way to English.
Example:
We have a fruit bowl on the table.
12. Genre
In French, this word means “kind” or “style.” In English, it’s used to describe a category of something, especially when talking about entertainment.
You’ll especially hear people using this word to talk about books, movies and music.
Example:
Roy likes many types of music, but his favorite genre is heavy metal.
13. Hors d’oeuvre
These are small bits of food that are served at special events, usually parties. They’re very similar to appetizers, but appetizers are usually served before a larger meal.
Example:
We were invited to Tina and Roy’s engagement party. We expected a big meal, but there were only hors d’oeuvres. That was okay, though, since we weren’t that hungry.
14. Liberty
It means to be free to choose, think and act as you like. While “liberty” is a popular word in the US, it isn’t an original English word. It originated from Latin libertas (“freedom”) before passing through Old French liberté.
Example:
He lost his liberty privileges and, with them, his equilibrium.
15. Lingerie
This is used to describe women’s underwear or sleepwear that is usually sexy or special in some way.
Example:
These days, before some women get married, their friends give them a “lingerie shower.” That’s when the woman’s friends all get together and give her lingerie as a wedding gift.
16. Music
The origins of “music” go back to Greek and Latin, but before hitting the English language, it passed through Old French as musique.
Example:
What type of music are you listening to?
17. People
The Latin word populus transformed into the Anglo-Norman French word poeple, which later became the English word “people.” My, how far we’ve come.
Example:
Around 108 billion people have ever lived on our planet.
18. Renaissance
In French, this means “rebirth,” but in English it is often used to describe the historical period between 1300 and 1600 when art and science developed a lot.
Example:
I don’t know much about art, but I do know that Michelangelo and Raphael were two of the most famous artists from the Renaissance period.
19. Rendezvous
In English, this word is used to describe either a place where people plan to meet, or the action of meeting a person at a specific time.
Example:
We’re in a new city, and I’m sure you all want to explore it a bit. It’s 2:00 now, so let’s rendezvous back here at 6:00. Then we’ll go to dinner.
20. Very
Yes, even a simple word like “very” came through French. It likely originated with the Old French word verai, which meant “true.”
Example:
It’s very likely that he will join us on this trip.
That’s not a comprehensive list and there are still more English words and phrases that come from French.
From German
As I already explained, a lot of German words are also used in English.
21. Delicatessen
A “delicatessen” (abbreviated “deli”) is a shop where you can get sandwiches, coffee and other small foods. This comes from the German word Delikatessen, which means “fine/fancy foods,” but in English it just describes the place where you can buy those foods.
Some of the most famous delis are in New York, including Katz’s Delicatessen.
Example:
Delicatessens used to be more common in New York, but many are going out of business.
22. Fest
A “fest” is any kind of party, celebration or festival. In both English and German, it’s commonly used as a suffix (a word part added to the end of a word), and the most common one is Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest officially happens every year in Munich, Germany, but many other cities have their own Oktoberfests.
Example:
We went to Oktoberfest in Munich, it was crazy. There were so many people, and all of them were drunk!
23. Gesundheit
In German, this word means “health.” Especially in the United States, people often say “Gesundheit!” as a response when someone sneezes (others often say “bless you”).
Example:
When I sneezed, my aunt said “Gesundheit!”
24. Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun. This traditional American cookout food actually comes from the name of the German city, Hamburg.
Example:
They served hot dogs and hamburgers at the cookout.
25. Kindergarten
Translated literally, this word means “children’s garden.” It’s a common type of school in many parts of the world. Children often go to a year or two of kindergarten when they’re 5 years old before they start elementary school.
Example:
Our daughter is going to turn 5 next year, so we’ve been trying to find a good kindergarten for her.
26. Neanderthal
Neanderthals were humans like us, but they were a distinct species called Homo neanderthalensis. The word “Neanderthal” comes from another German place name. Thal used to mean “valley,” though now it’s spelled as Tal. Therefore, Neanderthal refers to the “Neander Valley,” which is where some of the first fossils of Neanderthals were discovered.
It’s now used in English when someone is very old-fashioned and not willing to change.
Example:
They were pushed back by Neanderthal security guards.
27. Nix
This comes from the German word Nichts, meaning “nothing.” So the next time you ask your server to nix the ketchup on your hamburger, you’ve just used two German words and one Chinese word!
Example:
I wanted to get the day off, but my manager nixed it.
28. Poodle
Everyone knows the word “dachshund” comes from German, but they’re not the only German dogs on the block. This canine name originally came from the Low German word puddeln, meaning “splash in water.”
Example:
My friend’s poodle is the best dog I know!
29. Waltz
A “waltz” is a type of formal dance. The word is also used to describe the type of music that plays during those dances, and it can also be used as a verb to describe the action of dancing this dance.
Example:
My friends say that dancing the waltz is easy, but I can’t do it. I’m just not coordinated, and everyone says I have “two left feet.”
30. Rucksack
A rucksack is another name for a backpack. “Ruck” comes from the German word Rücken (back) and sack is another German word which means either “bag” or, as you probably guessed, “sack.”
Example:
Alan is going to travel to Europe this summer, but he’s planning on only taking one rucksack. He’ll have to pack carefully if he wants everything to fit!
For even more words like this, check out this article with 76 other German loanwords.
From Yiddish
You may not have ever heard of Yiddish, but it’s a Germanic language that was common among Jewish people in Eastern Europe. Today it’s mostly spoken in Israel, Eastern Europe and some parts of the United States where Jewish families settled but is an endangered language.
Because of historical immigration, some Yiddish words may be more common in American English than in British English. Also, since it is a Germanic language, many Yiddish words are similar or even the same as German words.
31. Glitch
A “glitch” describes a small problem, but usually it’s a problem that doesn’t make it impossible to finish something.
Example:
I planned to go downtown to meet with Betty, but I ran into a glitch: The bus wasn’t running because it was a holiday. So I took a taxi instead.
32. Klutz
A “klutz” is a person who is very uncoordinated or clumsy. In other words, klutzes often have accidents and break things.
Example:
My cousin Charlotte is a real klutz. Every time she goes into a souvenir shop, she always seems to break two or three things, and then she has to pay for them!
33. Spiel
In Yiddish (and German), this word can mean “play,” but in English it’s used to describe a quick speech or story which has usually been said/told many times. Often a spiel tries to convince you of something.
Example:
My uncle Thomas believes a lot of conspiracy theories. When we ate Thanksgiving dinner, he did his whole spiel about how the government is controlled by lizard people!
34. Schmooze
This is a verb that means to talk with someone in a very friendly way, often to gain some benefit for yourself.
Example:
At the meeting, the professors were schmoozing with the president of the club. They want his club to donate money to the university.
From Spanish
Like French, Spanish is another Latin-based language that has influenced English. A lot of this Spanish influence is especially noticeable in American English, so many of these words could be less common in British English.
35. Guerrilla
In Spanish, this word literally means “little war.” In both Spanish and English it can be used to describe an unofficial group of people fighting the government. In English, it’s most commonly used as an adjective, in phrases like “guerrilla warfare” or “guerrilla marketing.”
Note that in Spanish, the “ll” sound is different than in English. As a result, in English this word sounds basically the same as “gorilla,” the animal.
Example:
The guerrilla fighters took control of the capital of the country, which gave them control of the government.
34. Macho
This word describes a person who is very strong or masculine. It can also be used to describe a person who is arrogant about his manhood. It’s also been used in the name of a professional wrestler and a popular disco song from the 1970s.
Example:
Peter is a real macho guy, but that’s annoying sometimes. He says that “real men don’t cry,” but I think he’s wrong.
35. Patio
In English, “patio” generally describes an area outside a house which often has a table and chairs, but no roof.
Example:
It was very hot today, so we decided to go out to the patio to drink a cold glass of lemonade. There are some trees there, too, so the sun wasn’t as bad.
36. Plaza
A “plaza” describes a public open area in a city, which can sometimes be called a “square.”
“Plaza” is also used in the names of many shopping malls, corporate building areas or other large open areas. If you’re a native Spanish speaker, notice that the pronunciation in English has a vibrated “z” sound, not a soft “s.”
Example:
Victoria needed to buy some Christmas presents for her friends, so she went downtown to the new shopping plaza to check out some of the stores that were recently opened.
37. Piñata
This is a happy word that describes a toy that is filled with candy. At parties, children take turns trying to break it open with a stick so the candy will fall out.
Example:
We had a birthday party for our 3-year-old boy, but we thought he was probably too young for a piñata. We thought all the kids would get hit in the head with the stick.
38. Savvy
It’s how we call a person who makes good judgments. The word “savvy” likely originates from the Spanish word sabe, which means “knows.”
Example:
Many people are no that politically savvy.
39. Siesta
A “siesta” is another name for “nap,” but it’s generally a nap that one takes in the middle of the day, especially after eating or while taking a break from work.
People often take siestas in hot countries because the middle of the day is when the heat is most intense. So it’s a good time to stay inside and sleep!
Example:
Wow, I ate that big plate of spaghetti and now I’m feeling super tired. I think I’ll take a quick siesta before I get back to work.
40. Tobacco
“Tobacco” is a type of plant and its leaves are dried and used for smoking. While the word is likely influenced by native languages, the English word “tobacco” was derived from the Spanish word tabaco.
Example:
I have never smoked tobacco in my life.
41. Vanilla
“Vanilla” is a spice that is used to flavor food like ice cream or can also be used in fragrances. The English word “vanilla” likely comes from the Spanish word vainilla, which itself comes from the Latin word for “pod.”
Example:
Vanilla ice cream is my favorite!
From Japanese
While English and Japanese do not share common roots, the cultures have crossed paths many times throughout the years and ultimately borrowed words from each other.
42. Honcho
The Japanese word 班長 (hanchō) refers to a chief or leader in both Japanese and English. It can also be used as a verb meaning to organize or to supervise a project, for example.
Example:
I was recently asked to honcho the new marketing project.
43. Skosh
You might use the word “skosh” without even noticing where it came from. It’s used to refer to a small amount and comes from either the Japanese word 少し (sukoshi) or the word すこし (sukoshi), both of which mean “a little.”
Example:
Next time just add a skosh of salt to your eggs.
44. Karaoke
You probably know what karaoke is. It’s when you sing along with the tune of a popular song while reading the lyrics from a screen. There are karaoke bars in many countries, including the US and the UK, but it’s most commonly associated with Japan.
Example:
Mitch really likes singing karaoke, even though he doesn’t have an amazing voice. But that doesn’t matter—the important thing is to have fun with friends!
45. Karate
Like karaoke, you probably recognize this word. It describes a popular martial art that originated in Japan. There, the word “karate” means “empty hand,” since you don’t need any special equipment or weapons to do it.
Example:
Lisa has a black belt in karate, so you’d better not try to steal her things.
46. Ninja
This word means “spy” in Japanese, but in English it’s used to describe a person who can move and attack silently, without being seen. People also associate ninjas with fighters who wear masks and all-black clothing, even though that may not be historically true.
In modern use, people who can do something incredibly well are often called “ninjas.” This is especially common in technological fields.
Example:
You should try Karl’s cookies—they’re delicious! Karl is a real baking ninja!
47. Origami
“Origami” is the art of folding small pieces of paper in order to form them into interesting shapes. Some origami can be really detailed and incredible!
Example:
If you want to try origami, it’s very easy to start. You just need some small pieces of paper. But if you want to become an expert, it could take years of practice.
48. Tsunami
This is a gigantic (very large) sea wave that is usually caused by an earthquake.
Unfortunately, the word tsunami has become more well-known ever since the 2004 Southeast Asia tsunami and the 2011 Japan tsunami. Those events killed hundreds of thousands of people.
Example:
Those recent tsunamis were terrible, but at least they made people more aware of the dangers of tsunamis.
From Native American Languages
When Europeans arrived to the Americas, they encountered millions of natives. The native groups had their own languages, and many of those influenced English.
Many of the Native American words were for place names, and others were adapted and changed to make them easier to pronounce in English.
These words are usually more common in American English than in British English.
49. Chocolate
“Chocolate” came to English after passing through Spanish, but originally it was xocolatl in the Nahuatl language of modern-day Mexico.
Example:
If you don’t know what chocolate is, then I feel very sad for you.
50. Moccasin
Depending on who you ask, you will probably hear different ideas about what a moccasin is. But at least everyone will agree that it’s a type of informal shoe.
Example:
I don’t like the cold winter weather in general, but I do enjoy wearing my warm moccasins when I’m inside.
From Chinese
In English, “Chinese” is used to refer to the different dialects of the languages in China and Taiwan, even though “Mandarin” is the actual name of the one with the most speakers.
If you look a bit closer, you’ll find that English has actually taken some pretty cool words from Chinese!
51. Dim sum
“Dim sum” is a style of food that’s common in southern China (specifically in and near Hong Kong).
The word originally meant “touch your heart,” but now it’s just used to describe a meal in a restaurant where the guests have many choices of small dishes of food. Many of the foods are steamed in bamboo baskets, and there are also other dishes like soup and fried bread.
Example:
Tony invited us to eat dim sum and we had a wonderful time! The food was delicious, and the little pieces were actually easy to eat with chopsticks.
52. Gung-ho
In Chinese this phrase means “work together,” but in English it’s used casually to express that you’re excited or enthusiastic about something. We generally use it as an adjective.
Example:
I was really gung-ho to eat dim sum, but when we got to the Chinese restaurant it was closed for a holiday! We were all really disappointed.
53. Kung fu
“Kung fu” is another popular style of martial arts. In kung fu, generally fighters only use their hands and feet, but not weapons.
Example:
I’m tired of bullies beating me up. I’m going to learn kung fu so I can defend myself if they attack me again!
54. Tofu
This is a word that originated from Chinese (as dou fu). But before it was adopted into English, it passed through Japanese and became “tofu.”
In Chinese, dou means “bean” and fu means “rotten” or “sour.” It sounds gross when you put it that way, but it can actually be pretty tasty!
Example:
I know you’re vegetarian, but this restaurant has lots of great options! For many of the dishes you can just substitute the meat with tofu or another vegetarian option.
55. Typhoon
A typhoon is just another name for a hurricane or a cyclone. If it’s in the Pacific Ocean near Asia, it’s called a typhoon.
The word was reinforced by the Chinese word taifeng, which means “big wind.” There were also some possible influences from other languages like Greek, Arabic and Portuguese!
Example:
In 2014 Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines and caused a lot of damage. It was one of the biggest typhoons ever recorded.
56. Yin and yang
In Chinese, yin represents feminine, dark and nighttime, while yang represents the opposite: masculine, light and daytime things. In English, these words are used to represent any opposites.
Example:
Mary is the yin to Peter’s yang. They’re complete opposites, but they have a happy marriage. I guess it’s true that “opposites attract”!
57. Ketchup
Ketchup may seem as American as burgers and cookouts, but the word itself may come from the Cantonese word 茄汁 (qié zhī), which means “tomato sauce.”
Example:
Could you please pass me a bottle of ketchup, please?
58. Chin-chin
In English and Chinese, it’s a drinking toast expressing good wishes before drinking. The word stems from the Mandarin word 請 (qǐng), which means “please.”
Thank you for the great night, let’s have the last drink! Chin-chin!
59. Brainwashing
It’s a term used in English to describe the process of manipulating a person’s beliefs, emotions and behaviors. It might not sound Chinese, but there’s a very good explanation for that.
“Brainwashing” is actually a literal translation of the Chinese word 洗腦 (xǐ nǎo). It originated in Chinese during the Korean War, referring to the practice of coercion and mind control.
It took off in the U.S. soon after.
Example:
The prisoners of war were subjected to intense brainwashing.
From Arabic
Though Arabic and English look incredibly different, many English words have their roots in Arabic since it is one of the oldest languages in the world.
60. Admiral
In English, an admiral is a high-ranking naval officer who is responsible for commanding fleets or groups of ships.
“Admiral” comes from أمير (pronounced amyr and sometimes translated as “emir”), which refers to a leader.
Example:
Horatio Nelson was the greatest admiral in the history of the Royal Navy.
61. Alcohol
We all are probably familiar with this word. But did you know that the word “alcohol” is derived from the word الكحل (alkahal), which meant “the kohl,” which originally referred to a powder.
Example:
I’m seriously thinking about cutting down on alcohol in January.
62. Algebra
“Algebra” is a branch of math where you solve equations. “Algebra” comes from الجبر (aljabar), which originally referred to putting together broken parts.
Example:
Algebra was my least favorite subject at school.
63. Average
In math, it’s the mean number from a set of numbers. In English, we also use this word to describe when something is typical or usual. “Average” originally came from عوار (eawar), which referred to damage to goods. Merchant-marine law changed the meaning.
Example:
It was an average experience for me.
64. Lemon
These bright yellow fruits have an interesting history. Coming from the word ليمون (leemoon), it passed through French before making its way to English.
Example:
Eating lemons can boost your immune system.
65. Sheikh
A “sheikh” is a ruler or leader of a group of people in Arab cultures. It’s used in English as a title for rulers in some countries, instead of words like “king” or “president.”
For example, the current leader of Dubai, Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, is a sheikh.
Example:
When meeting sheikhs, many foreign leaders hold hands with them as a sign of respect or friendship.
66. Sofa
“Sofa” likely started as the Arabic word صفّة (sofa) before entering the Turkish language, then the French language, then the English language. That’s quite a journey!
67. Zero
“Zero” comes from the word صفر (sifr), though it passed through Spanish, Italian and French before it entered the English language.
From Russian
Even though Russian and English look and sound very different they are actually both a part of the huge group of languages known as Indo-European.
68. Beluga
It’s a small whale with white teeth living mainly in Arctic waters. The type of sturgeon comes from the Russian word белуга (beluga), while the type of whale comes from белуха (beluhka). Both ultimately trace back to белый (belee), which means “white.”
Example:
The beluga whale is known as the “canary of the sea” because of its unique vocalizations.
69. Babushka
In Russian, this word means “grandmother,” but in English it usually refers to a scarf or head covering that you might imagine an old Russian woman wearing.
So if a girl or woman wears a scarf to keep her head warm, sometimes people jokingly call her a “babushka.”
Example:
I saw an old lady wearing a babushka walking down the street. She was carrying many shopping bags and having trouble walking, so I offered to help her carry her bags.
70. Disinformation
It means to give false information to mislead someone on purpose. “Disinformation” comes from the Russian word дезинформация (dezinformatsiya), which was the name of a KGB propaganda department.
Example:
The government’s disinformation campaign was designed to confuse the public and conceal the truth about the controversial policy.
71. Mammoth
It’s a large, extinct species of elephant that lived during the Ice Age. In English, this word is also used to say when something is huge or gigantic. “Mammoth” comes from the Russian word мамонт (mamont), which likely had Siberian roots.
Example:
The construction project required a mammoth amount of concrete and steel to complete the towering skyscraper.
72. Shaman
A “shaman” is a mystical expert who can function as a healer. This word for a tribal priest comes from the Russian word шаман (shaman), which likely comes from the Evenki language of Siberia.
Example:
The tribal shaman performed a sacred ritual to connect with the spirits of nature.
From Portuguese
With two languages that take so much of their vocabulary from Latin, you can expect lots of overlap and similarities. Here are the words we have just straight borrowed!
73. Bossa nova
There are many Portuguese loanwords in English. Bossa nova, which means “new wave” in Brazilian Portuguese, describes a kind of relaxing music.
Example:
You may think that you don’t know any bossa nova songs, but you almost certainly have heard a version of the “The Girl From Ipanema.” It’s a great bossa nova song, but it’s also the stereotypical example of “elevator music.”
74. Cashew
It’s a nut in the shape of a kidney that is rich in oil and proteins. “Cashew” is derived from the Portuguese word cajú, which likely came from the now-extinct Tupi language.
Example:
Try eating a few cashews as a snack, it’s a healthier option.
75. Cobra
Cobra is a poisonous snake from Africa and southern Asia. The word “cobra” is a shortening of cobra de capello, a Portuguese phrase meaning “snake with hood.”
Example:
At the zoo, we saw a black cobra.
76. Flamingo
While some may claim “flamingo” has Spanish origins, there’s also an argument that it may have come from Portuguese. The bright pink birds have not yet weighed in on the conflict.
Example:
A beautiful flamingo was standing gracefully on one leg in the pond at the zoo.
From Swedish
While the writing and pronunciation of a word may sound quite different in Swedish than in English, there is actually a lot more commonalities than you might expect between these two languages that share Germanic roots.
77. Moped
“Moped” (pronounced with two syllables: mo-ped) is a combination of the Swedish words “motor” and “pedaler.” Those words are nearly the same as their English equivalents “motor” and “pedals.”
It’s basically a bicycle with a motor. Many people call scooters or small motorcycles “mopeds,” but that’s not technically correct.
Example:
When I got my driver’s license, I really wanted a car. But cars are too expensive, so I bought a moped from my friend Ronnie instead.
From Italian
Like many of the other languages on this list, Italy and English share Germanic roots so many words sound similar, but others are just borrowed, like these.
78. Allegro
“Allegro” in music means to be performed at a brisk speed. In Italian, allegro means “cheerful.” Most other musical terms also came from Italian.
Example:
The last piece of the composition was in allegro form.
79. Alto
In English, “alto” often refers to a female singer with a lower voice, though the word actually comes from the Italian word alto, which means “high.”
Example:
Amy Winehouse is one of the best alto singers of all time.
80. Apartment
In English, an apartment is a set of rooms on one floor of a building. “Apartment” likely comes from the Italian word appartamento (though it also passed through French before entering the English language).
Example:
He lives in an apartment on the third floor.
81. Broccoli
It’s a very popular green vegetable. Did you know that the word “broccoli” comes from the Italian word broccoli, which is the plural of broccolo.
Example:
My mom made me eat steamed broccoli with every meal I had for lunch.
82. Cartoon
In English it means a simple drawing in a somewhat humorous style. It’s also an animated film for kids. “Cartoon” likely comes from the Italian word cartone, which were full-scale drawings used to prepare for paintings or frescoes.
Example:
We watched the Pocahontas cartoon on TV last night.
83. Cauliflower
It’s a white vegetable and you can actually make a nice grilled cauliflower steak! “Cauliflower” comes from Italian word cavolfiore, which literally means “flowering cabbage.”
Example:
I tried roasting cauliflower for dinner yesterday and it was delicious.
84. Cello
It’s an instrument in the violin family. “Cello” comes from the Italian word violoncello, which is the diminutive of violone, a type of double bass.
Example:
Have you done an hour of cello practice yet?
85. Paparazzi
“Paparazzi” is actually the plural form of the Italian word paparazzo. It’s used in English to describe a photographer or a group of photographers who take pictures of celebrities. Then they sell the photos to magazines or newspapers.
They’re not a very popular profession, as they take away celebrities’ privacy, but they were the subject of a popular song a few years ago.
Example:
When Princess Diana died in 1999, many people believed that the paparazzi were responsible for her death. Those photographers were constantly following her everywhere.
86. Piano
We are familiar with this large keyboard instrument. Did you know that “Piano” is a shortening of the Italian word pianoforte?
Example:
I learned to play piano in a music school near my house.
87. Soprano
“Soprano” is the highest singing voice and has the same meaning between languages. The word comes directly from the Italian soprano.
Example:
He composed this piece specifically for sopranos.
88. Violin
The violin is a stringed musical instrument that has four strings and is played with a bow. The word “violin” came to English from the Italian word violino, which is a diminutive of viola (a slightly larger stringed instrument).
Example:
The sound of the violin reminds me of my childhood.
From Korean
Just like K-Pop, the Korean language has had an influence on English.
89. Taekwondo
For our final word, we’ll look at another martial arts term. In Korean, taekwondo means “kick fist art” (pretty cool, right?!) and in English it’s used to describe the popular martial art.
Example:
After writing this article, I now want to learn a martial art. I’d like to learn taekwondo, but I want to learn how to use swords and other weapons, so it might not be the best option for me.
Wow! That was a lot of words, but I’m sure that you’ll have no trouble learning them. In fact, you probably already recognized some of them.
You don’t have to memorize this list! In fact, it’s always better to learn new words in context by hearing, seeing and reading them used naturally.
For example, to practice these and other words, consider a resource like FluentU. This program uses native-level English video content (chock-full of all sorts of borrowed words) to teach you new vocabulary while improving your understanding of the culture.
Look for words you recognize in English content and media to discover even more easy vocabulary words you may already know.
Until the next time we rendezvous, I hope you’ll stay gung-ho for learning new English vocabulary! Adios, amigos!
Download:
This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you
can take anywhere.
Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Jumpstart Learning English with Cudoo’s Online Courses
Full lifetime access
Certificate of completion
One time payment
7. Wanderlust (German)
Defined as a passionate desire to travel or, quite literally, wander away, the term ‘wanderlust’ derives from the German language and was borrowed by the English language in 1902.
8. Cookie (Dutch)
Did you know this rolled, sliced and baked sweet dough is originated from the Dutch language? It’s true though, it really does.
The English language derived the word ‘cookie’ from the Dutch term ‘Koekie’, defined as akin to cake, to describe this loved sweet snack.
9. Karaoke (Japanese)
A Japanese form of entertainment that took over the Western world 20-30 years ago, Karaoke was borrowed by the English language and has continued to become an international phenomenon for entertainment.
The Japanese term stands for ‘an empty orchestra’ and is the act of amateur singing with recorded music, commonly performed in clubs or bars.
10. Metropolis (Greek)
Derived from Late Latin to Greek initially, the word ‘metropolis’ refers to the mother city of a colony.
The English derivation of the word describes the term as a big city of high importance.
11. Lemon (Arabic)
The Arabic word from which ‘lemon’ originates is called ‘Laimun’, defined simply as a yellow citrus fruit. The term became a part of the English language family post-1400 and was also influenced by another Middle Eastern language, Persian.
12. Avatar (Sanskrit)
Known as a representation of oneself in the virtual world, the word gained a whole new level of popularity after James Cameron’s 2009 science fiction film called Avatar.
13. Ketchup (Chinese)
Honestly, who would’ve guessed this!
Originating from its Chinese equal ‘Ke-stiap’, the word referred to as a concoction of pickled fish and spices in 1692.
Fast forward 100 years in the Western world, tomatoes were added to the sauce to create a very famous condiment called ‘ketchup’.
14. Entrepreneur (French)
In the 13th century, the term ‘entrepreneur’ is derived from the French verb ‘entreprendre’ which meant to undertake or do something. History suggests that by the 16th century, the verb had transformed to form the noun ‘entrepreneur’ which referred to someone who undertook a business venture.
15. Utensil (French) (Latin)
The Latin word ‘utensilia’ refers to things or resources for use and was adopted by the French to form the word ‘ustensile’ which describes cooking tools. By combining the Latin and French versions, the English term ‘utensil’ was then created and has been commonly used in kitchens across the English-speaking world.
16. Sushi (Japanese)
Sushi originally comes from a Japanese word for sour (Sushimeshi), and with time it turned into a term used to describe naturally fermented seafood and rice pickled with salt condoning a sour flavor. With time Sushimeshi was a recognized dish all over the world and for short they call it Sushi.
17. Catalogue (French)
The word catalogue is a word we use frequently when we want to talk about a list of items or publication. Yet, the word has taken a long way to reach “catalogue.” The word catalogue firstly started in Greece with the word katalegien which means pick out or enroll. Later on, to Katalogos in Greek and then to Catalogos in Latin and then to late French.
18. Justice (French)
The word justice emerged from the old French justice or jostise, which means administration of law. The French word justice is from the form of Latin justitia. Yet the word justice when firstly used in old English it was used as justice and combined with the word just in English, the word justice was formed.
19. Penguin (Welsh)
The origin of the word penguin is still debatable to this day, yet it is said that it comes from the Welsh “pen gwyn” which means white head. However, some say that the word penguin was used for the great auk of the seas which is now an extinct animal which used to stay around Newfoundland in Canada.
20. Massage (Portuguese)
The word massage went through a few different meanings across its timeline, it first started as “massa” which means dough, and then changed into amassar which means to knead, then in French to masser which means to knead or to treat with massage. Now it is used in English as massage which means the rubbing and kneading of muscles and joints.
Of course, it doesn’t stop here. Asian languages have also influenced English quite a bit. We put together a list of some of the most popular words borrowed words from Japanese.