English has many words that are obtained either directly from Arabic or indirectly from Arabic words that have passed into Romance languages before passing into English. Examples include: Artichoke, Cotton, Alcohol, Algebra, Orange, Sugar, Amber, Candy, Coffee, Ghoul, Sofa, Lemon, Loofah, Magazine, Zero, Safari– and many more.
English Words of Arabic Origin Even the number system used today was introduced to Europeans by Arab merchants.
English Words That Come from Arabic
Did you know that you practice your Arabic vocabulary by speaking everyday English words? Didn’t even think you were using words of Arabic origin? Arabic is one of the oldest languages in the world. Since English is relatively new, many of its words are originated from Arabic.
The abundance of English words from Arabic is the result of years of exploration and migration through international trade conquests. Historians and linguists speculate that the Spanish absorbed and started using Arabic words centuries ago when the then powerful Moors occupied Iberia peninsula.
Some English words are direct descendants of Arabic words such as ghoul, while others are indirectly descended from Arabic through other older European languages such as Latin Turkish or French. These words include sugar and admiral.
It is estimated that hundreds of words in English are derived from Arabic words. These words include food and drink, medical and scientific terms, animals and plants, and everyday objects and products that we use.
List of English Words of Arabic Origin:
- Algebra
- Average
- Bled
- Check
- Coffee
- Cotton
- Candy
- Gerbil
- Gazelle
- Giraffe
- Guitar
- Harem
- Henna
- Hazard
- Jar
- Jasmine
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mascara
- Mask
- Mattress
- Orange
- Safari
- Satin
- Sherbet
- Sorbet
- Shrub
- Soda
- Sofa
- So-long
- Spinach
- Syrup
- Tell
- Wisdom tooth
- Zero
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