English: familiar words in everyday use and their Arabic origin

[Jabhad]

Listed below are a few words with their Arabic origins and meanings. Note: that "al" is the Arabic word for "the"

 

1. Admiral = amir al (ruler of; originally "amir al-bahr," ruler of the sea)

2. Alchemy = alkimia (from Greek "chemia," a pouring together)

3. Alcohol = al kohl (powder of antimony, used to color the eyebrows)

4. Alcove = al-qobbah (vault, arch, dome)

5. Aldebaran = al-debaran ("the following," from debar, "to follow"; a star in the constellation Taurus)

6. Alembic = alanbiq (a chemical apparatus formerly used in distillation, from Persian "ambiq," a still, and Greek, "ambix," a cup of a still)

7. Alfalfa = al-fac, facah (the best fodder)

8. Algebra = al-jabr (the reunion of broken parts, from "jabara," to reunite, bind together)

9. Alkali = al-qaliy, (ashes of the plant saltwort, from "qalay," to roast in a pan)

10. Almanac = almanakh (calendar)

11. Amber = 'anbar (ambergris)

12. Arsenal = dar as-sina'ah (workshop, literally, house of skill or trade)

13. Azure = lazward (sky blue, from Persian "lazhward")

14. Candy = qandi (made of sugar, from Sanskrit "khanda," sugar in pieces; "khand," to break)

15. Cipher = sifr (a cipher, nothing, from "safara," to be nothing)

16. Coffee = qahwa (coffee)

17. Cotton = qutun (cotton)

18. Crimson = qermez (crimson, from Sanskrit "krmija")

19. Elixir = el iksir (the philosopher's stone)

20. Gazelle = gazal (gazelle)

21. Hazard = perhaps from al-zar (dice)

22. Julep = julab (from Persian "gulab," rose water)

23. Magazine = makhzan (a storehouse)

24. Mattress = matrah (mattress, foundation, place where anything is thrown)

25. Muslin = Mawsil (Mosul, a city in Iraq where muslin was first made)

26. Ream = rizmat (a bale, a packet, especially a ream of paper; from "razama," to pack together)

27. Saffron = za'faran

28. Sahara = sahra (desert)

29. Sash = shash (turban)

30. Satin = Zaitun (medieval name of Chinese city)

31. Sherbet = sherbet (from "sharaba," to drink)

32. Sofa = soffah (cushion on a saddle for a camel)

33. Sugar = sakkar (from Persian "shakar" and Sanskrit "carkara," gravel or candied sugar)

34. Syrup = sharab (from "shariba," to drink)

35. Tariff = tar'if (explanation, information, a list of things, especially of fees to be paid; from "`arafa," to inform)

36. Zenith = semt-ar-ras (zenith, "way of the head")

37. Zero = sifr (a cipher)

 

(Source: Webster's Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary (New York: Dorset & Baber, 1983)

 

"SURPRISE! YOU'RE ALREADY SPEAKING ARABIC"

English Words Derived from the Arabic Language The English language borrowed hundreds of words from the Arabic language, just as it absorbed numerous words from German, French, Latin and Greek. Most of the Arabic words have to do with the fields of mathematics and the sciences, but also include many familiar words in everyday use. Often these words entered English indirectly through the Spanish and French languages, sometimes through Italian. How many Arabic words can you identify in their English versions? Some are obvious; others are not.

 

1) Al-debaran __________gazelle

2) Al-fac, facah _________tariff

3) Al-jabr ______________sash

4) Al-qaliy _____________zero

5) Alkimia _____________Aldebaran

6) Al kohl ______________ream

7) Almanakh ___________sherbet

8) Al-qobbah ___________algebra

9) Al-zar _______________Sahara

10) Amir al _____________alchemy

11) 'Anbar _____________amber

12) Dar as-sin'ah _______hazard

13) El iksir _____________coffee

14) Gazal ______________zenith

15) Julab ______________alcohol

16) Lazward ___________alcove

17) Makhzan __________admiral

18) Matrah ____________candy

19) Qahwa ____________syrup

20) Qandi _____________sugar

21) Qermez ___________alfalfa

22) Qutun _____________almanac

23) Rizmat ____________sofa

24) Sahra _____________julep

25) Sakkar ____________mattress

26) Semt-ar-ras _______arsenal

27) Sharab ____________almanac

28) Shash _____________crimson

29) Sherbet ____________satin

30) Sifr ________________magazine

31) Soffah _____________saffron

32) Tar'if ______________alkali

33) Za'faran ___________elixir

34) Zaitun _____________cotton

 

:cool: Za'faran ___________elixir