8/10/2019 English Words From Arabic

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English Words from ArabicAs with the list of Amerindian words, this list isn't exhaustive-- the OED has over 900 words; but the

others are obscure (words like enam, sulham, zibib). I've omitted speculative and less likely derivations,

and also words borrowed in ancient times from some unspecified Semitic language (e.g. cumin, myrrh,

sesame). I've also omitted Arabic place names, but included a few astronomical names.

After a second hyphen I give (if possible) the further derivation (Greek, Persian, etc.), or the verbal root

(glossed as an infinitive; but the citation form of Arabic roots is actually the 3sg past).

Some words are borrowed directly from Arabic; but most of these words have taken the scenic route,

through Spanish, Italian, and/or French; or through Turkish, Persian, or Urdu; or through Hebrew or Latin.This produces a good deal of phonological deformation; as does the dialect variation within Arabic.

The transliteration is an adaptation to html, while we're waiting for the Unicode revolution... the bolding

and commas represent emphatic consonants; h'and ` are the pharyngeal approximants; ' is the glottal stop;

: represents length.

--M.R.

admiral- ami:r-al-bahr'ruler of the seas' (and other similar expressions) - amaracommand

adobe- al-toba'the brick'

albacore- al-bukr'the young camel'

alchemy- al-ki:mi:a: - from Greek

alcohol- al-koh''l'the kohl'

alcove- al-qobbah'vault' - qubbavault

alembic- al-ambi:q'the still' - from Greek

alfalfa- alfas,fas,ah'fodder'

algebra- al-jebr'reintegration' -jabarareunite

Algol- al-ghu:l'the ghoul'

algorithm- al-Khowarazmi'the (man) of Khiva'

alkali- al-qaliy'calx' - qalayfry, roast

Allah- `allah, from contraction of al-ilah'the god'Almagest- al-majisti- from Greek

almanac- (Andalucian Arabic) al-mana:kh, of uncertain origin

amber- `anbar 'ambergris'

antimony- al-thmid'antimony trisulphide' - perhaps from Greek

apricot- al-burquq- from Greek

Arab- `arab

arsenal- dar as,s,ina`ah 'house of making', i.e. 'factory' - s,ana`amake

artichoke- al-kharshu:f

assagai- az-zaghayah- from Berber

assassin- h'ashsha:shi:n'hashish eaters', from the Isma`ili sectarians

attar- `itr'aroma'

ayatollah- 'ayatu-llah'miraculous sign of God'

azimuth- as-sumut'the paths'; see also zenith

azure- al-lazward'lapis lazuli' - from Persian

lish Words from Arabic http://www.zompist.com/arabic.html

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barbican- (possibly) bb-al-baqara'gate with holes'

berdache- (possibly) bardaj'slave'

Betelgeuse- bi:t al-jauza:''shoulder of the Giant'

bezoar- bazahr- from Persian

bint- bint'daughter

bled- balad'vast open country'

borax- bu:raq- from Persian

burka- burqa`

burnouse- burnus

caliber- qali:b'mold, last' -

calico- Qaliqu:t 'Calicut', city in India

caliph- khali:fah'successor' - khalafa'succeed'

camise- qami:s'shirt' - from Latin

camphor- ka:fu:r- from Malay

candy- short for 'sugar candy', from sugar+ qandi'candied', from qand'cane sugar' - from a Dravidian

language

carat- qi:ra:t'small weight' - from Greek

caraway- alkarawya:- probably from Greekcarafe- gharra:f- gharafa 'dip'

carmine- qirmazi:'crimson'

carob- kharrubah

cassock- kaza:ghand 'padded jacket' - from Persian

check- sha:h'king' - from Persian

checkmate- sha:h ma:t 'the king is dead'

chemistry- see alchemy

chess- from Old French eschecs, plural of check

cipher- s,ifr'empty'

civet-zaba:d

coffee- qahwahCopt- quft- from Greek

cork- qu:rq

cotton- qutn

couscous- kuskus- kaskasapound, bruise

crimson- qirmazi:, related to the qirmiz, the insect that provided the dye

Deneb- danab al-jaja:ja'tail of the hen'

dhow- da:w

dinar- di:na:r- from Greek

dirham-dirham- from Greek

dragoman- tarjuma:n- tarjamainterpret

drub- daraba'beat'

dura mater- Latin calque on umm al-ghali:dah'hard mother'

efreet- 'ifri:t'monster'

El Cid- al-Sayyid'the lord'

elixir- al-iksi:r'philosopher's stone' - from Greek

emir- ami:r - amaracommand

fakir-faqi:r'poor man' -faqurabe poor

fardel-fardah'load'Farsi- Fa:rs'Pars', a province of Iran - from Persian

fatwa-fetwa - fata: instruct by a legal decision

fedayeen-fida:'iyi:n'commandos' -fida:`redemption

felafel-fala:fil

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fellah-fella:h''husbandman' -falah'atill

felucca-fulk'ship' -falakabe round

Fomalhaut-fum u'l-haut'mouth of the fish'

garble- gharbala 'sift' - perhaps from Latin

gazelle- ghaza:l

genie-jinni:'spirit'

gerbil-yarbu:`

ghoul- ghu:l'demon' - gha:latake suddenly

giraffe-zara:fa

hadith- h'adi:t'tradition'

haj- h'ajj'pilgrimage' - h'ajja go on a pilgrimage

halal- h'ala:l'lawful'

halvah- h'alwa:

harem- h'aram'prohibited, set apart' - h'aramaprohibit

hashish- h'ashi:sh'dried herbs, hemp'

hazard-ysara'play at dice'

hegira- hijrah 'departure' - hajaraseparate, gohenna- h'enna:`

Hezbollah-H'izbulla:h'party of God'

hookah- h'uqqah 'water bottle (through which smoke is drawn)'

houri- h'u:r al-`ayu:n 'with eyes like gazelles' - h'awurahave eyes like gazelles

imam- ima:m'leader' - ammaprecede

Islam- isla:m'submission' - aslamasubmit oneself

jar-jarrah'large earthen vase'

jasmine-ya:smi:n- from Persian

jinn-jinn'spirits', plural of geniejulep-jula:b'rose water' - from Persian

Kaaba- ka`bah'square house'

kabob- kaba:b- from Persian

kaffir- ka:fir'infidel' - kafaraconceal, deny

keffiyeh- kaffi:yah

khamsin- khamsi:n 'fifty (days)'

kismet- qisma'portion, lot' - qasamadivide

kohl- koh''l'kohl' - kah'alastain, paint

Koran- qura:n'recitation' - qara`aread

lilac- li:la:k- from Persian

lemon- laymu:n - from Persian

lime- li:mah'citrus fruit'loofah- lu:faha plant whose pods were used as sponges

lute- al-`u:d

macram- miqramah'striped cloth'

magazine- makha:zin'storehouses' - khazanastore

Mahdi- mahdi:y'one who is guided aright' - hada:lead

majlis- majlis'council'

mancala- mank.ala- nak.alamovemarzipan- mawthaba:n'coin featuring a seated figure'

mask- perhaps maskhara'buffoon' - sakhiraridicule

mattress- matrah'place where something is thrown, mat, cushion' - tarah'athrow

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minaret- mana:rah - na:rfire

mohair- mukhayyar 'choice (goats'-hair cloth)' - khayyaraselect

monsoon- mausim'season' - wasamamark

mosque- masgid - sagadaworship

Mozarabic- musta`rib 'would-be Arab'

muezzin- mu'adhdhin'criers' - adhanaproclaim

mufti- mufti:'one who gives a fatwa'

mujahedeen- muja:hidi:n'figher in ajihad'

mullah- mawla: 'master'

mummy- mu:miya:'embalmed body' - mu:m'(embalming) wax'

Muslim- muslim'submitter' - aslamasubmit oneself

muslin-Maus,il'Mosul'

nadir- nadi:r as-samt'opposite the zenith'

natron- natru:n - from Greek

nizam- nidam'government'

orange- na:ranj- from Sanskrit

ottoman- `uthma:n, a proper name

pia mater- Latin calque on umm raqi:qah'tender mother'

popinjay- babagha:

Primum Mobile- Latin calque on al-muh' arrik al-awwal 'the first mover'

racket- rh'et'palm of the hand' Ramadan-Ramada:nmeaning perhaps 'the hot month' - ramatabe

heated

realgar- rehj al-gha:r'powder of the cave'

ream- rizmah'bundle'

rebec- reba:b

Rigel- rijl'foot (of Orion)'roc- rukh

rook- rukh - from Persian

Rubaiyyat- ruba:`i:yah'quatrain'

safari- safari:y 'journey' - safaratravel

saffron-za fara:n

Sahara- ah'ra:'desert'

sahib- a:h'ib 'friend'

salaam- as-sala:m `alaikum'peace be on you'

saluki- salu:k.i: 'from Saluk'

Saracen- sharqi:yi:n'easterners' - sha:raqarisesash- sha:sh'muslin'

satin- probablyzaytu:ni:'of Zaytu:n' (a city in China)

scarlet- siqilla:t'(cloth) adorned with images' - from Latin

sequin- sikkah'die for coinmaking'

Sharia- shari:`a

sheikh- shaikh 'old man' - sha:kha grow old

sherbet- sharbah- shariba drink

Shiite- shiya`i:y, from shiya: 'following, sect' - sha`afollow

shrub[drink] - shurb'a drink' - shariba drink

sine- Latin sinus, mistranslation ofjayb 'chord of an arc, sine', through confusion withjayb 'fold of a

garment'

sirocco- sharq'east (wind)' - sha:raqarise

sofa- s,uffah'raised dais with cushions'

souk- su:k.'marketplace'

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spinach- isfa:na:kh

Sufi- u:fi:'man of wool'

sugar- sukkar- from Sanskrit

sultan- sulta:n'sovereign'

sumac- summa:q

Sunni- sunni:'lawful', from sunna:h'rule, course'

sura- su:rah

syrup-shara:b'beverage' - shariba drink

tabbouleh- tabbu:la

tabby- `atta:biy, a neighborhood in Baghdad where taffeta was made

tahini- - tah'anacrush

Taliban- talib 'student' - talabastudy

talisman- tilsam- from Greek

tamarind- tamr-hindi: 'date of India'

tambourine- a small tambour, from tanbu:r - from Persian

tandoori- tannu:r 'oven'

tarboosh- tarbu:sh

tare[weight] - tarh'ah 'rejected' - tarah'a rejecttariff- ta`ri:f 'notification' - `arafanotify

tarragon- tarkhu:n- possibly from Greek

tell[mound] - tall 'hillock'

ujamaa-jama:` 'community'

ulema- `ulima: 'the learned ones' - `alamaknow

Vega- al-nasr al-wa:qi 'the falling vulture'

vizier- wazi:r'porter, public servant' - wazara carry

wadi- wa:di:Waqf- waqf'religious foundation'

wisdom tooth- from a Latin calque on adra:su 'l h'ikmi- calqued from Greek

zenith- samt 'path'

zero- s,ifr'empty'

lish Words from Arabic http://www.zompist.com/arabic.html