It may surprise you that some of our most common words are borrowed. Candy is a very common word derived from either one or a mixture of Old French (sucre candi, or sugar candy), Persian (qand, meaning sugar) and Sanskrit (Khanda, or sugar). Zero – This comes from Arabic. If you have a favourite “borrowed” English word, share it with us in the comments below! Check out our list of 15 common words with foreign origins borrowed by the English language. The fact it was used as a line to be shouted at your enemies and is now something used in marketing makes it one of the most interesting common English words adopted from other languages. It also explains a bit of the historical connection between English and German. TallyPress is an online media that specializes in curating various topics, to help you discover local trends in Malaysia & Singapore. Without further ado, check out these everyday English words borrowed from other languages!eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'tallypress_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_9',107,'0','0'])); Derived from Latin, “nocturnal” means done, occurring, or active at night. This French word was originally used to signify a printing plate cast from moveable type, also known as a stereotype.
We tend to use this common English word to mean a festival or party more generally, but itâs actually a Spanish word mainly used for religious holidays, and in particular saintsâ days. In general, though, they’re not as difficult to pronounce as the French words. This word has slightly complicated origins, being taken from Spanish and French with a Latin root. Itâs unclear in which language it really started, and who borrowed it from whom, but the English took it eventually. I guess battle cry could work in modern definitions as well…. This word is used to describe a general sense of feeling unwell or uncomfortable; either physically, or figuratively within another context. Afin de pouvoir poster un commentaire, s'il vous plaît contrôlez que les Cookies et JavaScript sont activés puis rechargez la page. (In the same way weâve âadoptedâ Halloween as a celebration.). No one would ever have suspected this to be a Japanese word, but it is. “Loot” has Sanskrit roots: luṇṭh meaning “rob”.
The influence of other languages on English is especially visible in the number of borrowed, or loan, words.
In British English, it can also be used to describe a large heavy truck or lorry. Skipper – This comes from the Dutch “schipper”. Very well known and used throughout the US, we Brits have only just adopted the use of Piñatas at our parties.
This originally Persian word, which we use to describe good fortune, comes from the traditional Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, with Serendip meaning âSri Lanka.â. Person – This comes from the Latin “persona”. Dancer and musician by day, reader and writer by night.