Arabic - English Loan Words: T - Z

Today completes the mini-series of words whose roots come from Arabia and which at one stage are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from Arabic.

All words in the list below start with the letters 'T', 'U', 'W' and 'Z'. Previous posts include 'A', 'B and C' 'D-G' 'H-M', 'N-R' and 'S' and all can be found under the subject/label 'English loan words (from Arabic) '

The words have been listed in alphabetical order and are followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I did need help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1


T

Tabbouleh
An Arab vegetable salad made with cracked wheat

Tabby
al attabiya;  the quarter in Baghdad where tabby was made
A kind of watered silk, a plain weave

Tahini
tahana;  crush
The paste made from crushed sesame seeds

Talc
talk;  talcum powder

Taliban
talib;  student
Group of fundamental Muslim rebels subscribing to the Wahibi school of Islam

Tamarind
tamar-hindi;  Indian date
Tropical tree which produced fruit of which the acid pulp is used as food and in making drinks

Tambour
tabour;  a drum

Tambourine
A small tambour, from tabour

Tarboosh
tar-bus;  head cover
A cap like a fez, sometimes worn by Muslim men as part of a turban

Tare
tarha;  that which is rejected
An allowance made for the weight of the packing or wrapping around goods

Tariff
ta’rif;   notify
A table of fixed charges

Tarragon
tarkhun;
a bushy aromatic herb, with leaves used to flavour salads, stuffing, vinegar, etc

Tell (mound)
tall;  hillock
An artificial mound in the Middle East, formed by the accumulated remains of ancient settlements

Typhoon
tuphon;  whirlwind
A tropical cyclone in eastern Asian sea


U

Ujamaa
jama;  family, community
A system of self-help village cooperatives established by President Nyerere in Tanzania in the 1960’s

Ulema
ulima,  plural of alama;  learned
A body of Muslim doctors of sacred law and theology


V

Vega
al nasr al wqi;   the falling vulture
The fifth brightest star in the sky, and the brightest in the constellation Lyra, overhead in summer to observers in the northern hemisphere


W

wazir
minister
A high official in some Muslim countries

Wadi
wadi;  dry river
A rocky watercourse, dry except in the rainy season, many of which can be found in Oman


Z

Zenith
samt;   path overhead
The part of the celestial sphere directly above an observer, the highest point in one’s fortune

Zero
sifr;   zero
The figure nought

Zircon
A mineral from which the metal zirconium is extracted

English - Arabic, Loan Words: S

Safari
safara to travel
Hunting or scientific expedition, esp. in East Africa

Safflower
saffiore from asfar
An orange flower thistle like plant whose seeds yield edible oil

Saffron
zafaran
orange flavouring and food colouring made from the dried stigmas of a crocus

Safranine
from zafaran
Any of a large group of mainly red dyes used in biological staining etc.

Sahara
sahara desert
A vast desert in North Africa

Sahib
sahib friend, lord
A form of address, often placed after the name of European men

Salep
kusa l-at-lab foxes testicles
A starchy preparation of the dried tubers of various orchids, used in cookery and formerly medicinally

Saluki
saluki
A tall swift slender breed of dog wit a silky coat, large drooping ears and fringed feet

Saracen
sarki eastern
An Arab or Muslim at the time of the crusades

Sash
sas muslin, turban
A long strip or loop of cloth worn over one shoulder or round the waist

Satin
probably zaytuni from the Chinese city Zaytun
A fabric of silk or various man-made fibres, with a glossy surface on one side

Scallion
Ascalonia a town in ancient Palestine
A shallot or spring onion

Senna
sana
a laxative prepared from the dried pods of the cassia tree

Sequin
sikka a die
A circular spangle for attaching to clothing as an ornament

Shari’a
saria
the scared law of Islam

Sheikh
saykh old man
Chief or head of an Arab tribe, family or village

Sherbet
sharba drink
A flavoured, sweet, effervescent powder or drink

Shi’ite
Adherent of the Shia branch of Islam

Shrub
surb to drink
A cordial made of sweetened fruit juice and spirits, esp. rum

Sirocco
saluq east wind
A hot, oppressive and often dusty or rainy wind blowing from North Africa, across the Mediterranean to southern Europe

Sine
From the Latin sinus, which is a mistranslation of the Arabic jayb bosom, fold of a garment
The trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the side opposite a given angle to the hypotenuse

Soda
suda split
Any of several compounds of sodium in common use eg washing soda, caustic soda


Sofa
suffra seating area
A long upholstered seat with a back and arms, for two or more people

Spinach
sabana
A green leafy garden vegetable

Sudd
sudd obstruction
An area of floating vegetation impeding the navigation of the White Nile

Sufi
suf wool
From the woollen garment worn - a Muslim ascetic and mystic

Sugar
sukkar

Sultan
sultan power, ruler
A Muslim sovereign

Sultana
The mother, wife, concubine or daughter of a sultan

Sultanate
A territory subject to a sultan, the office, position or period of rule of a sultan

Sumac
summak
A shrub or small southern European tree having reddish cone shaped fruits used as a spice in cooking

Sunna
sunna form, way, course
The body of traditional customs and practices based on Mohammed’s words and acts, accepted with the Koran as authoritative by Muslims and followed particularly by Sunni Muslims

Sunni
The most populus of the two main branches of Islam

Suq
suq marketplace

Sura
surah
chapter or section of the Koran

Syrup
sarab beverage
A thick sweet liquid made by dissolving sugar in boiling water

English - Arabic Loan Words: N-R

Today's posting follows on from various wgaw blog archives {see wgaw blog archieves: loan words} and continues the list of English words whose roots are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from the Arabic.

Words in the list below start with the letters 'N' to 'R' and are listed in alphabetical order. The English word is followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and then the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I needed help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1


N

Nabob 
A Muslim
official or governor under the mogul empire

Nacre
Mother of pearl from any shelled mollusc

Nadir
[na-zir as-sam-t'] opposite to the zenith
The part of the celestial sphere directly below the observer. The lowest point in one’s fortunes

Natron
[nat-run]
a mineral form of sodium salts found in dried lake bed


O

Oasis

Open sesame
[if-ta il sim sim-mah]
A means of acquiring or achieving what is normally unattainable (from the magic words used by Ali Baba in the Arabian nights)

Ottoman
utmani of Othman
Concerning the dynasty of Osman I


P
Pia mater
[al umm al ra-ki-kah]  tender mother
The delicate innermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cord

Popinjay
[baba-ga]
A conceited person, historically a figure of a parrot on a pole as a mark to shoot at


Q
Qur'an
The Islamic holy book, also spelt Koran


R
Racket
[ra-ha]  palm of the hand
A bat with a round or oval frame strung with nylon used in tennis squash, etc

Ramadan
possibly [ra-ma-da], be hot
The ninth month of the Muslim year, during which strict fasting is observed from sunrise to sunset

Realgar
[rehj al ghar]  dust of the cave
A mineral of arsenic sulphide used as a pigment and in fireworks

Ream
[riz-ma]  bundle
500 sheets of paper

Rebec
[rebab]
three stringed musical instrument played with a bow

Rigel
[ri-jil]  foot
The seventh brightest star in the sky and the brightest in the constellation of Orion. It is a blue super giant nearly sixty thousand times as luminous as our sun

Rook
[rukh]   original sense uncertain
Chess piece with its top in the shape of a battlement

Arabic - English Loan Words: H-M

Today's posting follows on from various wgaw blog archives and continues the list of English words whose roots are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from the Arabic.

Words in the list below start with the letters 'H' to 'M' and are listed in alphabetical order. The English word is followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and then the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I needed help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1


H

Hadith
hadit: tradition
A collection of traditions containing saying of the prophet Mohammed which with accounts of his daily practice constitute the major source of guidance for Muslims after the Koran

Haik
Outer covering for head and body worn by Moroccan Arabs

Hajj
hajj: pilgrimage
The annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca

Hajji
one who has been on a pilgrimage

Halal
halal: lawful
Food that is fit for a Muslim to eat because it has been killed as prescribed by Muslim law

Halvah
halwa: sweet confection of sesame flour and honey

Harem
literally the pronoun meaning more than one woman
The women of an Arabic household, living in a separate quarters

Hashish
hasis: dry herb
The resinous product of the top leaves and tender part of hemp, smoked or chewed for its narcotic effects

Hazard
az-zahr: chance luck
Danger or risk

Hegira
hijra: departure from one’s country
Mohamed’s departure from Mecca to Medina in AD 622 which marks the consolidation of the first Muslim community

Henna
tropical shrub having small pink, red or white flowers
The plant gives off a reddish dye form its shoots and leaves and is used to colour hair

Hezbollah
Hizbullah: party of God
A Shi’ite Muslim group which has close links with Iran and whose flag depicts an AK 45 rifle against a yellow background

Hookah
huqqah: casket
An oriental tobacco-pipe with a long tube passing through water for cooling the smoke as it is drawn through

Houri
hawra: gazelle like eyes
A beautiful young woman, esp. in Muslim paradise


I

Imam
Leader of prayers in a mosque

Islam
submission to God, the religion of the Muslims, a monotheistic faith, as revealed through Mohammed as the prophet of Allah


J

Jar
jarrah: large earthenware container

Jasmine
yasmin

ornamental shrub with white or yellow fragrant flowers

Jerboa
yarbu: flesh of loins
Small desert rodent

Jihad
jihad: fight, struggle
A holy war

Jinn
jinn: spirits, plural of genie

Julep
gulab: rose water
A sweet drink, esp. as a vessel for medicine


K

Kaaba
ka-ba: square house
A building in the centre of the great mosque at Mecca, containing a sacred black stone, in the direction of which Muslim must face when praying

Kaffir
kafir: infidel

Kasbah
kas-ba: citadel
The citadel of a North African city

Keffiyeh
kaffiyah: a bedouin’s kerchief worn as a head-dress;  qirmiz: related to crimson
Small evergreen oak, of the Mediterranean region

Khamsin
khamseen: fifty
An oppressive hot south or south east wind occurring in Egypt for about fifty days in March, April and May

Kismet
Kisma: destiny, fate

Kohl
black powder usually used as eye make-up

Koran or Qur'an
kuran: recitation;  karaa: read
The holy book of Islam


L

Lemon
laymun

Lilac
Small tree or shrub with fragrant pale pinkish-violet or white blossoms

Lime limah rounded citrus fruit, like a lemon, but smaller

Loofah
lufah; the plant
A climbing gourd like plant, producing edible marrow like fruits. The dried fibrous vascular system of this fruit are used as a sponge

Lute
al ud
A plucked stringed musical instrument, fretted and with a round body resembling a halved pear


M

Macramé
mikrama
The art of knotting cord or string in patterns to make decorative articles

Magazine
makhazin: plural of makzan storehouse;  khazan: to store up
A place to keep ammunition and provisions for use in war

Mahdi
The spiritual and temporal leader who will rule before the end of the world and restore religion and justice

Marabout
murabit: holy man;  ribat: frontier station

Muslim
hermit or monk

Mask
maskara: buffoon;  sakira: ridicule
Covering for all or part of the face

Mastaba
mastabah: bench
Ancient Egyptian tomb, rectangular in shape with sloping sides and a flat roof, standing to a height of 5 - 6 metres

Mattress
al matrah: the place, a cushion;  taraha: throw
A fabric case stuffed with soft, firm or springy material used on or as a bed

Mecca
A city in western Saudi Arabia which was the birthplace of the prophet Mohammed

Mocha
The port on the red sea from where the coffee first came from - coffee of fine quality

Mohair
mukayya: choice, select
The hair of the Angora goat

Monsoon
mawsim: fixed season;  wasama: to mark
A seasonal wind in southern Asia, especially the Indian ocean

Mosque
masjid: a Muslim place of worship

Mudejar
mudajja: permitted to remain
A subject Muslim during the christen re-conquest of the Iberian peninsula from the moors who was allowed to retain Islamic laws and religion in return for loyalty to a Christian monarch

Muezzin
muadhdhin: criers;  adhana: proclaim

Mufti
mufti; part of afta, decide a point of law
A Muslim legal expert empowered to give ruling on religious matters

Mujahidin
mujahidn: one who fights a jihad

Mullah 

a Muslim learned in Islamic theology and sacred law

Mummy
mumiya
body of a human being or animal embalmed for burial, esp. in ancient Egypt

Muslim
muslim: part of aslama
A follower of the Islamic religion

Muslin
Mussolo
a fine delicately woven cotton fabric from Mosul in Iraq where it was made

Myrrh
A gum resin from trees in the near east, used in perfumery, medicine, incense etc

Arabic - English Loan Words: D-G

Today's posting follows on from the previous postings on Arabic - English and continues the list of words whose roots are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from the Arabic.

Words in the list below start with the letters 'D' to 'G' and are listed in alphabetical order. The English word is followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and then the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I needed help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1


D

Damask
from Damascus
A figured woven fabric (esp. silk or linen) with a pattern visible on both sides

Dhow
A lateen rigged ship used on the Arabian Sea

Dinar
The monetary unit of Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman

Dirham
The monetary unit of the UAE

Dragoman
tarjama [tarr-ja-ma]
interpret An interpreter or guide, esp. in countries speaking Arabic, Turkish or Persian

Drub
daraba [dar-rra-ba]  beat, thump
Beat in a fight

Dura mater
al umm al jafiya [al umm al jaa-fee-ya]
hard mother, indicating the relationship of things
The tough outermost membrane enveloping the brain and spinal cords


E
Elixir
al iksir [al ik-see-rr] alchemy
A preparation supposedly able to change metals into gold

Emir
amir [aa-meer]
title of various Muslim rulers, interchangeable but different from a king [ma-lick]

Emirates

The rank, domain or reign of an emir


F
Falafel
Small round comet-like food, made from crushed chick peas and deep fried ~the national dish of Egypt~

Fakir
mean/tight
a poor man; A Muslim or Hindu ascetic or holy man, originally a mendicant dervish

Fatwa
instruct by a legal decision
An authoritative (usually written) ruling on a point of Islamic law given by a mufti or Islamic leader

Fedayeen
fidaiyin [fee-day-yeen] adventurer
Arab guerrillas operating esp. against Israel

Fellah
falaha [faa-la-ha] till the soil
An Egyptian peasant

Felucca
fulk [fulk] ship
Small Mediterranean coasting vessel with oars, or lateen sailsm or both

Fez
A flat topped conical red cap with a tassel, named after the city in northern Morocco and worn by men in North African countries

Fomalhaut
fum ul haut [fom al haut] mouth of the fish
The brightest star in the constellation of Piscis Austrinus, which is only briefly visible from the northern hemispheres


G
Garble
gharbala [gHaa-ba-la] sift
Unintentionaly distort or confuse (facts, messages, etc)

Gauze
Thin transparent fabric of silk, cotton, etc. From Gaza in Palestine

Gazelle
ghazal; a small graceful African or Asian antelope

Genie
jinni [jinn] bad spirits
Jinn are the bad spirits frequently mentioned in the Koran The word is also used in the story of the gene in the bottle in the book, “1001 Arabian nights”

Ghoul
gul; desert demon
Evil spirit or phantom, a spirit in Arabic folklore preying on travellers

Gibraltar
gebel al tarik [jh-bul al Tarr-rik] hill of Tarik (an 8th century Saracen commander)

Giraffe
zarafa [za-ra-fa]
extremely tall African mamal

Arabic - English: Loan Words, B & C

Today's posting follows on from the previous'English loan words' and continues the list of words whose roots are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from the Arabic.

Words in the list below start with the letters 'B' and 'C' and are listed in alphabetical order. The English word is followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and then the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I needed help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1



B

Bedouin
[beduin]
nomads of the desert

Betelgeuse
[yad al-jauza]
'Hand of the Giant', the tenth brightest star in the sky in the constellation of Orion

Bezoar
[bazahr] antidote
A small stone which may form in the stomach of certain animals, esp. ruminants and which was once used as an antidote for various ailments

Bint
[bint] daughter, girl
Slang, usually offensive, girl or woman

Borax
[burak]
mineral salt

Burka
[burqa]
long enveloping garment worn in public by Muslim women

Burnous
[burnus]
An Arab or Moorish hooded cloak


C

Cable
[habl]
thick rope of wire or hemp

Calibrate
Mark with a standard scale of readings (see calibre)

Calibre
[Kalib] mould for casting metal
The name for the internal diameter of a gun or tube

Caliph
[khalifah] successor
The chief Muslim civil and religious ruler, regarded as the successor of Mohammed

Camel
[jemel]

Camphor
[kafur]
A white translucent crystalline volatile substance with an aromatic smell and bitter taste, used to make celluloid and medicine

Candy
[kand] sugar
Likely to have come from the Persian, 'kand' meaning sweet

Carafe
[gharrafa] drinking vessel
A glass container for water or wine, esp. at a table or bedside

Carat
[qirat] weight of four grains
Unit of weight for precious stones

Caraway
[al karawiya]
A plant bearing clusters of tiny white flowers, the fruit is used in flavouring and in oils

Carob
[khar-ruba]
An evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean bearing edible pods, sometimes used as a substitute for chocolate

Chemistry
see 'alchemy' {blog archive: 12/o3}

Cipher
[sifr] zero
Secret writing

Civet
[az zabad] perfume
A slender catlike mammal from central Africa, having well developed anal scent glands

Coffee
[qahwah]
The name of the drink made from the roasted and ground bean like seeds of a tropical shrub

Copt
[al kubt]
A native Egyptian from the Hellenistic and roman periods or a native Christian of the independent Egyptian church

Cork
[al corquue]

Cosine
co + sine
The ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right angled triangle to the hypotenuse)

Cotton
[kutn]

Couscous
[kuskus] to pound
A type of North African pasta, in granules, made from crushed durum wheat

Crimson
[kirmizi]
a rich deep red, inclining to purple

Arabic - English, Loan Words: A

Today I'm posting a list of words whose roots come from Arabia and which at one stage are said to have been borrowed, or loaned from Arabic.

All words in the list below start with the letter 'A' and many start with the letters 'al' [al]. In Arabic this particular prefix means, 'the' and is often attached at the begining of nouns.

The words have been listed in alphabetical order and are followed by the root word in Arabic [xxx] and the Arabic meaning. On the line below is the meaning in English.

If I did need help with the English definition I used: 'The Oxford English Reference Dictionary' ISBN: 0-19-860046-1


Admiral
[amiir al baHr] commander of the sea
Commander-in-Chief of a country’s navy

Admirable
from amir (see entry above)

Adobe
[aT Tuub]
mud, unburnt sun-dried brick

Albacore
[al bukr]
young or premature camel

Albatros
[al kadus] the pitcher
Large long winged seabird

Alchemy
[al kiimyaa]
What you did before chemistry was invented

Alcohol
[al kuHuul]
Colourless, flammable, volatile liquid

Alcove
[al kubba]
recess in the wall, ~which might lead us to the English word cupboard???~

Aldebaran
The brightest star in the constellation of Taurus, forming the eye of the bull

Alembic
[al anbik]
the apparatus, or still, formerly used in distilling

Alfalas
[al fas-fas-ah]
leaves grown for animal fodder

Algebra
[al jabr] reunion of broken parts
The branch of mathematics that uses letter and symbols to represent numbers and quantities in formulae and equations

Algol
[al gol] the destruction
A variable star in the constellation of Perseus, regarded as the prototype of eclipsing binary stars

Algorithm
Historically the Arabic, or decimal notation of numbers

Alguacil
[al wazeer] the minister
A mounted official at a bullfight

Alidade
[al idada] the revolving radius
A sighting device or pointer for determining directions or measuring angles

Alkanet
[al henna] the henna shrub
A plant of the borage family which yields a red dye from its roots

Alizarin
[al isara] pressed juice
The red colouring matter of a madder root, used in dyingAlkahestThe universal solvent sought by alchemists (sham Arabic)

Alkanet
[al henna] the henna shrub
A plant of the borage family which yields a red dye form its roots

Alkali
[al kalf] calcinated ashes, kala fry, roast
Any class of substances that neutralise acids

Allah
The name given to God by Muslims

Almagest
[al megiste] greatest system
The title of an Arabic version of Ptomlemy’s astronomical treatise

Almucantar
[al mukantarat] sundial, kantara arch
A line of constant altitude above the horizon

Altair
flying eagle
The brightest star in the constellation Aquila

Amber
[anbar]
Fossilised resin from extinct trees, usually translucent and yellow

Aniline
[an nil]
a colourless oily liquid used in the manufacture of dyes, drugs & plastics

Apricot
[al barkuk]
orange, yellow coloured, juicy soft fruit

Arab
Relating to Arabia, or the Arabs

Arabia
Peninsula of SW Asia, largely desert

Arabian
Relating to Arabia

Arabic
The language of the Arabs

Arabica
arabicus coffee plant of the most widely grown species

Arabist
Student of Arab civilisation

Arsenal
[dar as sin-na] a place where industrial things are made, ie factory
A weapon store

Arsenic
[az zarnik] the orpiment
A highly poisonous white solid

Artichoke
[al karsufa]
The flower head of the artichoke, the bracts of which have edible bases

Assagai
[az zagayah] spear
Slender iron-tipped spear made of hard wood, esp. as used in South Africa

Assassin
[hassas] hashish-eater
A member of an Ismaili Muslim sect, in the time of the crusades, allegedly responsible for a series of killing of political and religious opponents

Aubergine
[al badinjan]
A dark purple fruit eaten as a vegetable, also called an eggplant in English

Average
[awariya] damaged goods
The usual amount, or an amount obtained by dividing the total of a given amount by the number of amounts in the set

Azimuth
[as sumut] the same way, direction
The angular distance from a north or south point of the horizon to the intersection with the horizon of a vertical circle passing through a given celestial object. The horizontal angle or direction of a compass bearing

Azure
[al lazaward]
a deep sky-blue colour