English Borrowed Words

Originality is nothing but judicious imitation. The most original writers borrowed from one another ... Voltaire

English Borrowed Words

Here’s a list of 10 of the most common English words that were borrowed from other languages, along with why and when they entered English. These words are widely used today in everyday speech and writing.

1. Coffee

• Origin: Arabic → Turkish → Italian → English

• Borrowed: Late 16th century

• Why: Coffee culture spread from the Arab world to Europe via trade. The Arabic word qahwa became kahve in Turkish, then caffè in Italian, and finally coffee in English.

2. Tea

• Origin: Chinese (Amoy dialect: te)

• Borrowed: Mid-17th century

• Why: English merchants trading with China adopted the local word for the beverage. Interestingly, other European countries borrowed variants like cha depending on the Chinese dialect their traders encountered.

3. Chocolate

• Origin: Nahuatl (Aztec) xocolatl

• Borrowed: Early 17th century

• Why: Spanish colonists brought cacao from the Americas to Europe. The word entered English via Spanish chocolate, referring to the bitter cocoa drink of the Aztecs.

4. Banana

• Origin: Wolof (West African language)

• Borrowed: Late 16th century

• Why: European explorers and traders encountered bananas in Africa and the Canary Islands. The Portuguese and Spanish spread the fruit (and word), which then entered English.

5. Tobacco

• Origin: Taíno (Caribbean indigenous language)

• Borrowed: Mid-16th century

• Why: The word was adopted from the native peoples of the Caribbean by Spanish and Portuguese explorers, then passed into English.

6. Mosquito

• Origin: Spanish (mosquito = "little fly")

• Borrowed: Late 16th century

• Why: English speakers in the New World adopted this Spanish word, especially in colonial contexts in the Americas, where these insects were common.

7. Alcohol

• Origin: Arabic (al-kuḥl)

• Borrowed: 14th–16th centuries

• Why: Originally referred to a fine powder used in cosmetics. The term later evolved to mean purified substances from distillation, especially ethanol.

8. Cigar

• Origin: Spanish (cigarro), from Taíno

• Borrowed: Early 18th century

• Why: Like tobacco, this word entered English through Spanish colonial trade routes from the Americas.

9. Piano

• Origin: Italian (pianoforte)

• Borrowed: Early 18th century

• Why: The piano was invented in Italy, and its full name (gravicembalo col piano e forte) referred to its dynamic range. English speakers shortened it to piano.

10. Ballet

• Origin: French (from Italian balletto)

• Borrowed: Early 17th century

• Why: The art of ballet developed in France and Italy, and as the dance form became popular in England, the French term was adopted.

English has been borrowing words from other languages for over 1,500 years, starting with Latin and Celtic influences and expanding globally with trade, conquest, science, and culture. In fact, more than 60% of English vocabulary is borrowed from other languages.

                            -------------------------

English For Israel is here for you

Business English tuition & Professional English CVs

Contact me on Whatsapp

or

Telephone 053 7120720