| Language |
English |
Original word |
Original meaning |
Further etymology or notes |
Indoeuropean |
Germanic |
West Germanic |
Afrikaans |
trek |
trek |
A journey |
Dutch trek “journey, migration” |
DutchNederlands
|
boss |
baas |
” |
Mid. Dutch baes “master” |
Old EnglishÆnglisc
|
weird |
wyrd |
Fate, destiny |
Proto-Indoeuropean *wert- “to turn, to wind” |
GermanDeutsch
|
schadenfreude |
Schadenfreude |
” (Enjoyment from another’s misfortune) |
Schaden “harm” + Freude “joy” |
Yiddishיידיש Yidisch
|
klutz |
קלאָץ klots |
A wooden beam |
Proto–West Germanic *klott, whence English clod
|
Nordic |
DanishDansk
|
angst |
angst |
Fear, dread, anxiety, angst |
Proto-Germanic *angustiz “narrowness, tightness, fear, anxiety”
|
FæroeseFøroyskt
|
skua |
skúgvur |
A great skua |
Old Norse skúfr “great skua” |
IcelandicÍslenska
|
geyser |
Geysir |
Name of a large geyser in southwestern Iceland |
Literally “gusher”, from geysa “to gush” |
Old
NorseNorrǿna
|
window |
vindauga |
” |
vindr “wind” + auga “eye” |
NorwegianNorsk
|
ski |
ski |
” |
Old Norse skíð “snowshoe, stick of wood” |
SwedishSvenska
|
moped |
moped |
” |
tramp-cykel med motor och pedaler “bicycle
with engine and pedals”
|
Romance |
CatalanCatalà
|
paella |
paella |
A frying pan, a paella |
Latin patella “pan” |
Old FrenchFranceis
|
air |
air |
Air, the atmosphere, a breeze, the weather |
Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ āḗr air, mist, wind
|
CastillianCastellano
|
tornado |
tronada |
A thunderstorm |
tronar “to thunder” |
FrenchFrançais
|
hotel |
hôtel |
A mansion, a hotel |
Latin hospitāle “hospital, guesthouse” |
ItalianItaliano
|
balcony |
balcone |
” |
augmentative of balco “scaffold, balcony” |
LatinLatina
|
nature |
nātūra |
A nature, an essence, the natural world, a penis |
nāscor “be born” |
PortuguesePortuguês
|
dodo |
doudo |
A crazy person |
dated form of doido |
Indoiranian |
Dhivehiދިވެހި
|
atoll |
އަތޮޅު atholhu |
A province, an atoll |
Uncertain; suggestions include Sanskrit अन्तर
antara “interior”
|
Hindi–Urduहिंदी اردو
|
pyjamas |
पाजामा پاجامہ pājāmā
|
Loose cotton trousers |
Persian پايجامه pâyjâma “leg garment”
|
Persianفارسی Fārsi
|
caravan |
کاروان kārvān |
A caravan, a convoy |
Mid. Persian 𐭪𐭠𐭫𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭥 kārawān “military column”
|
Punjabiਪੰਜਾਬੀ Paṁjābī
|
Sikh |
ਸਿੱਖ sikhkha |
A Sikh, the Sikh community |
Sanskrit शिक्षा śikṣā “learning, study, skill”
|
RomanyRromani ćhib
|
pal |
phral |
A brother |
Cognate with English brother, Latin frater, &c.
|
Sanskritसंस्कृतम् Saṃskṛtam
|
karma |
कर्मन् kárman |
An act, an action, a performance, karma |
|
Slavic |
CzechČeština
|
robot |
robot |
” |
robota “servitude, drudgery” |
PolishPolski
|
sabre |
szabla |
” |
via German Säbel, French sabre |
RussianРусский Russkij
|
mammoth |
мамонт mamont |
” |
Compare Proto-Uralic *mëxe “earth, land”
|
Serbo-CroatianСрпскохрватски Srpskohrvatski
|
vampire |
вампир vampir |
” |
via German Vampir, French vampire |
UkrainianУкраїнська Ukrainska
|
Cossack |
козак kozak |
” |
via Polish kozak, French cosaque |
Hellenic |
Ancient
GreekἈρχαία ἑλληνική Archǽa hellēnicḗ
|
iris |
ἶρις îris |
A rainbow |
via Latin īris |
GreekΕλληνικά Elliniká
|
malarkey |
μαλακία malakía |
Masturbation, nonsense |
|
Celtic |
BretonBrezhoneg
|
menhir |
maen-hir |
A long stone |
Via French menhir |
IrishGaeilge
|
tory |
tóraí |
An outlaw, a pursuer |
Originally applied to Irish Catholic rebels, then to supporters of the Catholic king James
VII
|
Scots GaelicGàidhlig
|
slogan |
sluagh-ghairm |
A battle cry |
sluagh “crowd, (obsolete) army” + ghairm “cry”
|
WelshCymraeg
|
corgi |
corgi |
” |
cor “dwarf” + ci “dog” |
Other |
AlbanianShqip
|
dhampir |
dhampir |
” (A half-human, half-vampire) |
From a South Slavic language, possibly Serbo-Croatian or Bulgarianвампир
vampir
|
Sinotibetan |
Cantonese廣東話 Gwóngdūng wǎ
|
kowtow |
叩頭 kautàu |
To bow so deeply one’s forehead touches the ground |
叩 “knock” + 頭 “head”
|
Hokkien閩南語 Bân-lâm-gí
|
ginseng |
人參 jîn-sim |
” |
|
Mandarin官話 Guānhuà
|
kung-fu |
功夫 gōngfu |
Skill, accomplishment |
功 “achievement” + 夫 “man”
|
Tibetanབོད་ཡིག Pöyig
|
lama |
བླ་མ lama |
” |
|
Niger–Congo |
IgboÌgbò
|
okra |
ọ́kụ̀rụ̀ |
” |
Disputed, may well come from some other related language |
SwahiliKiswahili
|
safari |
safari |
A journey, a trip |
Arabic سفر safar “departure, journey, military
campaign”
|
Wolof |
banana |
banaana |
” |
Arabic بنانة banāna “fingertip, finger”
|
XhosaIsiXhosa
|
ubuntu |
ubuntu |
Ubuntu, humaneness, solidarity |
Also borrowed from Zulu ubuntu “ubuntu, solidarity, humanity” |
YorubaYorùbá
|
dashiki |
dàńṣíkí |
” |
Hausa ɗan ciki “inner garment” |
ZuluIsiZulu
|
impala |
impala |
” |
Proto-Bantu *mpàdá “impala” |
Afroasiatic |
Akkadian𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑 Akkadû
|
lamassu |
𒀭𒆗 lamassu |
” (A sphinx-like guardian Deity of Assyrian myth) |
|
Amharicአማርኛ Amari̠nya
|
teff |
ጤፍ ṭef |
” (An edible grass native to the Horn of Africa) |
|
Arabicالعربية al-ʻArabiyyah
|
coffee |
قهوة qahwa |
Wine, coffee |
via Turkish kahve, Dutch koffie |
Aramaicארמיא Ārāmāyā
|
abbot |
אבא ʾabbā |
A father, an ancestor, a teacher, a leader, an author |
|
EgyptianRa ni Ku:mat
|
lily |
ḥaru:rat |
A flower, a blossom |
via Coptic ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ hlēri, Ancient Greek
λείριον leírion, Latin līlium
|
Hebrewעִבְרִית Ivrit
|
hallelujah |
הללויה halleluyah |
Praise God! |
הללו “praise” + יה (personal name of God)
|
Austronesian |
Malayopolynesian |
Philippine |
IlocanoIlokano
|
yo-yo |
yóyo |
” |
|
Tagalog |
boondocks |
bundok |
A mountain |
|
Oceanic |
HawaiʻianʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi
|
ukulele |
ʻukulele |
” |
ʻuku “flea” + lele “to jump” |
MāoriTe reo Māori
|
kiwi |
kiwi |
A kiwi bird |
Onomatopœic |
MarshalleseKajin Ṃajeḷ
|
bikini |
Pikinni |
Bikini Atoll, where the U.S. tested its nuclear arsenal |
Bestowed to the garment in 1946 by its designer, Louis Réard |
Rapa
Nui
|
moai |
moꞌai |
A statue |
|
TahitianReo Tahiti
|
tattoo |
tātau |
” |
Proto-Polynesian tatau; borrowed into English by James Cook as tattow while in
Tahiti
|
TonganLea faka-Tonga
|
taboo |
tapu |
Prohibited, sacred |
Also found in Māori, Rapa Nui, Samoan, and Tahitian |
Other |
Javaneseꦧꦱꦗꦮ Basa Jawa
|
satay |
ꦱꦠꦺ saté |
” |
Tamil சதை catai “flesh” |
Malagasy |
fossa |
fosa |
” |
Pronounced /fusə/ (King Julien was right); cognate with Tagalog pusa “cat”
|
MalayBahasa Melayu
|
orangutan |
orang utan |
” |
orang “person” + utan “forest” |
Dravidian |
Kannadaಕನ್ನಡ Kannaḍa
|
bamboo |
ಬಂಬು baṁbu |
” |
via Malay bambu, Dutch bamboe |
Malayalamമലയാളം Malayāḷaṁ
|
mango |
മാങ്ങ māṅṅa |
An unripe mango fruit |
via Malay mangga, Portuguese manga |
Tamilதமிழ் Tamil̮
|
pariah |
பறையர் paṟaiyar |
Drummers; the Paraiyar, a lower caste in southern Indian society |
பறை paṟai “drum” |
Teluguతెలుగు Tĕlugu
|
bandicoot |
పందికొక్కు paṁdikŏkku |
A bandicoot rat (unrelated to actual bandicoots, who are native to New Guinea)
|
పంది paṁdi “pig” + కొక్కు
kŏkku “great rat, bandicoot”
|
Kra–Dai |
Laoລາວ Lao
|
saola |
ເສົາຫລາ saola |
” (A vanishingly rare endangered bovid discovered in 1992) |
Literally “spindle-horned” |
Thaiไทย Thai
|
wat |
วัด wat |
A temple, a cathedral, a place of worship |
Sanskrit वाट vāṭa “enclosure”
|
Uralic |
FinnishSuomi
|
sauna |
sauna |
A sauna, (obsolete) a pit dug into snow for temporary shelter |
|
HungarianMagyar
|
coach |
kocsi |
A cart, a carriage, a car |
via German Kutsche, French coche; after the cart-buildng town
of Kocs
|
Kildin SámiКӣллт са̄мь Kiillt saam’
|
tundra |
тӯнтар tuuntar |
A mountain fell, a fjeld |
|
NenetsНенэцяʼ Njenecja’
|
parka |
парка parka |
” |
|
Algic |
AbenakiAlnôbaôdwawôgan
|
skunk |
segôgw |
” |
Proto-Algonquian *šeka·kwa, literally “pissing fox”; cognate with Chicago via
Miami šikaakwa.
|
Creeᓀᐦᐃᔭᐍᐏᐣ Nêhiyawêwin
|
pemmican |
ᐱᒦᐦᑳᐣ pimîhkân |
” (A nutrient-rich paste of dried meat, berries, and fat) |
ᐱᒥᕀ pimiy “fat, lard” +
ᐃᐦᑳᐣ -ihkân “artificial, man-made”
|
Mi’kmaqMiʼkmawiʼsimk
|
caribou |
qalipu |
” |
Proto-Algonquian *maka·lipowa “it shovels snow” |
OjibweAnishinaabemowin
|
totem |
odoodem |
Their (sg.) clan, their totem |
|
PowhatanKikitowämak
|
raccoon |
arahkun |
” |
arahkuněm “he scratches with his hands” |
WampanoagWôpanâôtuwâôk
|
powwow |
pawâw |
A shaman |
Proto-Algonquian *pawe·wa “shaman, dreamer” |
Hyperborean |
GreenlandicKalaallisut
|
kayak |
qajaq |
” |
via Danish kajak |
Inuktitutᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ
|
igloo |
ᐃᒡᓗ iglu |
A house, a building |
Proto–Inuit–Yupik *ǝŋlu |
IñupiaqIñupiatun
|
malamute |
malimiut |
The Malimiut people of northwestern Alaska |
Known for breeding malamutes |
Yup’ikYugtun
|
mukluk |
maklak |
A bearded seal |
|
Pama–Nyungan |
Arabana
|
witchetty |
witjuti |
A witchetty bush (a wattle of the Australian outback, often home to the eponymous critter)
|
|
Dharug
|
koala |
gula |
” |
|
Gamilaraay
|
bilby |
bilbi |
” |
|
Guugu
Yimidhirr
|
kangaroo |
gangurru |
An eastern grey kangaroo |
|
Noongar
|
quokka |
gwaga |
” |
|
Wadawurrung
|
bunyip |
ban-yib |
” (A swamp-dwelling monster of Australian folklore) |
|
Wiradjuri
|
kookaburra |
guuguubarra |
” |
Onomatopœic |
Woiwurrung
|
yabber |
yaba |
To speak, to talk |
|
Yagara
|
yakka |
yaga |
Work |
|
Muscogean |
ChoctawChahta
|
bayou |
bayuk |
A creek, a river |
via French bayou |
MuscogeeMvskoke
|
tupelo |
topilwa |
” |
ito “tree” + opilwa “swamp” |
Salishan |
Halkomelemhalq̓eméylem
|
sasquatch |
sesq̓ec |
” |
|
Lushootseeddxʷləšucid
|
geoduck |
gʷidəq |
” (A phallic saltwater clam of the northern Pacific) |
|
Other |
Africa |
KhoekhoeKhoekhoegowab
|
gnu |
!nu |
” |
via Dutch gnoe |
Asia |
EvenkiЭвэды̄ Ēvēdee
|
shaman |
шаман xaman |
” |
Possibly Sanskrit श्रमण śramaṇá “ascetic, monk,
devotee”
|
Japanese日本語 Nihongo
|
futon |
布団 futon |
A foldable mattress & duvet placed on the floor |
Mid. Chinese 蒲團 bu-dwan “meditation
cushion”
|
Korean한국어 Han’gugeo
|
taekwondo |
태권도 taegwondo |
” |
태권 taegwon “kicking and punching” +
도 do “the way”
|
TurkishTürkçe
|
yoghurt |
yoğurt |
” |
|
VietnameseTiếng Việt
|
pho |
phở |
” |
|
North America |
American Sign Lang.𝣷𝪜𝤃𝪜𝣜𝪜
|
🤟 |
𝢜𝪜 |
I love you; to love |
Blend of 𝢒𝪜𝣜𝪜𝢚𝪜 (I-L-Y)
|
CherokeeᏣᎳᎩ Tsalagi
|
sequoia |
ᏍᏏᏉᏯ Ssiquoyah |
Sequoyah (the Cherokee silversmith who invented his language’s writing system)
|
Disputed; may also be derived from Latin sequor “i follow”
|
Chinook JargonChinuk wawa
|
potlatch |
palach |
A gift, a potlatch; to give |
Nuu-chah-nulth p̕ačiƛ “give in ceremony” |
LakotaLakȟótiyapi
|
teepee |
thípi |
A house, a building |
thípi “they live (somewhere)” |
NahuatlNāhuatl
|
axolotl |
āxōlōtl |
” |
ātl “water” + xōlōtl “naked one” |
Taíno
|
canoe |
*kanowa |
A dugout canoe |
Proto-Arawak *kanawa |
South America |
AymaraAymar aru
|
alpaca |
allpaqa |
” |
via Spanish alpaca |
QuechuaRunasimi
|
jerky |
ch’arki |
Dried meat, jerky; thin, miserly, stingy |
via Spanish charqui |
TupiTupinambá
|
capybara |
kapi’iûara |
” |
Literally “grass-eater” |
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