Gifts from the World Over 50 Surprising Foreign Words Used in English

Gifts from the World Over 50 Surprising Foreign Words Used in English Gifts from the World: Over 50 Surprising Foreign Words Used in English When you look closely at it, English is practically a foreign language in and of itself.Try squinting.Youll notice that an awful lot of  English words that come from other languages!But thats just friendly sharing! We all do it.In all languages, word origins are diverse and varied.Some word origins are pretty obvious. For instance, it probably will come as no surprise that burro  comes from Spanish, as does its beloved sister word, burrito.Other word origins are less expected, though. While the origins of some words are still hotly debated, the potential origins are intriguing to consider.Here, well share 50+ foreign words used in the English language that are bound to surprise you! Why Does English Use So Many Foreign Words?There are many very logical reasons why languages (including English) borrow words from each other.For instance, sometimes English will borrow a word from another language in order to describe things for which an English word doesnt yet exist. This happened a l ot when English settlers arrived in the New World. After all, there were countless things that English speakers had never encountered, but which indigenous groups and earlier Spanish explorers had already given names to. Whenever theres cross-cultural interaction like that, new words are bound to pop up between languages.Additionally, English often uses foreign words to name culturally specific things, like food. The Italians already gave pizza a great name, so when English speakers started enjoying the food, there was no need to change it. Why waste time renaming when you could be eating?Finally, theres a long history of languages borrowing words from each other. This has been happening for thousands of years. For whatever reason, some languages just have a particular pull across cultures. Its not just English that borrows words. Take, for instance, the French word bistro. On the surface, it seems quintessentially French. Hearing it probably makes you crave cassoulet. However, the word was actually taken from the Russian word  ?????? (fast), which Russian soldiers would shout in order to get quick service during the 1814 Battle of Paris.Regardless of how they wound up here, the fact remains that there are quite a few words in the English language that you might have never guessed are actually foreign.Gifts from the World: Over 50 Surprising Foreign Words Used in EnglishWithin this list youll find some of the most unexpectedly foreign wordsâ€"the sort of words that you would never guess stem from these languages. Go ahead: ask your friends what language they think any word on this list comes from. Theyll probably struggle to answer. To stay on good terms, be sure to offer them a cookie (or a burrito) after the ordeal.ArabicArabic contributed many words to the English language. Some of these words also passed through other languages before making their way into English. Most notably, Arabic contributed much vocabulary related to math and science.AdmiralAdmiral comes from ???? (pronounced amyr and sometimes translated as emir), which refers to a leader.AlcoholAlcohol is derived from the word ????? (alkahal), which meant the kohl, which originally referred to a powder.AlgebraAlgebra comes from  ????? (aljabar), which originally referred to putting together broken parts.AverageAverage originally came from  ???? (eawar), which referred to damage to goods. Merchant-marine law changed the meaning.LemonComing from the word  ????? (leemoon), it passed through French before making its way to English.SofaSofa likely started as the Arabic word  ???? (sofa) before entering the Turkish language, then the French language, then the English language. Thats quite a journey!ZeroZero comes from the word  ??? (sifr), though it passed through Spanish, Italian and French before it entered the English language.ChineseBrainwashingIt might not sound Chinese, but theres a very good explanation for that. Brainwashing is actually a literal translation of the Chinese word  ?? (xi nao). It originated in Chinese during the Korean War, referring to the practice of coercion and mind control. It took off in the U.S. soon after.KetchupKetchup may seem as American as burgers and cookouts, but the word itself may come from the Cantonese word ?? (qié zhi), which means tomato sauce.Chin-chinThis drinking toast stems from the Mandarin word ? (qing), which means please.TyphoonTyphoon likely comes from the Cantonese word  ?? (tái feng).FrenchFrench has played a huge influence on the English language, and there are countless French words used in English. This is due, in part, to the Norman conquest of England in 1066. A dialect of French became common among the upper class and was widely used for trade, permanently changing the face of the English language.Here are some highlights that might surprise you.ArtWhile the word originated in Latin, it came to English through Old French.BeefBeef came to English from the Old French word  boef. But thats not the on ly meat name with French origins! Mutton, veal and pork are all thought to be derived from Old French.CountryOriginally from Latin, the English word country likely comes most directly from the Old French word  cuntree.DanceDance likely comes from the Old French verb  dancer.Dragon An awful lot of animal names (mythical and otherwise) can be traced back to French, but lets face facts: dragon is the most fun. Other animals who owe their names to French include griffin, phoenix, dolphin, squirrel and more. You can guess which ones are real.FruitThe word fruit passed through Old French (as  fruges) before making its way to English.LibertyWhile liberty is a popular word in the US, it isnt an original English word. It started in Latin before passing through Old French.MusicThe origins of music go back to Greek and Latin, but before hitting the English language, it passed through Old French as  musique.PeopleThe Latin word  populus  transformed into the Anglo-Norman French word  poeple, wh ich later became the English word people. My, how far weve come.VeryYup, even a simple word like  very came through French. It likely originated with the Old French word  verai, which meant true.GermanNot only are English and German related languages, there are also many  German words used in English. These can relate back to German innovations and/or the wave of German immigrants who settled in the U.S. Either way, German has had an undeniable influence on the English language.HamburgerThis traditional American cookout food actually comes from the name of the German city, Hamburg.NeanderthalThe word Neanderthal comes from another German place name.  Thal  used to mean valley, though now its spelled as  Tal. Therefore,  Neanderthal  refers to the Neander Valley, which is where some of the first fossils of Neanderthals were discovered.NixThis comes from the German word  Nichts, meaning nothing. So the next time you ask your server to nix the ketchup on your hamburger, youve just used two German words and one Chinese word.PoodleEveryone knows the word dachshund comes from German, but theyre not the only German dogs on the block. This canine name originally came from the Low German word puddeln, meaning splash in water.ItalianItalian words have shaped the English language, particularly in the areas of music and food. Here are a few words you might not have guessed came from Italian.AllegroAllegro and most other musical terms like tempo markings came from Italian. In Italian,  allegro  means cheerful.AltoIn English, alto often refers to a female singer with a lower voice, though the word actually comes from the Italian word  alto, which means high.ApartmentApartment likely comes from the Italian word  appartamento  (though it also passed through French before entering the English language).BroccoliBroccoli comes from the Italian word  broccoli,  which is the plural of  broccolo.CartoonCartoon likely comes from the Italian word  cartone, which were full-scale drawi ngs used to prepare for paintings or frescoes.CauliflowerCauliflower comes from  cavolfiore, which literally means flowering cabbage.CelloCello comes from the Italian word  violoncello, which is the diminutive of  violone, a type of double bass.PianoPiano is a shortening of the Italian word  pianoforte.SopranoThis one is pretty straightforward.  Soprano comes directly from the Italian word  soprano  and has the same meaning between languages.ViolinThe word violin came to English from the Italian word  violino, which is a diminutive of  viola (a slightly larger stringed instrument).JapaneseThough not as common as ones from many other languages, some Japanese loanwords  have made their way into the English language. Here are a couple you might not have guessed.HonchoThe Japanese word  ?? (hancho) refers to a chief or leader in both Japanese and English.SkoshYou might use the word skosh without even noticing where it came from. Its used to refer to a small amount and comes from either the Japanese word   ?? (sukoshi) or the word ??? (sukoshi), both of which mean a little.PortugueseCashewCashew is derived from the Portuguese word cajú, which likely came from the now-extinct Tupi language.CobraCobra is a shortening of  cobra de capello, a Portuguese phrase meaning snake with hood.FlamingoWhile some may claim flamingo has Spanish origins, theres also an argument that it may have come from Portuguese. The bright pink birds have not yet weighed in on the conflict.RussianBelugaThe type of sturgeon comes from the Russian word  ?????? (beluga), while the type of whale comes from ?????? (beluhka). Both ultimately trace back to  ????? (belee), which means white.DisinformationDisinformation comes from the Russian word  ????????????? (dezinformatsiya), which was the name of a KGB propaganda department.MammothMammoth comes from the Russian word ?????? (mamont), which likely had Siberian roots.ShamanThis word for a tribal priest comes from the Russian word ????? (shaman), whi ch likely comes from the Evenki language of Siberia.SpanishA lot of English-language words can be traced back to the Spanish language. This is particularly common with ranching vocabulary. Names for foods, places, animals and weather patterns found in the Americas also have often passed through Spanish, though they also usually have indigenous roots. Here are a few words you might not have guessed have Spanish roots.SavvyThe word savvy likely originates from the Spanish word  sabe, which means knows.TobaccoWhile the word is likely influenced by native languages, the English word tobacco was most likely derived from the Spanish word tabaco.VanillaThe English word vanilla likely comes from the Spanish word  vainilla, which itself comes from the Latin word for pod.So whether or not you would have been guessed it, youve been using foreign words in your daily vocabulary since you were a small child. Whod have thought?