Arabisch.nu

Words

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A man who knows two languages is worth two men

الإنــْـسـَـان الــَّـذي يــَـعــْـرِف لــُـغــَــتــَــيــْــن يـُــســَـاوِي رَجــُــلــَــيــْـن

Introduction

Did you know, many English words have a root in Arabic? You will probably surprise yourself by how many Arabic words you recognize! Such as Algebra ….. . Please follow this link for a list of some more.

A lot of English words starting with “al” or “el” initially come from Arabic, for example, algebra, alcohol, alkali, alcove, and almanac. Scientific terms and especially the names of many stars are originated from Arabic. Many words taken over from Arabic are of maritime origin. Also, names of many foods and other products have an Arabic origin. Some words are borrowed directly from Arabic; but most of these words have taken the scenic route, through Spanish, Italian, and/or French; or through Turkish, Persian, or Urdu; or through Hebrew or Latin. This produces a good deal of phonological deformation; as does the dialect variation within Arabic. Moreover, there are also Arabic words which have not been translated and have been admitted recently, such as harem (prohibited), halal (permitted), tawhid/tauhid (entity (of God)).

General

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Dictionaries

Woordenboek.eu (Dutch/ عَـرَبِـي/ English)
AlMisbar
WordWeb Online
Lessan.org (Duits)
Lingo24 Arabisch-Engels (Français)
Lingo24 Engels-Arabisch (Français)

A

admiral أدمــِـيــرال – ami:r-al-bahr ‘ruler of the seas’ (and other similar expressions) – amara command. noun. The commander in chief of a fleet. A flag officer. a. Abbr. ADM or Adm. A commissioned rank in the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard that is above vice admiral and below Admiral of the Fleet. b. One who holds the rank of admiral, Admiral of the Fleet, rear admiral, or vice admiral. Any of various brightly colored butterflies of the genera Limenitis and Vanessa. Archaic The ship carrying an admiral; flagship. Origin: Middle English amiral, admiral, from Old French and from Medieval Latin amīrālis, admīrālis, both from Arabic’amīr al- …, commander of the … : ’amīr, commander; + al-, the.
adobe – al-toba ‘the brick’. noun. a. A sun-dried, unburned brick of clay and straw. b. The clay or soil from which this brick is made. A structure built with this type of brick. Origin: Spanish, from Arabic aṭ-ṭūba, the brick : al-, the + ṭūba, a brick, singulative of ṭūb, bricks (from Coptic tōbe, tōōbe, from Egyptian ḏbt, brick).
albacore – al-bukr ‘the young camel’
alchemy – al-ki:mi:a: – from Greek
alcohol الــْـكــُــحــُـول – al-koh”l ‘the kohl‘. Alcohol is one word that has changed drastically from its original Arabic meaning. The early word al-kuhl meant “(the) kohl” and referred to the finely ground black powder the Egyptians used as dramatic eyeliner. In the 1700s, alcohol came to mean an intoxicant found in beer, wine, and spirits.
alcove الــْـقــُـبــَّـة – al-qobbah ‘vault’ – qubba vault. noun 1. A recess or partly enclosed extension connected to or forming part of a room. 2. A secluded structure, such as a blower, in a garden. Origin: French alcôve, from Spanish alcoba, from Arabic al-qubba, the vault : al-, the + qubba, vault.
alembic – al-ambi:q ‘the still’ – from Greek
alfalfa – alfas,fas,ah ‘fodder’
algebra – al-jebr ‘reintegration’ – jabara reunite
Algol – al-ghu:l ‘the ghoul‘
algorithm – al-Khowarazmi ‘the (man) of Khiva’
alkali – al-qaliy ‘calx’ – qalay fry, roast
Allah – `allah, from contraction of al-ilah ‘the god’
Almagest – al-majisti – from Greek
almanac – (Andalucian Arabic) al-mana:kh, of uncertain origin
amber – `anbar ‘ambergris’
antimony – al-íthmid ‘antimony trisulphide’ – perhaps from Greek
apricot – al-burquq – from Greek. This firm, golden fruit has a long name history. It entered the English language from the Portuguese word albricoque or the Spanish term albaricoque, but eventually became the word abricot. The Old Spanish word derived from the Arabic word al-burquq, which originated from a Latin variant for “early ripe.”
Arab – `arab
arsenal – dar as,s,ina`ah ‘house of making’, i.e. ‘factory’ – s,ana`a make
artichoke – al-kharshu:f. Ancient Europeans in Egypt and Rome ate cardoons, a wild relative to the modern artichoke. Historians believe that the Islamic world likely cultivated artichokes from this wild plant. Eventually, artichokes made their way to Europe, known as articiocco, which ultimately came from the Arabic word al-karsufa.
assagai – az-zaghayah – from Berber
assassin – h’ashsha:shi:n ‘hashish eaters’, from the Isma`ili sectarians
average – damage to ship or cargo (which was shared, or averaged out equally among investors)
attar – `itr ‘aroma’
ayatollah – ‘ayatu-llah ‘miraculous sign of God’
azimuth – as-sumut ‘the paths’; see also zenith
azure – al-lazward ‘lapis lazuli’ – from Persian

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B

barberry – barberry bush
barbican – (possibly) bâb-al-baqara ‘gate with holes’
benzoin – frankincense of Java
berber – barbbaric, uncivlized
berdache – (possibly) bardaj ‘slave’
Betelgeuse – bi:t al-jauza:’ ‘shoulder of the Giant’
borax – sodium borate
bezoar – bazahr – from Persian
bint – bint ‘daughter
bled – balad ‘vast open country’
borax – bu:raq – from Persian
burka – burqa`
burnouse – burnus

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C

caliber – qali:b ‘mold, last’ –
calico – Qaliqu:t ‘Calicut’, city in India
caliph – khali:fah ‘successor’ – khalafa ‘succeed’
camel – camel
cameo – flower buds
camise – qami:s ‘shirt’ – from Latin
camphor – ka:fu:r – from Malay
candy – short for ‘sugar candy’, from sugar + qandi ‘candied’, from qand ‘cane sugar’ – from a Dravidian language
cane – hollow stick
carat – qi:ra:t ‘small weight’ – from Greek
caraway – alkarawya: – probably from Greek. Caraway seeds taste similar to anise (licorice) and often appear in Indian dishes and desserts among other foods. The word caraway likely became part of the English language from the Medieval Latin carui. It was called alcaravea or alcarahueya in Old Spanish, from the Arabic al-karawiya or al-karwiya.
carafe – gharra:f – gharafa ‘dip’
carmine – qirmazi: ‘crimson’
carob – kharrubah. Carob trees are small trees that grow in the eastern Mediterranean and produce edible pods. You can ground them into flour and use them as a healthier substitute for chocolate. Carob comes from the Old French word carobe, from the Medieval Latin carrubia, a word derived from the Arabic term kharruba.
cassock – kaza:ghand ‘padded jacket’ – from Persian
check – sha:h ‘king’ – from Persian
checkmate – sha:h ma:t ‘the king (Shah) is dead’
chemistry – see alchemy
chess – from Old French eschecs, plural of check
cipher – s,ifr ’empty’ , zero
cinnabar – mercuric sulfide
civet – zaba:d
coffee – qahwah, coffee. This popular beverage name from the Arabic word qahwah, meaning ” strong “. It is possible that the original simply meant “dark stuff.” Europe began using the word circa 1600, taking it from the Turkish term kahve.
Copt – quft – from Greek
cork – qu:rq
cotton – qutn, cotton from Gossypium plant
couscous – kuskus – kaskasa pound, bruise
crimson – qirmazi:, related to the qirmiz, the insect that provided the dye
crocus – saffron
cumin – cumin plant

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D

Deneb – danab al-jaja:ja ‘tail of the hen’
dhow – da:w
dinar – di:na:r – from Greek
dirham – dirham – from Greek
dragoman – tarjuma:n – tarjama interpret
drub – daraba ‘beat’, hit
dura mater – Latin calque on umm al-ghali:dah ‘hard mother’

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E

efreet – ‘ifri:t ‘monster’
El Cid – al-Sayyid ‘the lord’
elixir – al-iksi:r ‘philosopher’s stone’ , the drug – from Greek
emir – ami:r – amara command

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F

fakir – faqi:r ‘poor man’ – faqura be poor
fardel – fardah ‘load’
Farsi – Fa:rs ‘Pars’, a province of Iran – from Persian
fatwa – fetwa – fata: instruct by a legal decision
fedayeen – fida:’iyi:n ‘commandos’ – fida:` redemption
felafel – fala:fil
fellah – fella:h’ ‘husbandman’ – falah’a till
felucca – fulk ‘ship’ – falaka be round
Fomalhaut – fum u’l-haut ‘mouth of the fish’

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G

garble – gharbala ‘sift’ – perhaps from Latin
gazelle – ghaza:l, gazelle
genie – jinni: ‘spirit’, demon
gerbil – yarbu:`, desert rodent
ghoul – ghu:l ‘demon’ – gha:la take suddenly
giraffe – zara:fa, African mammal
guitar – guitar (from Greek) – kithara, “lyre”
gypsum – mortar

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H

hadith – h’adi:t ‘tradition’
haj – h’ajj ‘pilgrimage’ – h’ajja go on a pilgrimage
halal – h’ala:l ‘lawful’
halvah – h’alwa:
harem – h’aram ‘prohibited, set apart’ – h’arama prohibit
hashish – h’ashi:sh ‘dried herbs, hemp’
hazard – yásara ‘play at dice’
hegira – hijrah ‘departure’ – hajara separate, go
henna – h’enna:`
Hezbollah – H’izbulla:h ‘party of God’
hookah – h’uqqah ‘water bottle (through which smoke is drawn)’
houri – h’u:r al-`ayu:n ‘with eyes like gazelles’ – h’awura have eyes like gazelles

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I

imam – ima:m ‘leader’ – amma precede
Islam – isla:m ‘submission’ – aslama submit oneself

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J

jacket – mailcoat
jar – jarrah ‘large earthen vase’
jasmine – ya:smi:n – from Persian
jinn – jinn ‘spirits’, plural of genie
julep – jula:b ‘rose water’ – from Persian

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K

Kaaba – ka`bah ‘square house’
kabob – kaba:b – from Persian
kaffir – ka:fir ‘infidel’ – kafara conceal, deny
keffiyeh – kaffi:yah
khamsin – khamsi:n ‘fifty (days)’
kismet – qisma ‘portion, lot’ – qasama divide
kohl – koh”l ‘kohl’ – kah’ala stain, paint
Koran – qura:n ‘recitation’ – qara`a read

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L

lilac – li:la:k – from Persian
lemon – laymu:n – from Persian
lime – li:mah ‘citrus fruit’
loofah – lu:fah a plant whose pods were used as sponges
lute – al-`u:d, stringed instrument

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M

macramé – miqramah ‘striped cloth’
magazine – makha:zin ‘storehouses’ – khazana store
Mahdi – mahdi:y ‘one who is guided aright’ – hada: lead
majlis – majlis ‘council’
mancala – mank.ala – nak.ala move
marzipan – mawthaba:n ‘coin featuring a seated figure’
mask – perhaps maskhara ‘buffoon’ – sakhira ridicule
massage – stroke, touch
mattress – matrah ‘place where something is thrown, mat, cushion’ – tarah’a throw
minaret – mana:rah – na:r fire
mocha – port known for its coffee
mohair – mukhayyar ‘choice (goats’-hair cloth)’ – khayyara select
monsoon – mausim ‘season’ – wasama mark
mosque – masgid – sagada worship
Mozarabic – musta`rib ‘would-be Arab’
muezzin – mu’adhdhin ‘criers’ – adhana proclaim
mufti – mufti: ‘one who gives a fatwa’
mujahedeen – muja:hidi:n ‘figher in a jihad’
mullah – mawla: ‘master’
mummy – mu:miya: ’embalmed body’ – mu:m ‘(embalming) wax’
Muslim – muslim ‘submitter’ – aslama submit oneself
muslin – Maus,il ‘Mosul’

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N

nadir – nadi:r as-samt ‘opposite the zenith’
natron – natru:n – from Greek
nizam – nidam ‘government’

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O

orange – na:ranj – from Sanskrit. As oranges spread westward from Sri Lanka, the word was narang in Persian and naranj in Arabic. Arabs introduced this citrus fruit to Sicily and it spread throughout Europe. It became part of the English language as “orange” around the 1400s.
ottoman – `uthma:n, a proper name

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P

pia mater – Latin calque on umm raqi:qah ‘tender mother’
popinjay – babagha:
Primum Mobile – Latin calque on al-muh’ arrik al-awwal ‘the first mover’

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Q

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R

racket – râh’et ‘palm of the hand’
Ramadan – Ramada:n meaning perhaps ‘the hot month’ – ramata be heated
realgar – rehj al-gha:r ‘powder of the cave’
ream – rizmah ‘bundle’
rebec – reba:b
Rigel – rijl ‘foot (of Orion)’
roc – rukh
rook – rukh – from Persian
Rubaiyyat – ruba:`i:yah ‘quatrain’

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S

safari – safari:y ‘journey’ – safara travel
saffron – za`fara:n. Costly Saffron requires a tremendous number of crocus flowers to create the amount of stigmas needed for this pungent spice to flavor and color foods. The word came into English use from an Old French word, Safran. The Old French word, in turn, came from the Arabic za’faran.
Sahara – çah’ra: ‘desert’
sahib – ça:h’ib ‘friend’
salaam – as-sala:m `alaikum ‘peace be on you’
saluki – salu:k.i: ‘from Saluk’
Saracen – sharqi:yi:n ‘easterners’ – sha:raqa rise
sash – sha:sh ‘muslin’
satin – probably zaytu:ni: ‘of Zaytu:n’ (a city in China)
scarlet – siqilla:t ‘(cloth) adorned with images’ – from Latin
sequin – sikkah ‘die for coinmaking’
Sharia – shari:`a
sheik – shaikh ‘old man’ – sha:kha grow old
sherbet – sharbah – shariba drink. Sherbet began as a drink in the Middle East that comprised fruit juices and sweetened water. The word came to the English language in the 1600s, borrowed from Persian and Turkish. They got sherbet from the Arabic word sharbah, derived from shariba, which means “to drink.”
Shiite – shiya`i:y, from shiya:` ‘following, sect’ – sha`a follow
shrub [drink] – shurb ‘a drink’ – shariba drink
sine – Latin sinus, mistranslation of jayb ‘chord of an arc, sine’, through confusion with jayb ‘fold of a garment’
sirocco – sharq ‘east (wind)’ – sha:raqa rise
sofa – s,uffah ‘raised dais with cushions’
souk – su:k. ‘marketplace’
spinach – isfa:na:kh
Sufi – çu:fi: ‘man of wool’
sugar – sukkar – from Sanskrit
Sukuk (Arabic: صـُــكـُـوك ‎, plural of صـَــك Sakk, “legal instrument, deed, check”) is the Arabic name for financial certificates, but commonly refers to the Islamic equivalent of bonds. Since fixed income, interest bearing bonds are not permissible in Islam, Sukuk securities are structured to comply with the Islamic law and its investment principles, which prohibits the charging, or paying of interest. Financial assets that comply with the Islamic law can be classified in accordance with their tradability and non-tradability in the secondary markets.
sultan – sulta:n ‘sovereign’
sumac – summa:q
Sunni – sunni: ‘lawful’, from sunna:h ‘rule, course’
sura – su:rah
syrup – shara:b ‘beverage’ – shariba drink

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T

tabbouleh – tabbu:la
tabby – `atta:biy, a neighborhood in Baghdad where taffeta was made
tahini – – tah’ana crush
Taliban – talib ‘student’ – talaba study
talisman – tilsam – from Greek
tamarind – tamr-hindi: ‘date of India’. Tamarind is a popular flavoring in Asian cooking and is a brown, sticky pulp from a pod of the pea family. It can also refer to the African tree that produces these pods. The English version of the word came from the Medieval Latin term tamarindus, which in turn derived from the Arabic tamr hindi, meaning “Indian date.”
tambourine – a small tambour, from tanbu:r – from Persian
tandoori – tannu:r ‘oven’
tangerine – name of a Maroccan port: Tangiers
tarboosh – tarbu:sh
tare [weight] – tarh’ah ‘rejected’ – tarah’a reject
tariff – ta`ri:f ‘notification’ – `arafa notify
tarragon – tarkhu:n – possibly from Greek
tell [mound] – tall ‘hillock’
tripe – layer of intestine fat
typhoon – whirlwind (from Greek)