Numerous words in the English language owe their origins to various languages, including Arabic and Hindi - take a look below to see how phrases used on a daily basis in English have been influenced by either language!
Arabic:
Arabic entered the English language through numerous ways. In the 8th century, Arabs invaded and seized control of the Iberian Peninsula (modern day Spain and Portugal); under their occupation, numerous Arab phrases passed into the Latin language which was spoken by locals. After a few centuries, Christians reclaimed control of the Iberian Peninsula but the language had been indefinitely impacted by Arabic and from there spread into Europe further. Additionally, a lot of Arabic words entered the English language through trade that Arabs did with Europe.
Alcohol comes from the Arabic al-kuhl meaning 'the kohl' (eyeliner). The connection was made because eyeliner was made through extraction of a mineral; European chemists then referred to anything involving extraction as alcohol. The term came into the English language in the 1500s but was used to refer to colourless liquid drinks (as we now use it) in the 1700s.
Algebra comes from the Arabic al-jabr meaning 'the reunion of broken parts' and was used as a mathematical term by a 9th century Baghdad mathematician, Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi. By the 15th century, the term algebra entered the English language.
Candy comes from qand (originally a Sanskrit term later adopted into the Arabic language) which refers to the crystallised juice of sugar canes.
Canon comes from the Arabic qanun; Persian physician-philosopher Ibn Sina wrote a book called al-Qanun (the Canon) in 1025 which explores the medieval knowledge of the Islamic world and remained a medical authority for centuries. It was used as a curriculum for Western Europe for medical studies, thus in English we use the term canon to describe vital books one must read.
Coffee was sent to Arabia from eastern Africa where Arabs referred to it as qahwah, then it travelled to Turkey and was called kahve, then it ventured to Italy where it was known as caffè, and finally it arrived in Britain as coffee by 1650.
Lemon comes from the Arabic laimun (referring to yellow citrus fruits); Arab traders bought lemons from India to the Middle East; lemons then travelled to Spain and then to France where they were called limon, and then finally to Britain as lemon.
Magazine comes from the Arabic makzin, meaning 'storehouse'; Italians gained this term from the Arabs and called it magazzino, then the term travelled to the French who called it magasin ('shop'), and finally it came to Britain as magazine.
Mattress comes from the Arabic matrah (sleeping on cushions was actually an Arab invention); Italians then referred to it as materacium/materatium (Latin), and then finally Britain gained them as mattresses.
Orange comes from the Arabic naranj, bought by Spanish traders who called it naranja, and then the French bought and called it un norenge (old French, in new French it is une orenge) and finally Britain gained it from France as orange.
Sofa comes from the Arabic suffa meaning 'raised'.
Sugar comes from the Arabic sukkar.
India:
These terms largely entered the British language during the time that the British Empire colonised and ruler over India (1858-1947).
Avatar comes from the Sanskrit avatara to refer to a Hindu deity descent from heaven or incarnation in human form.
Bandana comes from the Hindi bandhu which describes the process of tie-dye to make large handkerchiefs vibrant colours with distinctive colours, as well as the Hindi bandhana meaning 'to tie'.
Bangle comes from the Hindi bangri which refers to a ring of coloured glass adorning the wrist.
Bungalow comes from the Hingi bangla referring to one-story houses with a pyramid roof built for European settlers.
Cashmere comes from the Hindi Kashmir because shaggy cashmere goats were found in abundance there.
Dinghy comes from the Hindi term dingi/dingiya which was used for small rowing boats.
Juggernaut comes from the Sanskrit Jaganndtha which was the name of a Hindu God Krishna and meant 'the Lord of the universe'. Juggernaut in English refers to a huge, powerful, and overwhelming force or a large lorry.
Jungle comes from the Hindi jangala meaning waste or uncultivated ground, but in English means a wild forest.
Pukka comes from the Hini pakka meaning ripe, solid, mature, and cooked.
Punch comes from the Hindi panj meaning 'five' because the drink was traditionally composed of five ingredients which included alcohol, sugar, lime juice, spice, and water.
Pyjamas comes from the Hindi paijaamaaa meaning 'leg garment' (pay means 'leg' and jama means 'clothing').
Shampoo comes from the Hindi champo meaning 'rub'.
Thug comes from the Hindi thag meaning thief, cheat or swindler.
References:
Annabel Venning, 'How the British Raj brought Indian words into the English language', The Telegraph, 2017.
Asmaa Eid, 'English Words Borrowed from Arabic', Learning English, 2018.
Harriet Marsden, '13 Words we Borrowed from Arabic', The Independent, 2017.
Kareem Dennis quoted in 'Decolonise UoK - Stories of (Un)belonging', University of Kent, 2020.
Sanchari Pal, 'Did you Know These 17 Common English Words were Borrowed from Hindi?', The Better India, 2016.
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