Word origins by language
English has borrowed from everywhere. These pages group the words by where they came from, whether that is Latin and Greek by way of the sciences, Arabic by way of medieval mathematics, or a word picked up by sailors in the Pacific.
- Words from English 130
Homegrown coinages: words and phrases English built from its own parts, often from a single newspaper column, trade, joke or court case that caught on.
For example: Boycott, Gobbledygook, Murphy's law, Nerd, OK
See all 130 → - Words from Greek 129
Science, medicine and philosophy borrowed heavily from Greek, and so did anyone naming a new invention who wanted it to sound important. Greek myth supplied a good share of the rest.
For example: Acronym, Adamant, Aerobics, Ambrosia, Amethyst
See all 129 → - Words from Latin 84
The single largest source of English vocabulary, whether borrowed directly by scholars or filtered through French. Many everyday words hide a Latin image once you know where to look.
For example: Salary, Abracadabra, Adam's apple, Adrenaline, Alibi
See all 84 → - Words from French 70
After 1066, French became the language of England's courts and kitchens, and it has kept lending English words ever since. Some came straight across the Channel; others passed through French on their way from somewhere…
For example: Bikini, Ambulance, Avalanche, Avant-garde, Camouflage
See all 70 → - Words from Italian 31
From opera houses to espresso bars, Italian has lent English its words for music, food and, more than once, disease. Many arrived by way of French, and a few were named after very specific Italian places.
For example: Cantaloupe, Quarantine, Arcade, Bankrupt, Cappuccino
See all 31 → - Words from Spanish 27
Spanish reached English through the Americas as much as through Spain: ranch words, place names across the American West, and a few that Spanish itself had borrowed from Arabic or Indigenous languages.
For example: Alcatraz, Anaheim, Armada, Avocado, Canoe
See all 27 → - Words from German 21
German gave English words for science, philosophy and food, plus a few from the 20th century that English borrowed along with the history attached to them.
For example: Anaheim, Cobalt, Dark matter, Doberman, Doppelgänger
See all 21 → - Words from Arabic 15
A surprising share of the vocabulary of mathematics, chemistry and trade reached English from Arabic, often through medieval Latin and Spanish. The giveaway is often the "al-" at the front, the Arabic word for "the".
For example: Alchemy, Algebra, Algorithm, Apricot, Assassin
See all 15 → - Words from Indigenous languages of the Americas 15
Many animal, food and place names across North and South America come from the languages of the people who were there first, often reshaped by European ears.
For example: Alaska, Avocado, Canoe, Caribbean, Hammock
See all 15 → - Words from Japanese 14
Japanese loanwords in English cover food, art, games and technology, and several of them mean something quite different in Japanese.
For example: Tycoon, Atari, Emoji, Honcho, Kamikaze
See all 14 → - Words from Hindi and Sanskrit 11
Words from the Indian subcontinent, many picked up during British rule, and older ones from Sanskrit that had already traveled west centuries earlier.
For example: Avatar, Candy, Himalaya, Juggernaut, Jungle
See all 11 → - Words from Dutch 10
Dutch sea power and New Amsterdam left their mark on English, from sailing terms to New York street names and at least one famous gift-giver.
For example: Aardvark, Easel, Filibuster, Iceberg, New Zealand
See all 10 → - Words from Persian 9
Persian words traveled west along trade routes, often through Arabic or Turkish, and arrived in English as names for games, garments, fruits and colors.
For example: Ahura Mazda, Algorithm, Checkmate, Exchequer, Khaki
See all 9 → - Words from Old Norse 8
Viking settlers left English some of its most basic words, and Norse myth supplied names that still turn up in unexpected places.
For example: Bluetooth, Geyser, Greenland, Iceland, Narwhal
See all 8 → - Words from Portuguese 5
Portuguese sailors and traders carried words between Asia, Africa, South America and Europe, and English picked several of them up along the route.
For example: Casablanca, Indigo, Lacquer, Monsoon, Rio de Janeiro
See all 5 → - Words from Hebrew 4
English borrowed from Hebrew mostly through Bible translations, which is why several of these words carry a religious backstory.
For example: Scapegoat, Armageddon, Lord of the Flies, Uzi
See all 4 → - Words from Polynesian languages 4
Words English picked up in the Pacific, most of them first written down by European sailors in the 18th century.
For example: Taboo, Tattoo, Ukulele, Wikipedia
See all 4 → - Words from Turkish 4
Words from Turkish, several of them names for things the Ottoman Empire introduced to Europe.
For example: Istanbul, Ottoman, Tulip, Uzbekistan
See all 4 → - Words from African languages 3
Words that reached English from languages across Africa, some directly and some by way of European traders and explorers.
For example: Gorilla, Jumbo, Tango
See all 3 → - Words from Chinese 2
A small but vivid set of English words with roots in Chinese languages, usually picked up by traders and sailors.
For example: Ketchup, Typhoon
See all 2 → - Words from Russian 2
Words English borrowed from Russian, several of them arriving with a headline attached.
For example: Alaska, Sputnik
See all 2 → - Words from Celtic languages 1
Irish, Scottish Gaelic and Welsh contributed a small set of English words and a large number of place names.
For example: Excalibur
See all 1 →