English words from Arabic
5 English words with Arabic in their history, whether borrowed directly or passed on through other languages.
alchemy
It is inherited from Middle English alkamie, borrowed from Old French alquemie, from Medieval Latin alchymia, from Arabic الكيمياء (al-kīmiyāʾ), from Arabic ال (al, “the”) + كيمياء (kīmiyāʾ…
alcohol
The word is borrowed from Medieval Latin alcohol (“powdered ore of antimony”), from Arabic اَلْكُحْل (al-kuḥl, “the kohl”), from al- “the” + kuḥl, the fine powder used to darken the eyelids, from…
algebra
Recorded in English from the mid-16th century, borrowed from Medieval Latin algebra, or via Italian algebra, from Arabic الْجَبْر (al-jabr, “the reunion of broken parts”), from jabara “to reunite…
assassin
It is borrowed from French assassin or Italian assassino, from Medieval Latin assassīnus, from Arabic حَشَّاشِين (ḥaššāšīn, “hashish users”), plural of ḥaššāš “hashish user”, from ḥašīš “hashish”…
ghoul
borrowed from Arabic غُول (ghūl), an evil spirit that robs graves and feeds on corpses, from the verb ghāla “to seize (suddenly)”. Wiktionary traces the English word through French goule and Persian.