The Spanish language is a rich tapestry woven from various cultural threads. The origins of certain words reflect historical interactions and the influence of different languages. Let’s shed some light on their fascinating journeys into everyday usage!
- Ojalá – From Arabic “inshallah,” meaning “God willing.”
- Fútbol – From English “football.”
- Alcohol – From Arabic “al-ku?l,” referring to a powder used for eyeliner.
- Bistec – From the English phrase “beef steak.”
- Chicle – From Nahuatl “tzictli,” meaning sticky substance or gum.
- Bachata – From the West African word cumbancha, which also means “gathering” or “party”.
- Almohada – From Arabic “al-mukhadda,” meaning pillow.
- Mangú – From the West African word “mangusi”, which refers to any pureed vegetable from the land or a boiled and mashed root vegetable.
- Arroz – From Arabic “ar-ruzz,” meaning rice.
- Shampoo o Champú – From the Hindi “ch?mpo,” meaning “to massage” or “to press.”
- Algodón – From Arabic “al-qutun,” meaning cotton.
- Brindis – From the German term “bring dir’s,” meaning “I bring it to you” or “I offer it to you”.
- Apapachar – Beautiful Nahuatl word meaning “to caress, to cover, to squeeze.”
- Tomate – From Nahuatl “tomatl,” meaning “swelling fruit.”
- Cacahuate – From Nahuatl “tlalcacahuatl,” meaning “earth cacao.”
- Guitarra – From Arabic “q?t?ra,” which was derived from the Greek “kithara” a rustic folk instrument.
- Béisbol – From English “baseball.”
- Palabra – From Latin “parabola,” which itself comes from Greek “parabol?.”
- Azúcar – From Arabic “as-sukkar,” meaning sugar.
- Café – From Turkish “kahve”, which in turn came from the Arabic word “qahwa,” meaning coffee.
- Charola – From the Portuguese “charão,” which in turn comes from the Chinese “chat-liu,” meaning “lacquer.”
- Chocolate – From Nahuatl “xocolatl,” referring to a bitter drink made from cacao.
- Zanahoria – Possibly from Arabic “isfann?r?yah,” though the exact etymology is debated.
FUN FACT: Many Arabic words made their way into Spanish partly because of the 800 years that Arabic was spoken in Spain during Muslim rule. The last Muslim-occupied territory in Spain was taken back in 1492, the same year that Christopher Columbus sailed West.
Popular terms derived from combining words:
Pariguayo is Dominican slang and a combination of the words “party” and “watcher.” It refers to a very shy person.
The origin of zafacón is highly debated, but it is believed it came from pronouncing the words “safety can”, which was used to collect recycling materials during the time of WWII.
Pingüino originated from the Welsh term “pen gwyn,” meaning “white head.”
Karaoke comes from Japanese words “kara” (empty) and “oke” (orchestra).
Spanish is a melting pot of linguistic influences from around the world, the origins of these words tell a story of our shared global heritage. What other fun words do YOU know?
