20 Best Foreign Loanwords in English

Posted by Manny Echevarria on November 17, 2008

A loanword is a word used directly from another language with little or no translation. Such foreign words and
phrases are peppered throughout the English language.
Every kind of English writing, from poetry collections and cook books, to newspapers and magazines, contains
thousands of words that have been adopted from foreign languages by writers constantly in search of le mot
juste.
I asked our resident linguists and translators to name a few of their favorites, and we came up with the
following list of top 21 foreign loanwords used by English speakers:
1. Le Mot Juste
[French] The most appropriate word.
2. Schadenfreude
[German] The pleasure one takes from someone elses misfortune.
3. Modus Operandi
[Latin] Someones habits or method of operating (often used by police investigators to describe
someones criminal profile, or MO)
4. Hoi Polloi
[Greek] The many, or the masses. Usually used in a derogatory sense to refer to common people vs.
the upper-crust of society.
5. Faux pas
[French] The violation of a commonly accepted social rule, a blunder like a gaffe.
6. Poshlust
[Russian] From the Russian word, poshlost, meaning petty, trivial and vulgar, it was re-branded by
Vladimir Nabokov to mean trashy, falsely clever, and falsely beautiful.
7. Kitschy
[German, or Yiddish] The quality of being lowbrow, tacky, or in bad taste, usually used in reference to
art or decorations.
8. Bric-a-brac
[French] A miscellaneous collection of small decorative objects, otherwise known as souvenirs, bobbles
or trinkets.
9. Aficionado
[Spanish] An ardent admirer or fan of something.

10. Doppelgnger
[German] A double, or look-alike person, often with negative connotations since some people believe
that seeing your own doppelgnger is an omen of impending death.
11. Lenfant terrible
[French] A child who says or does really embarrassing things, or, a successful adult whose
achievements were executed in an unorthodox way.
12. Basmati
[Hindi] Something with a pleasant aroma, fragrant. In English, it is usually used along with rice to refer
to the Indian dish.
13. Prima donna
[Italian] Literally, first lady as in the principal female singer in an opera, but usually used to refer to a
spoiled, ill-tempered person.
14. Mea culpa
[Latin] Literally, my own fault. Usually used by a person who is admitting guilt for some wrong-doing.
15. Quid pro quo
[Latin] Literally, something for something. Often used in place of you scratch my back and Ill scratch
yours or during negotiations to ask, whats in it for me?.
16. Nouveau riche
[French] Newly rich. Usually used in a derogatory sense to refer to someone who uses newly-earned
wealth to purchase kitschy things.
17. Alter ego
[Latin] An other self. Used to describe the other personality of a person who leads a double life.
18. Zeitgeist
[German] The spirit of the times. Used to describe things in the socio-cultural air, like trends or ideas
that describe an era.
19. Samurai
[Japanese] The military class that served the nobility in pre-industrial Japan. Pop-culture has taught
English speakers to equate samuraiwith physically strong, somewhat ascetic, undyingly loyal heroes,
though the factual history is more nuanced.
20. Mnage trois
[French] A household of three. Usually, an arrangement where three people share a sexual relationship.
21. Taco
[Spanish] The traditional Mexican dish made from a corn or wheat tortilla filled with just about anything
your heart desires and eaten out of hand; Perhaps, the perfect food?