10 English Words Derived From Arabicby Patrick Boyle

This is a list of English words whose origins can be traced back to Arabic. Some
will be immediately recognizable, as they refer to phenomena and concepts directly
associated with the Middle East. Other words will be so familiar in their
contemporary sense that you may be surprised to find that they came to English from
such a distant language. While some of the words in this list have more or less
direct transfer from the source language to the target, others took a more
circuitous route, arriving in various permutations after passing through third
languages such as Spanish, Persian and Turkish. To the best of my knowledge the
information here is correct, however I�d appreciate any insight and/or corrections.

A brief note on Arabic: the Arabic language is based on a trilateral root system,
in which (most) words can be broken down into a three letter base. This root takes
the form of the third person singular past tense. For this reason you will see
these roots rendered in English as �he (performed action)�.

10
Jihad � ????

Babykoran1

We begin the list with one of the terms most known to western audiences, as well as
one the most semantically debated and controversial. The origin of the word is ???
(ja-ha-da) meaning �he made an effort.� In the religious context this type of
effort can run the gamut from helping your neighbor, achieving an inner Zen-like
devotion to God and, yes, violent struggle in defense of the faith. Due to Arabic�s
position as the liturgical language of Islam we will see that many words which have
transferred solely to other languages in a religious context can have a more
mundane, day-to-day meaning in the original Arabic. For example, the word ????
(jahood), from the same root as �jihad� simply means �efforts� and is not
necessarily religious in tone.

9
Mujahedeen

Hizbul Mujahideen Kill Three

You may be able to discern that ?????? (mujahedeen) comes from the same root as the
previous entry. A mujahid is someone who takes up arms in defense of the faith. The
label was applied to Afghan warriors resisting the Soviet occupation of their
country. It generally was viewed in a positive light during the 1980s when the
West, especially the US, was supporting these fighters against the communist enemy.
Since that time, however, the term mujahedeen has since fallen into ill repute,
largely due to the actions of Islamist fighters who battled in Afghanistan and then
spread to the corner�s of the earth committing acts of terror in the name of their
faith.

8
Ream

268 Ream01

Not all words deal with fiery topics like religious zeal. Ream refers to a bundle
of paper consisting of 480, 500, or 516 sheets. The original Arabic word is ????,
which means package or bundle.

7
Ghoul
Ghoul

The ghoul came into western culture via the famous �One Thousand and One Arabian
Nights.� The ????? (ghoul) is a macabre demon who haunts burial areas and feasts on
the dead. There is some debate as to whether this word is related to an ancient
Mediterranean in demon �Gallu.� The word �ghoulish� in English is used to describe
an unsettling fascination with, or attitude toward, death. The word was rendered in
the diminutive and used as title of the 1980s� �Gremlins� rip-off �Ghoulies.�

6
Genie

E9E920Ff-Af41-4Fb2-B7A6-4D2Ebc68D40A

Another well-known import thanks to Barbara Eden and Disney. The word genie already
existed in English to refer a type of guardian angel. As with the Ghoul, the
concept of the jinn ????�� was introduced to the west by way of �One Thousand and
One Arabian Nights.� Translators decided to use the extant English word genie as a
label for this mysterious eastern entity. Since then genie has come to be
associated with an eastern, wish granting spirit. In Islam, the jinn is said to
have been created from smokeless fire. Like humans, jinn have free will and can
therefore be good or evil.

5
Admiral

Pershakov Alexander Fyodorovich-Zzz-Portrait Of Admiral E. I

Probably coming to Europe with returning soldiers of the crusades, ???? ?????
(admiral) means, literally, �prince of the sea.� Today Admiral is the highest rank
in the world�s navies.

4
Sultan

Port%20Brunei%20Sultan%202

Coming from the root ???, (sa-la-Ta) meaning to rule or have strength. The term
originally referred to the secular leadership (as opposed to the religious) of the
burgeoning Muslim community. The term really gained traction with the Turks, first
the Seljuks, then, most famously, the Ottomans. Today in English it refers to a
ruler, making possible the alliterative title of the Dire Straights classic
�Sultans of Swing.�

3
Algebra

Algebra Basic

The bane of high school students everywhere, perhaps this word conjures more fear
than ghoul and more animosity than jihad. The root ??? can mean �he set (a broken
bone)� thus is derived the term ????? as the practice entails setting two sides of
an equation so as they are equal to one another. Although the concept existed in
various permutations since the days of ancient Greece it was codified and
distinguished by the famous Persian scientist Mu?ammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, who
did so while working at the famous �House of Wisdom� in 9th century Baghdad.

2
Hazard

Green Wallpapers 0016

The Arabs ruled Spain from 711 AD until 1492 AD. Arabic culture has left an
indelible mark on Spanish architecture, dance, and, of course, language. The
word ????? (al-zarh) means �dice,� which gave the Spanish word for risk �azar,�
ultimately coming to English as �hazard.�

1
Kohl and Alcohol

Features-Qaasianglow

We began with the most controversial, so let us end with the most agreeable. The
route of this word is enough to make one feel as if they had consumed a large
quantity of the substance to which it lends its name. The word kohl �???� refers to
the dark eye-shadow used as a beauty accessory by women across the Near-East.
Although Persian scientists were the first to identify alcohol in a scientific
sense, westerners actually coined the term alcohol. Due to the similarities in the
processes of sublimation for creating kohl and distillation for creating alcohol
the later was adopted. Later, the word reentered Arabic as ??????.