Borrowed Words and Their Origins – Part One

China

Ketchup- In the Chinese Amoy dialect the words for seafood sauce are Koe (seafood) and Chiap (sauce). This word travelled to Malaya where it became Kichap (sauce). The English usage dates to the seventeenth century as Catsup, in the eighteenth century the spelling became accepted as Ketchup.

Other words from China: typhoon, chopstick, tea

Japan

Tycoon- In Japan the word Taikun (great prince, emperor) referred the Shogun, the military ruler of Japan. The word came into English in the nineteenth century when it referred to any high ranking person, now the use has narrowed to a its present meaning of a powerful business person.

Other words from Japan: bonsai, karate

Eastern Europe

Nosh – A slang word used in English as a noun meaning food or as a verb meaning to eat. This comes from the Yiddish word Nosh (to eat between meals, to nibble).

Other words from Yiddish: chutzpah, kosher

Africa

Magazine- The Arabic the word Makhazin (a storehouse) came into the English Language in the sixteenth century when it meant a store for arms or explosives. In the eighteenth century it was also used to describe a booklet that was a store of information.

Other words from Arabic: arsenal, sofa, zenith, jumper, giraffe.

Australia

Barrack - The Aboriginal word Barak (banter) came into the English Language during the nineteenth century to describe the actions of members of the audience at sporting events.

Other words from Australia: boomerang, budgerigar, kangaroo, walkabout, dingo.

Germany

Spiel- From the German word Spiel (play). Another German Word Glockenspiel (play of bells) refers to the wide range of metallic sounds the instrument can produce. The term Spiel was first used to describe a ‘play of words’ in nineteenth century America. It took on the meaning of a long speech intended to persuade.

Other words from German waltz, gimmick, lager, kindergarten, abseil, dachshund.

India

Bungalow- A Gujarati word  derived from the Hindi word bangalo (from Bengal). In Hindi the word meant anything that came from Bengal. The English borrowed the word to describe a house with only a ground floor built in the Bengal style.

Shampoo- From the Hindi word champoo (press)

When the word was borrowed in the seventeenth century it described a body massage with oils and soap with a hair wash afterwards. By the nineteenth century it was used to describe hair washing and more recently it has been used to describe the product used to wash hair.

Other words from India: chutney, dungarees, dinghy, yoga, pyjamas, jungle.

Borrowed Words and Their Meaning – Part Two