Arabic Loanwords in English

The Arabic language spread very quickly during the expansion of the first caliphate. The Arabs also traded extensively in the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Many new crops and foods reached Europe through them. Europeans were also interested in advances made by scholars from the Islamic World in mathematics, astrology and alchemy. No wonder that lots of words in the English language can be traced back to Arabic.
Not all of these words were originally Arabic: the Arabs borrowed many words themselves, especially from Persian, Aramaic and Greek. Some of them will be included in the Persian and Aramaic versions of this quiz, which are under construction. Also, in order to keep this quiz from becoming too long, I have excluded words that we typically associate with the Middle East, such as sultan and kebab. I have also excluded words with uncertain or disputed etymologies as well as some lesser known terms. See the comments for a list of these.

* An asterisk means that other, though less likely etymologies exist.

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Last updated: April 4, 2025

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First submitted	April 4, 2025
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Hint	Answer
Naval equivalent of a general.	admiral
Another name for the longfin tuna.	albacore
Several species of large seabird, one of which is the largest flying bird by wingspan. They only come to land to breed and feed their chicks.	albatross
A branch of mathematics where you need to solve for x.	algebra
A synonym of basic, i.e. the opposite of acidic.	alkaline
From Andalusian Arabic. A book that lists astrological or astronomical events of a certain year. Or any kind of yearbook.	almanac
From Andalusian Arabic. A Mediterranean vegetable. We eat the inner part of the immature flower, called the 'heart'. Perhaps the word comes ultimately from Akkadian or Persian.	artichoke
Someone who kills a political or public figure.	assassin
The arithmetic mean. Or an adjective meaning neither good nor bad.*	average
A genus of trees native to Africa. The best known grows on Madagascar and looks as if it grows upside down, with its roots pointing to the sky.	baobab
A bottle without cap or lid, filled with water and set on the table, especially in restaurants.	carafe
A digit or a method to hide messages from third parties, i.e. a code.	cipher
Several species of nocturnal, medium sized mammals native to tropical Africa and Asia, somewhat similar to raccoons. Their droppings are made into the drink below in Indonesia.	civet
A hot, brown drink that gives you energy, native to Ethiopia and traded by the Arabs through Yemenite ports such as Mokha.	coffee
Several species of slender antelope beloved for their elegance.	gazelle
A desert rat, sometimes kept as a pet.	gerbil
A demon that digs up graves and feeds on corpses.	ghoul

Hint	Answer
Danger, risk. Literally, 'dice' in Arabic.	hazard
British term for a sweater.	jumper
A gourd that can be used as a sponge. Perhaps from Aramaic.	loofah
A stringed instrument used by minstrels. The word possibly goes back all the way to Ugaritic or Sumerian.	lute
A periodical publication such as Time or the New Yorker. Also several meaning related to firearms. In Arabic, it means 'storehouse'.	magazine
Kneading of muscles either done for relaxation in spas or for medical reasons by physical therapists.	massage
Padding covered with sheets and slept on.*	mattress
A wind that brings the rainy season. Mostly associated with India.	monsoon
Synonym of mother-of-pearl.	nacre
The point in the sky underneath of you. Opposite of zenith. Figuratively, a low point.	nadir
A piece of colorful cloth worn around the waist or around the shoulder during formal occasions.	sash
Frozen fruit juices served as dessert.	sherbet
From the same Arabic root as above, a viscous fluid consisting mostly of sugar, such as maple ___ or cough ___.	syrup
A tart, brown, tropical fruit used in Asian cooking and for sweet drinks in Latin America. It means 'Indian date'.	tamarind
A button on your scale, setting the weight to 0.	tare
An import duty. Trump loves these.	tariff
0.	zero