...many words we use in english originate from the arabic language. There are well over 300 million native Arabic speakers in the world and Arabic is an official language in over 20 countries. However, it may come as a surprise to learn that some of the words which we use in the English language today originate from the Arabic. A study of the etymology of many words with mathematical meanings and connotations will reveal that their root is in Arabic, even though they are now used in English. Here are ten words - they all begin with the letter 'A'. In some cases, they were adopted into English from intermediary languages, having already been borrowed from Arabic. So, let's take a look!
Did any come as a surprise? There are many, many more, such as Jumper, Giraffe and Candy, to name but a few. The history and evolution of languages is a complex, yet entirely fascinating one. Etymology really is something to get excited about! Patrick O'Shaughnessy (@historychappy)
2 Comments
11/3/2019 17:40:38
In January I produced a vegetarian Burns Supper in Arabic for some Syrian friends with the help of Google translate. First I had to translate the Scots ibto English then English into Arabic. It struck me then how dominant the A- sound at the beginning of the word is. The Ode to a Mouse worked especially well! Leave a Reply. |
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