What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
The word "glitch" is usually used to describe a minor malfunction involving electronics. The origin of this word comes from the Yiddish word glitsh, which actually means slippery place.
The word for the body art we call a "tattoo" is actually the English adaptation of the Polynesian word tatau. It literally means "mark made on the skin."
The word "boss" comes from the Dutch term baas, meaning master. It was first used in English during the early 1800s in the United States.
"Sofa" is originally a Turkish word that means "raised section of a floor, covered with carpets and cushions." And the Turkish origin of the word actually comes from the Arabic suffah, meaning bench stone.
Used as praise for achievement, this word originates from the Greek term kydos, which translates as fame and glory.
"Souvenir" is one of many words taken directly from the French language. It describes something kept as a reminder, and it literally means the "act of remembering."
Even though "ketchup" is an American culinary staple, the term didn't actually originate in the US. It comes from the Hokkien Chinese word kê-tsiap, which is a sauce made from fermented fish.
Commonly applied to a person’s representation in the virtual world, it surprisingly has Sanskrit origin. In Hinduism, it refers to the manifestation of a god in bodily form.
In Japanese, the word means harbor wave. It was first used in English in an 1896 issue of National Geographic to describe an earthquake-driven tsunami that struck Japan.
"Chocolate" was translated from Spanish via Nahuatl, an indigenous language from central Mexico. In that language, the word chocolātl was first used to describe what we today call hot chocolate.
Used when talking about farmland for horses and cattle, the word comes from the Mexican-Spanish term rancho, which means small ranch.
The word for this long-extinct animal comes from the Dutch word mammut via the Russian term mammot, which means "large, terrible beast."
"Karaoke" comes from two combined Japanese words: kara, meaning empty, and okesutura, meaning orchestra.
In English, the word "genre" is used to describe a particular style, like horror, comedy, or romance. Originating from the French genre, it translates to gender or type.
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi name doesn't actually have English origins. Besides the town name of Pembroke, it combines two Welsh words: cor meaning dwarf, and ci meaning dog.
Used in English to describe things like scenery or the perspective of a photograph, it's originally from the Dutch landschap, which combines the terms land and schap, or "land-ship."
In English, "cul-de-sac" is used to describe streets that are closed off at one end in suburban neighborhoods. The term is of French origin, and means bottom of the bag.
You've seen this in several invitations, and it's actually an acronym for the French phrase répondez s'il vous plaît, which translates to please reply.
Kindergarten is a German word that literally translates to "children's garden." The concept was conceived of in Germany in 1837 by educator Friedrich Froebel.
"Brunette," which is used in English to describe someone with brown hair, is taken directly from the French feminine word for a woman with brown hair. The masculine form used is brunet.
We can all thank the Dutch for "waffles," or wafel. It comes from the Proto-Germanic word wabila, meaning web or honeycomb, which makes sense due to its shape and texture.
"Zero" comes from the Arabic word sifr. It was introduced to the English language by way of the Medieval Latin zephirum via French and Italian.
The word for these delicious treats is actually derived from the Dutch koekjes, which means little cakes. The word for cake is koek.
Spelled the same way in English, patio is a Spanish word that refers to courtyards within popular medieval buildings. The English version is typically used in reference to backyard seating areas.
"Shampoo" comes from the Hindi and Urdu languages. It's derived from the words cā̃po and cā̃pnā, meaning "to press" or "massage."
Originating from the French term entreprendre, it means to undertake. In English that means as an entrepreneur you undertake your own business.
In English, this word is used to describe feelings of anger and insecurity. It comes from the German word angst, which means distress, worry, and anxiety.
Sources: (Mental Floss) (FluentU) (Cudoo)
See also: All about the international language Esperanto, and other constructed languages
The Arabic language provided us with many words, including the ones for "lemon" and "lime," which are laymūn and līm, respectively.
The word "alcohol" derives from the Arabic al-kuhl, which refers to a powdered antimony that was used as eye paint. When the word first entered the English language, it described powders like kohl and not the liquid substance.
Over the centuries, English has been influenced by several other languages. What we find today is a mix of global terms and modified words.
English words you had no idea were borrowed from foreign languages
Know the origins of some commonly used words
LIFESTYLE Etymology
You've certainly already noticed that some words in the English language can sound a bit foreign, and this is actually because they are borrowed from other languages, such as French, German, and Japanese, to name a few. Wouldn't it be great to know their true meaning in their language of origin, and a bit of the history behind the terms?
Click through this gallery to discover 30 English words that are borrowed from foreign languages.