English words you had no idea were borrowed from foreign languages -

Over the centuries, English has been influenced by several other languages. What we find today is a mix of global terms and modified words.

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Boss -

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.

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Chocolate -

"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.

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Zero -

"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.

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Cookie -

The word for these delicious treats is actually derived from the Dutch koekjes, which means little cakes. The word for cake is koek.

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Souvenir -

"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."

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Corgi -

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.

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Kudos -

Used as praise for achievement, this word originates from the Greek term kydos, which translates as fame and glory.

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Waffle -

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.

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Tattoo -

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."

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Lemon and lime -

The Arabic language provided us with many words, including the ones for "lemon" and "lime," which are laymūn and līm, respectively.

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Brunette -

"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.

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Mammoth -

The word for this long-extinct animal comes from the Dutch word mammut via the Russian term mammot, which means "large, terrible beast."

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Glitch -

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.

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Landscape -

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."

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RSVP -

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.

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Sofa -

"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.

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Ketchup -

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.

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Alcohol -

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.

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Avatar -

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.

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Ranch -

Used when talking about farmland for horses and cattle, the word comes from the Mexican-Spanish term rancho, which means small ranch.

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Shampoo -

"Shampoo" comes  from the Hindi and Urdu languages. It's derived from the words cā̃po and cā̃pnā, meaning "to press" or "massage."

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Karaoke -

"Karaoke" comes from two combined Japanese words: kara, meaning empty, and okesutura, meaning orchestra.

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Kindergarten -

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.

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Cul-de-sac -

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.

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Entrepreneur -

Originating from the French term entreprendre, it means to undertake. In English that means as an entrepreneur you undertake your own business.

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Patio -

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.

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Genre -

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.

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Tsunami -

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.

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Angst -

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

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