Did you know, that the English language has a concept called ‘Loanwords’? Well, now you know! While this language has a history of its evolution, it borrows some words from other languages. What makes acquainting with these words more intriguing is the fact that they are everyday words. Let’s take a look at the 15 English words that come from other languages.
1. Kindergarten
Kindergarten is amongst the most common foreign words in English language. Hailing from the German language, this word simply means a child’s garden. Little did we know that it isn’t a native word when we look for the best one for our children; did we?
Example: I went looking for a kindergarten in my vicinity where I could enroll my child. To my dismay, I didn’t find any.
2. Karaoke
We buy karaoke sets to practice singing at home, and there is no restaurant better than one which allows karaoke. But here’s the fun fact; this is a loanword lent by the Japanese language. This word is now utilized widely, owing to the many mobile applications that allow one to partake in karaoke singing whenever they wish!
Example: Sanjeeda revels in Karaoke in her free time. She has installed a state of the art karaoke set at home too!
3. Paparazzi
The Italian language has a very jazzy ring to its words, and paparazzi is one amongst them. Used mostly by celebrities for the media personnel who follow them everywhere, this word also doesn’t originally belong to English native tongue.
Example: “The paparazzi are responsible for many of the rumors spread about me. None of them are true, and I would like for those people to dismiss them.”
4. Plaza
Who doesn’t love visiting the plaza to grab a street-food bite or for shopping? Plaza is one of those borrowed words in English from Spanish language that we use in our routine conversations.
Example: I am going to the plaza to pick up some gifts and decorations for your birthday party tomorrow. Call me if you need anything from there.
5. Glitch
If you talk the technical dialect, then you know how common a word Glitch is. This loan word comes from a language called Yiddish, which originates from the Jewish people of Eastern Europe. Knowing that it comes from a very unique lineage now, it does make you feel cooler; doesn’t it?
Example: We’re sorry! We cannot provide any assistance through our website for a couple of hours. Our software has run into a glitch. We shall resolve this issue shortly.
6. Faux Pas
Any social error or mistake you commit means Faux Pas. If you follow fashion too well, then you can hear designers and celebs using the phrase ‘fashion faux pas’ oh so often. But what some of them, and some of us don’t know is that this is a French word. Make sure to run by the pronunciation before using this word!
Example: Having a lot of drinks and creating a scene at the party last night was a nightmarish faux pas.
7. Entrepreneur
Also a French word, Entrepreneur is a part of our daily dialect word, in conversations, in the news, and in papers! The world is changing rapidly, and we hear about start-ups by young businessmen, or rather entrepreneurs, almost every day.
Example: I would like to interview all the leading entrepreneurs in the country for this news piece.
8. Fest
Does this word need an explanation? We’ve been to fests several times, especially when in college! But what you should know is that fest is also a loanword that comes from the German language.
Example: The first day at the university looked no less than a Fest with people in their best attires and mood.
9. Sheikh
While we do know that this is an Arabic word, we should also know, that this word is used as it is in the English language. It means a ruler in the Arab culture.
I had the opportunity to visit the Sheikh of this country during my holiday. It was an enriching experience to know more about them through him.
10. Taekwondo
This sport has picked up, and picked up how! People across the globe find inspiration from Taekwondo and want to master this skill. The first thing that people should know before indulging into it is that it is a Korean word and is a martial art of this country.
Example: Taekwondo is an amazing form of martial art that has engulfed people with its uniqueness and strengths.
11. Dim Sum
Fan of Chinese food? Then you have to try this authentic dish from China! While it translates to ‘Touch Your Heart’, it is now used as the name of a steamed dish, that is used in the English language as well.
Example: The restaurant by my office serves the most delicious Dim Sums in town. You must try them!
12. Tsunami
Tsunami is possibly known to everyone from children to adults owing to its occurrence and use in the news. While the word remained enclosed in the Chinese thesaurus for quite a while, it was introduced to the rest of us widely after the Tsunami in the year 2004.
Example: Tsunami is an extremely dangerous natural disaster that can bury the entire land under water. The waves are large if the earthquake is high on the Ritcher scale.
13. Cafe
Isn’t a cafe one of our favorite hangout places to catch up with friends or for informal work meetings? The availability of coffee along with other tit-bits qualifies as a cafe, which is a loanword from the French language.
Example: Can you meet me at the cafe near my workplace so that I can get back to work on time?
14. Rucksack
Originating from the German language, the word rucksack has made its place in the English language as a synonym for a backpack. Precisely, ‘Ruck’ translates to ‘back’ and ‘sack’ translates to ‘bag’.
Example: Please do not carry more than one rucksack on this trip to make hiking easier.
15. Macho
Not only do we use this word casually in our conversations, but we even have brands utilizing this Spanish word! Macho describes a man with splendid masculine features who exhibits his manhood evidently.
Example: What do you think about George here? He’s quite a macho, and is very attractive too!
There, now you can not just use these words, but also slip in this information to make you sound more learned and up to date!
Click here to read about some quotes that come in handy in routine lives.
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