List of English Words of Foreign Origin

This list of English words of foreign origin includes some notable surprises from a number of languages.

• Africa - banana, jumbo, yam, zebra
• China - ketchup, pekoe, shanghai
• France - catalogue, essence, gourmet, justice, massage, perfume, regret, terror
• Japan - anime, karaoke, tycoon, hibachi, sushi
• Norway - fjord, krill, ski, slalom
• Philippines - boondocks, manila, ylang ylang (a flower)
• Wales - corgi (dog), crag, penguin

Each language has made its contribution to English in the form of unique words. Here are a few languages that stand out for their influence on English.

Although Latin is a dead language, there are many English words with Latin roots. These include Latin-based adjectives, phrases and others.

• et cetera - and others, commonly abbreviated “etc”
• extra - in addition
• sinister - wrong or evil

Italian, which as a Romance language takes its roots in Latin, has also made some direct contributions to English.

• alarm - to arms
• ballot - small pebble or ball, used by people who would vote by casting a pebble into a box
• cantaloupe - the name of a town in Italy where the melon was grown

Many English words come from Spanish as well. Here are some examples.

• mosquito - a little biting insect
• patio - a place for sitting outside
• aficionado - someone who is a fan of something

Several Yiddish words have made their way into the English language. These are a few of them.

• bagel - ring-shaped roll of bread
• spiel - a long story or persuasive speech
• klutz - someone who is uncoordinated

English has very strong German roots. There are thousands of English words of German origin, but these are a few notable ones.

• angst - a feeling of discontent
• kindergarten - the earliest grade in school, before first grade
• hamster - a small rodent, often kept as a pet

You might be surprised to learn that a list of words with foreign origin includes several Hindi or Urdu words. These are a few notable ones.

• calico - cotton patterned cloth, named for the city Calicut
• cashmere - an especially soft fiber made from the wool of a goat
• khaki - a tan color, especially in a cotton fabric

Some very common English words actually come from Japan. These are a few you may know.

• emoji - a text or picture representation of emotion
• haiku - a three-line poem with set rules for syllables
• tycoon - someone who is wealthy from success in business

Any foreign words in English list includes a number of Russian words. Although Russian and English are very different languages, several Russian words have made their way into common English usage.

• balaclava - a hat that covers the face except for the eyes
• kefir - a fermented dairy drink
• mammoth - an extinct animal that was related to an elephant

There are many interesting or unusual words in the English language. There are also some unique ways of looking at them.

• “Queueing” is the only word with five vowels in a row.
• “Iouea” contains all vowels and is a sea sponge.
• “Fashion” and “cushion” are the only words that end with "shion."
• “Suspicion,” “scion” and “coercion” are the only words that end in "cion.”
• Having all vowels in order or reverse order are: abstemious, facetious, unnoticeably, subcontinental, and uncomplimentary.
• These words have six consonants consecutively: catchphrase, latchstring, sightscreen, watchspring, and watchstrap.
• These words all have more than one doubled letter: addressee, balloon, bookkeeper, coffee, committee, keenness, roommate, and succeed.

There are many foreign words used in English and foreign words that have been changed slightly to become English words. For example, explore English words of Aztec origin. However, while English borrows thousands of words from languages around the world, it also has its origins in itself. For a deeper understanding, review some Old English words used in modern English.