List of 29 English Words That Originated From Arabic


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Want some English words that originated from Arabic? This handy list of relevant terms can help you. Here you'll find words that entered English from your chosen language.

Arabic is spoken widely across the Middle East and North Africa. The largest populations of native speakers live in Egypt, Algeria, Sudan, Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Tunisia, and Somalia.

Word Origin
alcohol al-kuhl
algebra al-jabr
amalgam al-malḡam
artichoke al-khurshūf
candy qand
carat qīrāṭ
coffee qahwa
cotton quṭun
crimson qirmizī
elixir al-iksīr
ghoul ghūl
henna ḥinnā'
kohl kuḥl
lemon laymūn
loofah lūf
macramé miqrama
magazine makhāzin
mattress maṭraḥ
mohair mukhayyar
muslin mawṣilī
orange nāranj
racket rusgh
safari safar
sash shāsh
scarlet siqillāt
sequin sikka
sofa ṣuffa
sugar sukkar
zero ṣifr