10 words that English ‘borrowed’
According to ‘Atlas of the World’s Languages in Danger’ published by the UNESCO – United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture there are an estimated of 7,000 languages around the world, 90% are spoken by less than 100,000 people; the other small percentage is made up of the languages with greater recognition in the international arena.
As languages evolve, many words have been lent from one language to another, and of course English isn’t an exception.
It is estimated that most of the words English has borrowed come from Latin, even terms that come from other languages, such as French or German, have their origins in Latin. That means that, in the first place, the word was Latin, then it was converted to French or German, and finally it was translated into English. However, today many words that do not have any common connection with English, have become a part of the language.
The name those words received is “loanwords,”, because ‘loan’ means ‘to give something to someone else temporarily’.
As a student, by learning some of these words, you will be able to impress your family and friends and even your English-speaking friends, telling them where the word originally came from.
So, here there are 10 words English borrowed from another language:
1. Ballet (French): an artistic dance form performed to music, using precise and highly formalized set steps and gestures
“Lisa went out of the room on tiptoe, like a ballet dancer, but smiling as only happy girls of fifteen can smile”.
2. Verisimilitude (Latin): the appearance of being true or real.
“It is a nightmare and nothing more, but a nightmare of the most extraordinary verisimilitude and poetical power”.
3. Patio (Spanish): a paved outdoor area adjoining a house.
“He pushed away his breakfast dishes and stared out the patio doors at the low hanging clouds.”
4. Karaoke (Japanese): a form of entertainment, offered typically by bars and clubs, in which people take turns to sing popular songs into a microphone over pre-recorded backing tracks.
“These Caribbean cruises may include special features, such as line dancing lessons and country music karaoke”.
5. Chocolate (Native American Languages): a food in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, typically sweetened and eaten as confectionery.
“He stuffed the small box of fresh chocolate into his cargo pocket.”
6. Schmooze (Yiddish, Germanic Language): to talk with someone in a very friendly way, often to gain some benefit for yourself.
“Armey doesn’t schmooze well enough with colleagues and has a fatal flaw: He’s bad on TV talk shows”.
7. Kindergarten (German): An establishment where children below the age of compulsory education play and learn; or a class or school that prepares children, for the first year of formal education.
“Maria’s children are going to an expensive kindergarten”.
8. Orangutan (Malay): orang utan, literally ‘man of the woods. A large mainly solitary arboreal ape with long red hair, long arms, and hooked hands and feet, native to Borneo and Sumatra.
“In his memoirs, he recounts how during his first consular posting, he befriended an orangutan”
9. Brainwash (Chinese): It comes from a Chinese word, which literally means “brainwashing. The term brainwashing came into use in 1950s, through the Korean War. This was a method used by the Chinese communists to induce permanent behavioural changes in foreign prisoners, and to prevent United Nations troops from functioning effectively.
“Companies use advertising to brainwash people into buying their products”.
10. Safari (Arabic): an expedition to observe or hunt animals in their natural habitat, especially in East Africa.
“A kind-hearted teenager built a safari area free of charge for youngsters at an infant’s school as part of his A-level studies”.
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