English Words Derived from Arabic
admiral - ami:r-al-bahr 'ruler of the seas' (and other similar expressions) - amara command
adobe - al-toba 'the brick'
albacore - al-bukr 'the young camel'
alchemy - al-ki:mi:a: - from Greek
alcohol - al-koh''l 'the kohl'
alcove - al-qobbah 'vault' - qubba vault
alfalfa - alfas,fas,ah 'fodder'
algebra - al-jebr 'reintegration' - jabara reunite
algorithm - al-Khowarazmi 'the (man) of Khiva'
almanac - (Andalucian Arabic) al-mana:kh, of uncertain origin
amber - `anbar 'ambergris'
caliber - qali:b 'mold, last' -
calico - Qaliqu:t 'Calicut', city in India
checkmate - sha:h ma:t 'the king is dead'
coffee - qahwah
cork - qu:rq
cotton - qutn
crimson - qirmazi:, related to the qirmiz, the insect that provided the dye
gazelle - ghaza:l
genie - jinni: 'spirit'
gerbil - yarbu:`
ghoul - ghu:l 'demon' - gha:la take suddenly
giraffe - zara:fa
harem - h'aram 'prohibited, set apart' - h'arama prohibit
hashish - h'ashi:sh 'dried herbs, hemp'
hazard - yásara 'play at dice'
Islam - isla:m 'submission' - aslama submit oneself
jar - jarrah 'large earthen vase'
kismet - qisma 'portion, lot' - qasama divide
kohl - koh''l 'kohl' - kah'ala stain, paint
lime - li:mah 'citrus fruit'
loofah - lu:fah a plant whose pods were used as sponges
magazine - makha:zin 'storehouses' - khazana store
mattress - matrah 'place where something is thrown, mat, cushion' - tarah'a throw
minaret - mana:rah - na:r fire
mohair - mukhayyar 'choice (goats'-hair cloth)' - khayyara select
monsoon - mausim 'season' - wasama mark
ottoman - `uthma:n, a proper name
safari - safari:y 'journey' - safara travel
saffron - za`fara:n
Sahara - çah'ra: 'desert'
sequin - sikkah 'die for coinmaking'
sherbet - sharbah - shariba drink
sofa - s,uffah 'raised dais with cushions'
spinach - isfa:na:kh
zenith - samt 'path'
zero - s,ifr 'empty'