Arabic Origin Words in Spanish
There are a variety of common words and geographic locations that are of Arabic origin (el árabe). The Moors helped shape the Spanish culture and language with invaluable contributions in the fields of science and medicine among others. Here is a list of words that are of Arabic origin. Hint: If a word starts with ‘a’ or ‘al’ it might have an Arabic origin.
- aceite: oil
- ajedrez: chess
- albacete: city in Castilla-la Mancha
- albahaca: basil
- alberca: swimming pool
- alcalde: mayor
- Alcántara: town in Extremadura
- aldea: town
- alfil: bishop (chess piece)
- álgebra: algebra
- almacén: warehouse, department store
- almendra: almond
- Almería: city in Andalusia
- almirante: admiral
- almohada: pillow
- alquimia: alchemy
- Andalucía: Southern region in Spain
- anil: indigo
- asesino: assassin
- atún: tuna
- azúcar: sugar
- azul: blue
- barrio: neighborhood
- dado: die (for a game)
- Guadalajara: City in Castilla–la Mancha
- Guadalquivir: river in Spain
- guitarra: guitar
- hasta: until
- jabalí: wild boar
- jaque: check, checkmate (chess)
- jirafa: giraffe
- naipe: playing cards
- naranja: orange
- ojalá: hope, hopefully
- usted: singular 2nd person formal pronoun
I hope you found this blog post interesting and have a new understanding of the origin of some of the words in the Spanish language. As you continue to expand your language knowledge, remember to explore Down to Earth Spanish's self-paced online courses. The Castilian Factor, a course about the Spanish spoken in Spain, and The Traveler, a course for people who are interested in enhancing their adventures abroad and having a more authentic experience when traveling. Both courses provide valuable instruction for Spanish learners. If you are interested in learning more about the Spanish spoken in Spain, check out the blog titled: Is Castilian the same as Spanish?
