English Words from Arabic origins
(words that have come into English directly or indirectly, from or through, Arabic)
1. A deep "cylindrical vessel"; container made of glass, earthenware, or stone, with a wide mouth: Originally a jar was used for holding wine, water, or oil, ar often ued for burial.
2. An amount that the jar holds; a jarful: When Sally made a jar, or jarful, of jam, she filled it up to the top rim.
3. Etymology: possibly from Middle French jarre, "liquid measure" (smaller than a barrel), from Provence (French) jarra, from Arabic jarrah, "earthen water vessel" (whence also Spanish jarra, Italian giarra).
2. An amount that the jar holds; a jarful: When Sally made a jar, or jarful, of jam, she filled it up to the top rim.
3. Etymology: possibly from Middle French jarre, "liquid measure" (smaller than a barrel), from Provence (French) jarra, from Arabic jarrah, "earthen water vessel" (whence also Spanish jarra, Italian giarra).
1. Plant of the genus asminum, mainly native to Asia: Jasmin is a climbing plant having small white or yellow fragrant flowers.
2. A perfume that is acquired from the plant: Mary always used her jasmine fragrance when going out during the day.
2. A perfume that is acquired from the plant: Mary always used her jasmine fragrance when going out during the day.
1. A female donkey; jenny, jenny ass: In her book, Sally read that a jennet, or jenny, was not good for riding, but for carrying goods in saddle bags.
jennet for their young daughter, and not a big grown horse that would be too difficult for her to ride.
jennet for their young daughter, and not a big grown horse that would be too difficult for her to ride.
A rodent of the family Dipodidae, native to northern Africa and to the Asian deserts: A jerboa is a small animal with a very long tufted tail, small forefeet, and long hind legs that are good for jumping.
1. A war fought by Muslims against those who are enemies of Islam or unbelievers: An jihad is seen as a duty to fulfill or to follow through with.
2. A spiritual struggle of a person for improving himself or herself and against evil: In Islam, an individual can strive to strengthen or to refine herself or himselflf by the way of an jihad.
2. A spiritual struggle of a person for improving himself or herself and against evil: In Islam, an individual can strive to strengthen or to refine herself or himselflf by the way of an jihad.
A supernatural spirit that can take on a human or animal form: A jinn can control or have power over a person's affairs.
1. Fate, fortune, or destiny: The Johnson family left much of the planning of their journey to kismet and very happy to be away from the organized life in school and at work.
2. In Islam, the will of Allah: James learned in his book about Islam that kismet referred to the decree or desire of Allah.
3. Etymology: from the original Arabic term is qismah, qismat, meaning "portion, fate, lot"; as in, "That's his lot in life". The "t" ending was added by the Persians (qismat) and it became a part of English via Turkish (via Persian, via Arabic).
2. In Islam, the will of Allah: James learned in his book about Islam that kismet referred to the decree or desire of Allah.
3. Etymology: from the original Arabic term is qismah, qismat, meaning "portion, fate, lot"; as in, "That's his lot in life". The "t" ending was added by the Persians (qismat) and it became a part of English via Turkish (via Persian, via Arabic).
A cosmetic made from a dark powder, like from stibnite: Kohl is especially used in Eastern countries for lining the edges of a person's eyes.
The sacred book of the Islam religion: The Koran, or Qur'an, is the holy book of Muslims in which the word of God was communicated to Muhammad.
An evergreen tree, Citrus limon, that is semitropical: Jenny loved the lemon tree in her garden and used the fruit in her kitchen, like preparing lemon juice or using the juice as a flavoring in her cakes.
A big shrub of the species Syringa vulgaris, of the genus Syringa: The lilac is a low wooden perennial plant that has white, purple, or pale-pink flowers.
1. A juicy, greenish-yellow citrus fruit which is smaller and sourer than a lemon: Lime juice is used for flavoring and as a source of vitamin C.
2. The small tropical tree it grows on: There are different evergreen lime trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus that have edible fruit that is green or of a greenish-yellow color, particularly that of the Mexican or of thePersian limes.
3. Etymology: from Arabic limah, Spanish lima through French to English.
2. The small tropical tree it grows on: There are different evergreen lime trees or shrubs of the genus Citrus that have edible fruit that is green or of a greenish-yellow color, particularly that of the Mexican or of thePersian limes.
3. Etymology: from Arabic limah, Spanish lima through French to English.
1. A musical instrument much used in the 1500s and 1600s: A lute has a pear-shaped body and usually six pairs of strings and is played by plucking the strings with the fingers.
2. Etymology: from Arabic al'ud, "the lute", through Old Provençal laut, Old French lut, then into English.
2. Etymology: from Arabic al'ud, "the lute", through Old Provençal laut, Old French lut, then into English.
1. A publication issued at regular intervals, usually weekly or monthly: A magazine contains articles, stories, photographs, advertisements, and other features, with a page size that is usually smaller than that of a newspaper but larger than that of a book
2. The original Arabic word was makhAzin (plural of makhzan, meaning "storehouse, warehouse, depot, store".
3. A detachable container for cartridges or bullets: A magazine can be quickly inserted or removed from a weapon.
4. A structure on land or a part of a ship where weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other military equipment or supplies are stored: During the war, the ship blew up when a shell hit the magazine killing all aboard.
5. A container designed to hold a number of photographic slides and feed them automatically through a projector: Joe had a number of magazines with slides from all their trips to Canada.
6. A space or compartment in a camera from which film is loaded without exposing it to light: Jack was careful when he put in a new roll of film into the magazine before he shut the lid.
7. A device or container attached to a machine that holds or supplies necessary material: Mr. Smith looked for a magazine that would keep his his assortment of goodss safe and dry.
8. A television or radio program made up of an assortment of short factual items: The morning magazine on Lynn's television came every morning from Monday to Friday and presented news from all over the world.
9. Etymology: "a place for storing goods, especially military ammunition," from Middle French magasin, "warehouse, depot, store"; from Italian magazzino, which came from Arabic (as stated in the word-entry area above) from the verb, khazana, "to store up".
The English word still may be used in this sense to describe a warehouse; especially, one in which explosives and munitions are stored; however, in modern English the word is now most commonly used to describe weekly, monthly, or quarterly periodicals that may contain (or store) a multitude of stories, articles, or other writings from the earlier use of the word for a "printed list of military stores and information", or in a figurative sense, from the publication being a "storehouse" of information.
4. A structure on land or a part of a ship where weapons, ammunition, explosives, and other military equipment or supplies are stored: During the war, the ship blew up when a shell hit the magazine killing all aboard.
5. A container designed to hold a number of photographic slides and feed them automatically through a projector: Joe had a number of magazines with slides from all their trips to Canada.
6. A space or compartment in a camera from which film is loaded without exposing it to light: Jack was careful when he put in a new roll of film into the magazine before he shut the lid.
7. A device or container attached to a machine that holds or supplies necessary material: Mr. Smith looked for a magazine that would keep his his assortment of goodss safe and dry.
8. A television or radio program made up of an assortment of short factual items: The morning magazine on Lynn's television came every morning from Monday to Friday and presented news from all over the world.
9. Etymology: "a place for storing goods, especially military ammunition," from Middle French magasin, "warehouse, depot, store"; from Italian magazzino, which came from Arabic (as stated in the word-entry area above) from the verb, khazana, "to store up".
A metallic mineral containing iron sulphide in an orthorhombic crystalline shape: For Christmas, Alice wanted to have some jewellehy made with some pale yellowish marcasite.
