There is barely a language within Europe which has no borrowed vocabulary. In many cases, the borrowed words come from completely different cultural environments interacting with the European continent throughout history. Some of the influences were peaceful and entered Europe via trade routes. Other ones came with the conquerors and brought devastations first rather than linguistic interchanges. And, of course, most of those influences are combined.
Warriors And Architects
It´s not hard to guess that Spanish is a prime example of those ambiguous linguistic influences. And it´s almost obvious that I am talking about Arabic influence on the Spanish language. From 718 to 1492 most of the Iberic Peninsula was under the rule of several Muslim kingdoms. This period, ended by the Reconquista, has put a huge impact on Spanish culture, science, architecture and language. So, if you are learning Spanish on the beginner´s level and wondering why so many Spanish words start with “al”, this post is for you!
Alcohol and More
The words of Arabic origin in Spanish make up between 5% and 10% of the vocabulary. Some of them are present in everyday communication and describe ordinary things like fruits and vegetables, furniture and parts of a house etc. Other ones are terms from chemistry, physics, astronomy, mathematics and arts. So it was a headache for me to pick up the most common of the thousands of words useful for an average Spanish learner. But I tried to do my best, and yes, we will start with a headache!
JAQUECA
migraine, severe headache
TAHÚR
gambler, cardsharp
AZOTEA
1) terrace roof
2) head (coll.)
ALCOBA
bedroom
TORONJA
grapefruit
ALBARICOQUE
apricot
ZANJA
ditch, trench
AJEDREZ
chess
BARRIO
neighbourhood
SANDÍA
watermelon
ADUANA
customs
ALGODÓN
cotton
BERENJENA
aubergine, eggplant
GUITARRA
guitar
HAZAÑA
a feat, great deed, heroic deed
ALCALDE
mayor
TAREA
task
ALFOMBRA
carpet
JINETE
horseman, rider
JABALÍ
wild boar
ALMOHADA
pillow
What are your favourite words of Arabic origin in Spanish? Feel free to share your thoughts to contact@lingvosofo.com!