Food and Drink Loanwords
| English Term | Spanish Term | Meaning/Origin of Spanish Term |
| barbecue | barbacoa | a set up to cook food over a fire |
| burrito | burrito | diminutive of burro (donkey) |
| chocolate | chocolate | from the Nahuatl language |
| chorizo | chorizo | type of sausage |
- Breeze.
- Ranch.
- Guerrilla.
- Patio.
- Stampede.
- Macho.
- Cockroach.
- Avocado.
What are some English words that are actually Spanish words?
Spanish Words In English That Are Actually Nahuatl
- avocado — anglicization of Spanish aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl
- chili — chilli
- chipotle — “smoked chili pepper”
- chocolate – xocolatl (“hot water”)
- cocoa — Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl cacáhuatl
- coyote — coyotl
- guacamole — ahuaca-molli, ahuacatl (“avocado”) + molli (“sauce”)
- mesquite — from Mexican Spanish mezquite, from Nahuatl mizquitl
What are the top 100 words in Spanish?
Top Spanish words for beautiful
- ”Bella / Bello ”. If you want to call your teacher, friend, or mom beautiful, bella is a good choice. ...
- ”Bonita / Bonito ”. ...
- ”Linda / Lindo ”. ...
- ” Guapa / Guapo ”. ...
- ” Buena / Bueno ”. ...
- ” Hermosa / Hermoso ”. ...
- ” Attractiva / Attractivo ”. ...
- ” Bombon ”. ...
- ” Estar Como Un Queso ”. ...
What are five English words that were borrowed from Spanish?
vanilla — from Spanish vainilla More Spanish Words In English. bonanza — “prosperity” cafeteria — from cafetería (“coffee store”) incommunicado — estar incomunicado (“to be isolated”) jade — from piedra de ijada (“stone of flank”) nada — “nothing” platinum — from platino (little silver) pronto — “hurry up!” in Mexican Spanish
What English words were borrowed from Spanish?
Spanish Words Assimilated Into English
- A–B: Adios to Burro. Many other English words beginning with "al" were originally Arabic, and many may have had a Spanish-language connection in becoming English.)
- C: Cafeteria to Criollo. ...
- D–G: Dago to Guerrilla. ...
- H–L: Habanero to Llama
- M–N: Machete to Nopal
- O–P: Ocelot to Punctilio. ...
What are 10 English words that come from Spanish?
Animalsalligator — el lagarto (“the lizard”)armadillo — “little armored one”barracuda — possibly from barraco (“snaggletooth”)bronco — “rough”burro — “donkey”cockroach — anglicization of cucaracha.mosquito — literally, “little fly”mustang — mustango, from mesteño (“untamed”)
How many English words are from Spanish?
Related Links. Renegade, mosquito, mustang, booby—English uses many words with Spanish origins. In fact, some scholars say Spanish has contributed 10,000 words to English.
Which word did English borrow from Spanish?
Key - Key, also known as Cay, is from the Spanish word cayo meaning small island. Lasso - Lasso is from the Spanish word lazo meaning a rope or a knot. Maize - Maize is originally from the Arawak word, mahiz. Nacho - Nacho is a Mexican dish.
What Spanish words are the same in English?
When you find words that are the same in both languages they are referred to as English-Spanish cognates....Perfect Cognates.SpanishEnglishActorActorAdmirableAdmirableAgendaAgendaAlcoholAlcohol197 more rows
Is the word banana borrowed from Spanish?
The word banana came to English through Spanish or Portuguese, who themselves borrowed it from a West African language. The banana itself was introduced to South and Central America from Africa in the 1500s. Novel comes from the Italian word 'novella' and originally meant 'new story'.
How do you spell s in Spanish?
0:040:34How to Pronounce S in Spanish - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIn Spanish the letter S is known as SI.MoreIn Spanish the letter S is known as SI.
Is burrito borrowed from Spanish?
Popular Spanish words in English from Latin cuisine that need no introduction include nacho, tortilla, taco, jalapeño, guacamole, burrito, queso, quesadilla, chorizo and vanilla. But there'll be others you might not have heard of: Avocado – a modification of the Spanish aguacate, from the Nahuatl āhuacatl.
Which word is from Spanish?
However, you may be surprised to learn that there are many English words of Spanish origin....Food and Drink Loanwords.English TermSpanish TermMeaning/Origin of Spanish Termchocolatechocolatefrom the Nahuatl languagechorizochorizotype of sausage10 more rows
Is tornado borrowed from Spanish?
A word that English would seem to have borrowed from Spanish without any change is tornado, but the surprising fact is that Spanish took tornado straight from English.
How related is Spanish to English?
Secondly, 30% to 40% of all words in English have a related word in Spanish. With similar sound, appearance, and meaning, these cognates help students transfer that word knowledge into their second language.
How do you spell chocolate in Spanish?
el chocolate noun. cocoa, hash · de chocolate adjective. chocolate. el bombón noun.
Do you know any other words in English that come from Spanish What can we learn about the culture of a place whose words we have borrowed?
Chocolate – Spanish chocolate, from Nahuatl xocolatl meaning «hot water» Cocoa – from the Spanish cacao, from Nahuatle cacáhuatl. Guacamole – via American Spanish from Nahuatl ahuaca-molli («avocado sauce») Tomato – Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl xitomatl.
What percentage of Spanish is English cognates?
It's really a numbers game: there's an estimate that about 90 percent of Spanish words that look like English words are indeed cognates.
How many words does the average Spanish person know?
Although it is difficult to measure this exactly, several sources state that the average native Spanish speaker has an active vocabulary of around 10,000 to 15,000 words.
How many words do you have to know to be fluent in Spanish?
If you think about native-level fluency, you'll need to master between 20,000 and 40,000 words, and as you can see the margin is quite large. If you want to have a basic conversation, experts say that you'll just need around 3,000 words.
Why are so many Spanish words similar to English?
No, most Spanish words are different than English. However, those words that look alike are called cognates. This is because English and Spanish both originated from Indo-European languages and therefore share similar vocabulary.
What does chocolate mean in Spanish?
chocolate. from Spanish chocolate, from Nahuatl xocolatl meaning "hot water" or from a combination of the Mayan word chocol meaning "hot" and the Nahuatl word atl meaning "water.".
Where does the word "key" come from?
from Spanish cayo, from Taíno cayo (this is English 'key'/'cay'/'quay' as in an island, reef or a linked series of them, not the 'key' with which one locks/unlocks doors)
Where did the name Havana come from?
from the Spanish for the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English. Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there.
Where does Quetzal come from?
from Spanish, from Nahuatl "quetzalli": a group of colourful birds of the trogon family found in tropical regions of the Americas. It also may refer to Guatemalan quetzal, the currency of Guatemala.
What are the names of the states in the Spanish novel Las Sergas de Esplandián?
State Names. California – a mythical island from the 1510 Spanish novel Las sergas de Esplandián by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo. Colorado – “red-colored” (referring to the color of the river that is the state’s namesake). Texas – the Spanish adopted the word tejas from the language of the indigenous Cado people.
Where did Utah get its name?
Utah – derived from the name of the indigenous Ute people, via Spanish yuta. Arizona – from Spanish Arizonac, itself an adoption of the word alĭ ṣonak, meaning “little spring,” from the local O’odham language. Alternate etymology may be the Basque haritz ona (good oak).
What is the name of the sauce in Cuba?
cilantro – “coriander”. daiquiri – named after a port city in eastern Cuba. habanero – “from Havana”. jalapeño – “from Jalapa”. mojito – diminutive form of Cuban Spanish mojo (sauce) nacho – named after Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya, who is purported to have invented the dish in 1943.
When did Spain leave the US?
Even earlier, in 1819, Spain ceded their Florida colony (which included parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana) to the United States. As a result of a centuries of shifting borders, Spanish and English have had numerous opportunities to rub off on each other. Here are just some of the Spanish words that you probably use every day:
Is English a Spanish language?
English isn’t the only language with a penchant for absorbing words from other languages. Many words that English has acquired from Spanish originally came from other languages, mostly those of native American populations that were subjugated by the Spanish colonial empire. Here are popular examples that entered English vernacular through the Nahuatl language in Mexico.
tornado
If you’re from the Midwest, you may be all too familiar with this force of nature.
alligator
This wide-snouted reptile is ubiquitous throughout the swamps and marshlands in the US and parts of Mexico. Its name, alligator, is derived from the original Spanish of el lagarto, or “the lizard.” And seeing how alligators can grow up to 15 feet, you’re sure to know exactly which lizard people mean when they say el lagarto!
buckaroo
Considering that the Southwestern states were part of Mexico until 1848, it’s not surprising that terms associated with the Old West hold a Spanish origin. And among one of the most iconic images of the 19th-century West is the cowboy, sometimes called a buckaroo, or in Spanish, vaquero.
lasso
And what’s a buckaroo without a lasso handy? This long rope or line of hide is characterized by the loop at the end of it in order to rope cattle or other livestock. In English, this noun is also used as a verb, to lasso something is to “catch something,” particularly as you would with a lasso.
vamoose
Need to go quickly or in a hurry? Chances are you’ve been told at some point or another to “ vamoose ”! Typically used in the imperative, vamoose was derived from the Spanish command, “ Vamos ,” or “let’s go,” around 1830-1840.
ranch
We mean the place, not the salad dressing! A ranch is generally defined as “an establishment maintained for raising livestock under range conditions.” Like other 19th-century terms connected to the Southwest, ranch holds a Spanish root word, rancho.
stampede
Whether it’s a herd of wild horses or fans rushing to the latest boy band concert, we all know that when there’s a stampede coming, you move! Defined as “a sudden, frenzied rush or headlong flight of a herd of frightened animals, especially cattle or horses,” the word stampede is derived from the Spanish verb estampar, or “to stamp.” Basically, that’s the action the feet (or hooves) are making as they pound into the ground!.
What does "estampida" mean in Spanish?
Origin: Early 19th century; denoting an inner courtyard in Spanish. 5. Stampede. Spanish word: Estampida. Meaning: A sudden frenzied rush of people or animals. Origin: Germanic origin; Mexican Spanish estampida , from the Spanish word “uproar or crash”. 6.
What does the word "mustang" mean?
Mustang. Spanish word: Mestengo. Meaning: A small and lightly built American horse. Origin: Early 19th century; from a blend of Spanish mestengo (from mesta ‘company of graziers’) and mostrenco, both meaning wild or masterless cattle.
What language does Randa A. speak?
She is passionate about nature, learning languages, and exploring different cultures. Randa speaks English, Arabic, and some Spanish.
Where did cockroaches come from?
Origin: Early 17th century; cockroach was derived from the Spanish word cucaracha. 8. Avocado. Spanish word: Aguacate. Meaning: A dark green pear-shaped fruit with smooth, light green pulp and one large seed in the center. Origin: 1690–1700; alteration of Spanish aguacate to avocado. 9. Plaza.
What does the word Tornado mean?
Spanish word: Tornado. Meaning: A powerful, destructive windstorm that forms itself into a cone-like shape, capable of destroying everything on land. Origin: 1550–60; derived from the Spanish word tronada. Kick-start your Spanish with a group or one-to-one course today!
Where did the name California come from?
In the adventure story, California was a remote kingdom inhabited by only women. The name came from the name of their queen, Calafia .
Where did the word "hurricane" come from?
Hurricane. The English word came from the Spanish word huracán (same meaning), which likely came from an indigenous American language. 62. Jade. The word “jade” is derived from the Spanish term for the same stone, piedra de ijada, which literally means “stone of flank” or “loin-stone.”.
What is the name of the state that is named after the Colorado River?
Colorado. While the state itself derived its name from the Colorado River, the river got its name from the Spanish word colorado, meaning “red.”. 4. Florida. Florida in Spanish is an adjective meaning “flowered” or “flowery.”. 5. Montana. The name Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña, which means “mountain.”.
What does burrito mean in Spanish?
Now known as a delicious rolled dish in both Spanish and English, the word burrito originally meant (and can still mean) “little donkey.”. 24. Chocolate. The English word “chocolate” is derived from the Spanish word chocolate, which is derived from the Nahuatl word chocolatl.
Where did the word "cafeteria" come from?
This word originated from the Latin American Spanish word cafetería, which meant “coffee shop.” Nowadays, though, the Spanish café is a more commonly used term for “coffee shop,” and cafetería has come to mean… you guessed it, “cafeteria.”
Where did the name "coyote" come from?
The name of this animal came from the Spanish name for the animal, coyote, which itself came from a Nahuatl word. 42. Iguana. Derived from Spanish, which derived it from Arawak, iguana has the same spelling and meaning in both Spanish and English.
Where did cilantro come from?
Cilantro. Surely you know that the English word “cilantro” came from the Spanish word cilantro. What you might not have known is that, outside of the US, the same herb is often referred to as “coriander” or “coriander leaves.”. Looks like the Spanish name really stuck in the US!
How Many Common Words Are In Spanish?
As well, the Academy’s list of Americanismos (Americanisms) includes about 70,000 words that are spoken in Spanish in Latin America, as well as in other languages. Let’s round things off by estimating there are about 150,000 “official” words in Spanish.
What Are Some Cool Spanish Words?
The word bacn is used to describe something cool in Chile, Colombia, Peru, and Cuba.
How Many English Words Originated From Spanish?
Links to other sites. What are the names of the animals? Renegade, mosquito, mustang, booby? There are many Spanish words in English. The Spanish language has contributed more than 10,000 words to English, according to some scholars.
What is the Spanish word for football?
Fútbol – football. Football might be Spain’s most popular sport, but the Spanish word for the beautiful game comes straight from the English, ‘football’ . Intriguingly, Spanish does have its own word for the sport, balompié, but it is seldom used.
What is Mitin in Spanish?
But rather than a business meeting, mitin in Spanish refers to a public meeting or a political party conference.
What does esmoquin mean in Spanish?
Esmoquin – tuxedo. This is a bit of a false friend: esmoquin in Spanish does not mean ‘smoking’, as you might assume, but ‘tuxedo’. It comes from the English ‘smoking jacket’, a jacket that was typically worn to – you guessed it – smoke.
What is the meaning of "snob" in Spanish?
Examples include ‘spaghetti’, which becomes espagueti, and the English word ‘snob’, which in Spanish becomes esnob, referring to someone who believes they are superior to others. Snobbishness is esnobismo in Spanish.
What does "hacer footing" mean in Spanish?
Nothing to do with football, this is another false friend that actually means jogging in Spanish. Spaniards ‘hacer footing’ which means ‘go jogging’. Confusingly, Spaniards also use the English word running to mean something a bit more serious: a run that is a specific distance or timed.
Where did the word "panfleto" come from?
The word comes from the comic poem Pamphilus, Seu de Amore.
Is Spanish a rich language?
Add to Plan. Spanish is a rich and varied language that, over the years, has borrowed words from several other languages. Many Arabic words made their way into everyday Spanish when Moorish rulers dominated the Iberian Peninsula, and these days, lots of English words are finding their way into everyday Spanish discourse.
What Loanwords from Spanish Tell Us
- Loanwords from Spanish offer us a glimpse into the history of colonialism, westward expansion, immigration, and trade. For centuries, there has been significant interaction between native English and Spanish speakers. As a result, thousands of Spanish words have become part of th…
Indigenous Words
- Below are some common words that have made their way into English from various indigenous languages of the Americas. Spanish adopted them first, and English adopted them from Spanish!
Cowboy Words
- Here are some of the words that were adopted into English by Anglo-American cowboys working in the southwestern United States.
Foods
- Thanks to the popularity of Mexican cuisine in the United States, many adopted Spanish words are food terms, such as taco, burrito, tortilla, and jalapeño. Many borrowed food terms have no English equivalent, and we sometimes forget that we are using Spanish words because they are so deeply embedded in the English language! Other borrowed food words have been changed sli…
Animals
- A number of animal words are borrowed words. Alligator comes from lagarto, the Spanish term for lizard. Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning little armored one and mosquito means little fly. Cockroach comes from the Spanish cucaracha.
Cities and States
- In the United States hundreds of city names derive from Spanish. Buena Vista means good view, El Paso means the pass, Fresno means ash tree, and Las Vegas translates as the meadows. There are also many state names of Spanish origin. New Mexico is an anglicization of Nuevo México, Florida means flowery, Nevada means snowy, and Montana comes from the Spanish w…
Overview
This is a list of English language words whose origin can be traced to the Spanish language as "Spanish loan words". Words typical of "Mock Spanish" used in the United States are listed separately.
A
abaca via Spanish abacá from Tagalog abaká abalone from Spanish , from Ohlone aluan or Rumsen awlun. adios from Spanish 'adiós' meaning "goodbye" < latin ad deus "to god" (short for "a Dios seas", "a Dios seades", literally, "may (you) be (commended) to God") adobe From Egyptian via Arabic "Al-tub" aficionado from past participle of aficionar, to inspire affection, from afición affection, from Latin affection-, affectio, from afficere . albatross from alcatraz, see below. Alcal…
B
banana from Spanish or Portuguese banana, probably from a Wolof word, or from Arabic بأننا “ba’ nana” fingers bandolier from Spanish bandolero, meaning "band (for a weapon or other) that crosses from one shoulder to the opposite hip" and bandolero, loosely meaning "he who wears a bandolier"
barbeque from barbacoa, from Spanish, taken from Caribbean Taínos barbacu, cooking set-up w…
C
caballero from Spanish caballero meaning "knight/gentleman", from caballo, "horse", Celtic caballos "horse". cabana from Spanish cabaña or Portuguese cabana < latin < capanna; both meaning "cabin" cacique from Spanish, from Taíno cacike or Arawak kassequa, both meaning a chief cafeteria from cafetería, "coffee store" calaboose from Vulgar Latin calafodium "to dig a protected place" and Louisiana French calabouse, from Spanish calabozo caldera from Spanish …
D
daiquiri from Daiquiri, a port city in eastern Cuba dengue from Spanish dengue meaning "fever", from Swahili dinga, "seizure" derecho from Spanish derecho meaning "straight" or "masculine of right side" < latin directum, a widespread and long-lived convection-induced straight-line windstorm descamisado from Spanish descamisado, "without a shirt" < camisa "shirt" < celtic kamisia. desperado from Spanish desesperado, desperate doubloon from Spanish doblón : mea…
E
El Dorado from El Dorado, literally, "the golden one" El Niño from El Niño de la Navidad, literally, "the Christmas child" due to the warming of Pacific waters seemed to warm around Christmas embarcadero from embarcadero a boat dock, from barca "rowboat". embargo from Spanish embargar, to "seize" or "impound" < latin imbarricare. escabeche from escabeche, "pickle" < Arabic assukkabáǧ. escopeteros from Spanish escopetero, "musketeer", from escopeta "shotgun" < itali…
F
Federales from Federales, "federal police" fiesta from the Spanish fiesta meaning "party" < latin festa Flamenco "Spanish genre of music and dance typical of the gypsies". From Dutch flaming "from Flanders" (in the past it was believed that the gypsies were of German origin) Florida from La Florida, the flowery or plant-filled place or pascua florida, "flowery Easter." flotilla diminutive of flota, "fleet"
G
galleon from Spanish "galeón" (a large sailing ship having three or more masts, from the 15th to 18th century) gaucho from Mapuche "Argentine cowboy" gracias from Latin expression gratias agere ("to give thanks") gringo probably from griego ("Greek"), in reference to the language (cf. Greek to me), and originally referring to any type of foreigner guacamole via American Spanish from Nahuatl ahuaca-molli ("avocado sauce") guerrilla from Spanish obsolete meaning "small w…
State Names
- California — a mythical island from the 1510 Spanish novel Las sergas de Esplandiánby Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo.
- Colorado— “red-colored” (referring to the color of the river that is the state’s namesake).
- Florida— “flowery”
- Montana — from montaña(“mountain”)
Cities
- Buena Vista— “good view”
- El Paso— “the pass”
- Fresno— “ash tree”
- Las Vegas— “the meadows”
Cowboy Vocabulary
- Nothing’s more American than a cowboy, right? Well actually, the first people to herd cattle on horseback in North America were the vaqueros who introduced the ancient Spanish equestrian tradition to the Southwest. Their name is derived from vaca, the Spanish word for — you guessed it — cow. 1. buckaroo — anglicization of vaquero 2. corral— “pen” /...
Geography & Weather
- arroyo— “stream”
- breeze — from brisa(“cold northeast wind”)
- caldera— “cauldron”
- canyon — cañón(“pipe,” “tube” or “gorge”)
Animals
- alligator — el lagarto(“the lizard”)
- armadillo— “little armored one”
- barracuda — possibly from barraco(“snaggletooth”)
- bronco— “rough”
Arts & Culture
- aficionado — “fan,” from aficionar(“to inspire affection”)
- bodega— “cellar”
- fiesta— “party”
- macho— “the property of being overtly masculine”
War & Conflict
- armada — “armed,” from Real Armada Española(“Royal Spanish Navy”)
- conquistador— “conqueror”
- flotilla — diminutive of flota(“fleet”)
- guerrilla— “small war”
Transportation
- cargo — from the Spanish verb cargar(“to load”)
- embarcadero— “boat dock”
- embargo — from the Spanish verb embargar(“to seize”)
- galleon — galeón, a large sailing ship with three or more masts
Food & Drink
- burrito— “little donkey”
- chorizo— “spiced pork sausage”
- cilantro— “coriander”
- daiquiri— named after Daiquiri, a port city in eastern Cuba
More Spanish Words in English
- bonanza— “prosperity”
- cafeteria — from cafetería(“coffee store”)
- incommunicado — estar incomunicado(“to be isolated”)
- jade — from piedra de ijada(“stone of flank”)