| American Aboriginal Words |
|
| mocassins [from Algonquian Aborigines] soft leather shoes |
| mohawk [from Algonquian Aborigines] a hair style where
the sides of the head are shaved |
| squaw [from Algonquian Aborigines] a woman; generally an
aboriginal woman |
| tepee [from the Dakota Aborigines] a tent |
| squash [from Algonquian Aborigines] an edible gourd (not
sweet) |
| tobacco [probably from the Tain Aborigines, during
Columbus's day] |
| tomahawk [from Algonquian Aborigines] an ax |
| totem [from Northwestern Aborigines]
"clan" |
| totem pole: a pole depicting one's clan's ancestors |
| totemism: the making of statues of one's ancestors,
and paying respects to one's ancestors |
| |
| Arabic Words |
|
| adobe: brick made from clay or mud |
| al qaeda (al qaida): "the captain" |
| alcohol: fermented fruits |
| Allah: God |
| check: "Check!" [in the game of
chess] |
| ghoul: evil spirit |
| jihad: holy war |
| Koran: holy book containing words of the prophet |
| massage: rub, stroke |
| mogul: [from Mongolian Langauge:
"Mongol"] a great, powerful person [comes from the days
when the Mongols were great conquerers]. Example: Bill Gates
is an I.T. mogul. |
| monsoon: season (season of wind) |
| Quran: same as Koran |
| zero: 0 |
| |
| Chinese Words |
|
| chi: body energy waves |
| kung fu: a martial art |
| kowtow: [ > ko tou (strike one's head)] to kneel
& bow AND act in an obsequious manner |
| qi: same as chi [this is new pinyin, pronunciation
is same as "chi"] |
| tai chi: a Chinese art of channeling one's body
energy |
| Tao: "Way" |
| Taoism: a religion, based upon a mixture of the
teachings of Lao Tsu and ancient arts/sciences of China |
| Taoist: a person who follows taoism |
| typhoon: a hurricane |
| |
| Dutch Words |
|
| brick: something made into a hexahedron, usually
clay or mud |
| monsoon [from Arabic, then Dutch, then English]:
season (season to sail) |
| pinky: one's little finger |
| yacht: a kind of boat (used for pleasure) |
| for a more complete list, click
here. |
| |
| French Words |
|
| a la carte: "to the card(paper)": using
paper plates, bowls, etc. AND, self-service |
| a la mode: "to the fashion": ((pie))
topped with ice cream |
| adieu: "to God": goodbye |
| antique: very old thing |
| ballet: a French style of dancing |
| boutique: a shop |
| briquette: a small brick |
| buffet: a counter/table where lots of food is laid
out, and people pay one set
fee to eat as much as they want |
| bureau: "drawer"; a chest of drawers; a
government department/office |
| canteen: a bottle, used for hiking/camping |
| carte blanche: "white paper", i.e., "blank
cheque" |
| c'est la vie: "such'is the life":
That's life! |
| champagne: white, sparkling grape wine |
| chateau: small house |
| chauffeur: driver (paid driver) |
| cheque (check): [from Persian: king] |
| cigarette: little cigar |
| cognizance: knowledge [from Latin: cognition] |
| crap: unwanted stuff; excrement |
| crepe: a thin pancake |
| croquette: a French game |
| faux pas: "false step": a social mistake |
| fiance: a man who is engaged to be married |
| fiancee: a woman who is engaged to be married |
| hors d'oeuvres: appetizers |
| ma'am: shortened form of madam; Mistress |
| madam: old: mistress; new: head woman manager/owner
of a whore house |
| massage: [from Arabic to French to English] to rub
and stroke, for medical purposes |
| masseur: a man who massages |
| masseuse: a woman who massages |
| mess: meal |
| mess hall: dining hall |
| mess kit: a kit of dishes and pots for camping |
| mister [dictionary says it is an alteration of Master,
but I wonder if it is not an alteration of Misseur]. |
| mode: fashion |
| model: a woman who displays new fashions |
| piss: urine |
| rendezvous: meeting place |
| respondez si'l vous plait: "RSVP": Respond, If
You Please. |
| toupe: man's wig |
| touque: a kind of hat (for winter) |
| vis a vis: face to face |
| |
| German Words |
|
| kindergarten: "Child Garden": a
school for children aged five |
| |
| Hebrew Words |
|
| el(ohim): god(s) |
| kaballa(h): a collection of esoteric doctrines |
| messiah: savior / saviour |
| qaballa(h): same is kaballah |
| rabbi: religious teacher |
| sabbath: the seventh day of the week; day of
rest |
| sabbatical: a seventh year; year of rest |
| Satan: king of the devils |
| |
| Indian Words |
|
| buddha: enlightened one |
| Buddha: The Enlightened One |
| Buddhism: the teachings of Buddha (made into a
religion) |
| Buddhist: one who follows the teachings of Buddha |
| caste: class of society |
| guru: a religious teacher |
| Hindu: a disciple of Hinduism |
| Hinduism: the oldest religion on the planet (from
India) |
| karma: the bad effects of one's bad actions |
| nirvana: escape from karma; bliss |
| pariah: [from Tamil to Indian] person of the lowest
caste; [...but in English:] an outcast |
| prana: body energy waves |
| sanskrit: the written language of India |
| sutras: holy manuals on various aspects of life |
| swami: a title for a religious leader |
| veda: holy books, first known scripture on the
planet |
| yoga: like Zen, the way of getting in touch with
the "true self" |
| |
| Japanese Words |
|
| ginkgo: a kind of gymnosperm
(naked seed) tree; also the seed |
| ginseng: a kind of
herbal root |
| karaoke: a singing room |
| ramen: a kind of noodle soup |
| sake: rice wine |
| saionara: "goodbye" |
| sushi: raw fish |
| Zen: the way of getting in touch with the
"true self" (Buddhist word) same as "yoga" |
| |
| Korean Words |
|
| chaebol: a family-owned conglomerate |
| kimchi: spicy, fermented vegetables |
| soju: a whisky made from sweet potatoes |
| tae kwon do: a martial art |
| |
| Mongolian Words |
|
| mogul: [ > Mongol] OBSOLETE MEANING: a
person from one of the great conquering tribes, e.g., Mongolians, Turks,
Persians. NEW MEANING: any great and powerful person |
| |
| Russian Words |
|
| comrad: friend |
| vodka: a whisky made from potatoes |
| |
| Spanish Words |
|
| adios: "To God": Goodbye |
| adobe [from Arabic, then Spanish, then English] brick
made from clay or mud |
| amigo: friend |
| cigar: rolled tobacco |
| hasta la vista, baby!: "Until the view",
baby!: Until I see you again |
| hola: Hello |
| no problemo!: [from "no problema"]:
no problem |
| tequila: a kind of brandy made from the wine of a
fruit of a cactus that grows in Mexico |
| |
| Swedish Words |
|
| smorgasbord: same as buffet (see French words) |
