Hindi
While tracking down some
etymologies, I came across a number of common words that entered English from
Hindi. They seem a bit more exotic than words derived from Latin and Greek, so
I’ve assembled a representative list.
- bangle: originally a colored glass ring worn
on the wrist by women.
- basmati [fragrant]: a variety of Indian
rice, characteristically light and fragrant when cooked.
- bindi: a decorative mark or jewel usually
worn in the middle of the forehead by married women.
- bloke:
slang for fellow or man.
- camphor: a crystalline substance having a bitter aromatic taste
and a strong characteristic smell.
- cheetah [speckled]: a hunting leopard.
- chintz: a name for the painted or stained
calicoes imported from India.
- chop [impression]: a seal or the impression of a seal.
- chutney: a strong hot relish or condiment.
- coolie: in India [later in China] a hired
laborer.
- cot [hammock]: a light bedstead.
- cowrie: the porcelain-like shell of a small
gastropod.
- cushy [pleasant]: an easy or comfortable job.
- dinghy: a small boat.
- dungaree: a kind of coarse Indian calico.
- ganja:
a narcotic made from Indian hemp.
- ghee:
butter made from the milk of a cow or buffalo.
- gunny: a coarse material used chiefly in
making sacks.
- guru: a Hindu spiritual teacher or head of a
religious sect.
- juggernaut [lord of the world]: a title of Krishna, whose statue
was carted annually on an enormous wheeled vehicle, under whose wheels
devotees hurled themselves.
- jungle [desert, wasteland]: ultimately, land overgrown with
impenetrable vegetation.
- lilac [bluish]: a shrub with fragrant blossoms.
- loot [spoils]: goods taken from an enemy in time of war.
- mung:
a plant of the bean family.
- punch: a drink made from a mixture of
alcoholic and non-alcoholic ingredients.
- sari: a long wrapping garment of cloth or
silk worn by Hindu women.
- shampoo: to wash and scrub the scalp with a cleansing agent.
- swami [master, lord]: a title for a Hindu
religious teacher.
- thug [swindler]: professional robber and murderer in India.
- toddy:
sap from a palm tree fermented to produce an intoxicating liquor.
- veranda [balcony]: a portico extending across the front and sides of a
building to offer protection from sun or rain.
- yoga [union]: a system of ascetic practice.
Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts
Dictionary, 2nd edition
Nook edition
Nook edition
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