Dear Readers,
Welcome back to my blog! As usual, I promise you an exciting literary adventure which you will not forget but instead, have a takeaway every time you read a post. Today, I present to you: the marvels of the English language! In this post, I will be sharing with you some words that have been included into the language from other tongues, and it will be a ball of a time! I promise.
The English language has evolved rapidly, from a pure Old English form into an amalgamation of many different languages, mostly those of invaders who had conquered England and thus, had a huge influence on the language. However, I would also like to point out the existence of variations of the English language all over the globe, in various countries. Examples would be the one most common to us – Singapore Colloquial English (known as Singlish), Engrish (existing in the East Asian region) as well as the Australian English and American English which we are rather familiar with too.
Words from other languages which are now officially accepted by the English language are also known as “borrowed words”. I will share with you twelve more commonly used “borrowed words” as well as their origins and forms. May I warn you that many of these words have been widely thought to have been pure English words and not “borrowed” ones!
The word “tycoon” originated from the Japanese word taikun (太君). Its original meaning was a great lord, as suggested by its Kanji form, but is now adapted for wider use as a wealthy businessman. In both cases, it remains as a noun form.
“Rickshaw” is derived from the Japanese word jinricksha (人力车), which was a popular mode of transportation in olden Asian countries. It is a man-driven vehicle whereby the driver runs and pulls the vehicle where the passengers are seated. The man must be really powerful and hulky to perform such a feat! Its original meaning is still retained now. Both are nouns.
“Wok” comes from the Cantonese dialect of the word 锅. It is a piece of Chinese cooking equipment, which I believe all of us are aware of. Its meaning and form is retained when it is used in the English language.
“Mathematics” comes from the Greek word μάθημα, which means something related to learning, studying and science. However, when converted into the English language, it meant specifically the study of numbers, arithmetic, and basically, just math. Its form remains the same, though.
“Punch” was derived from the Hindi language of the word पाँच. This word means five in Hindi, but has been adapted to refer to the drink from the five ingredients used. The drink punch is widely consumed over the world, but few actually know about its Hindi origins. The form of the word is the same.
“Shampoo” comes from the Hindi word चाँपो which means head massage. It now means the liquid we use to wash our hair when we bathe or shower. The form of the word remains the same.
“Typhoon” comes from the Mandarin word 台风, which refers to a big wind. Now, it is defined as a violent Asian storm, like a hurricane in the context of the Atlantic tongue.
“Map” means tablecloth in the Phoenician dialect of Punic, but now refers to the picture depicting the geographical locations of specific places. The form is the same.
“Purse” means ox-hide in Punic, but now means a bag which is used to contain money.
“Penguin”, one of the favourite animals amongst young children, is derived from the Welsh language which actually means “white-head”.
“Magic” means a sorcerer in the Avestan language, but now refers to the act of something incredible like those in magic shows.
“Paradise” in Avestan means an enclosed space, but now has been adapted to mean something totally different – a haven or perfect place.
As can be seen, many English words are actually not that English after all! They are merely adaptations from various tongues, pieced together. Nonetheless, the English language is indeed an art, an amazing art that we use every day of our lives!
If you are interested to find out more “borrowed words”, feel free to check out the following website: http://www.krysstal.com/borrow.html#k. Have fun exploring the website, and be enlightened and say, “Hey, I didn’t know that word was not English!”
Goodbye, and see you soon! Wasn't that fun? :)
Best Regards,
Nathan
