LANGUAGE
Languages
Most Loanwords From Other Languages in the English Language
This list features the most loanwords in the English Language taken from other languages.
RANK | LANGUAGE | LOANWORDS | EXAMPLES |
1 | Latin | 60,000 | agriculture, language, justice, science, forum, circus, opium, dominatrix, religion, apostle |
2 | French | 15,000 | art, dance, jewel, painting, ballet, government, salon, brigade, infantry, grenade |
3 | Greek | 5,000 | phobia, academy, siren, lexicon, muse, odyssey, democracy, psyche, atlas, platonic |
4 | German | 2,000 | blitz, strudel, kindergarten, flak, schadenfreude, schnitzel, zeitgeist, poodle, noodle |
5 | Italian | 1,000 | opera, soprano, piano, broccoli, fresco, spaghetti, prima donna, parmesan, pesto |
6 | Spanish | 1,000 | canyon, tornado, tortilla, barricade, guitar, alligator, burrito, coyote, junta |
7 | Dutch | 1,000 | buoy, cruise, dock, avast, freight, dyke, yacht, easel, landscape, sketch |
8 | Arabic | 1,000 | alcohol, bedouin, harem, lute, algebra, zero, zenith, giraffe, gazelle |
9 | Scandinavian | 500 | smorgasbord, ski, fjord, saga, sauna, maelstrom, slalom |
10 | Japanese | 500 | karaoke, samurai, kimono, sushi, tsunami, kamikaze, geisha, judo |
11 | Russian | 500 | borscht, czar/tsar, icon, vodka, glasnost |
12 | Portuguese | 300 | albino, dodo, emu, fetish, tempura |
13 | Sanskrit | 300 | avatar, karma, mahatma, swastika, yoga |
14 | Hebrew | 200 | sapphire, babble, brouhaha, maven, abacus, behemoth, cherub, jubilee |
15 | Chinese | 200 | dim sum, chow mein, tea, kowtow, tai chi, kung fu |
16 | Maori | 100 | kiwi, mana, moa, waka |
17 | Hindi | 100 | bandanna, bangle, bungalow, juggernaut, jungle, loot, pajamas, punch, shampoo |
18 | Persian | 100 | chess, checkmate, check |
19 | Malay | 100 | ketchup, amok |
20 | Urdu | 100 | chintz, bungalow, cheroot |
21 | Irish | 100 | boycott, brogues, clock, dig (slang), hooligan |
22 | Afrikaans | 100 | apartheid, commando, trek, aardvark, meerkat, wildebeest |
23 | Yiddish | 100 | Chanukkah (Hanukkah), chutzpah, kosher, lox, pastrami, schlep, klutz, oy vey, schmuck |
24 | Turkish | 100 | baklava, coffee, kiosk, ottoman |
25 | Norwegian | 100 | berserk, gun, ransack, slaughter, hell, husband, skill, bug, reindeer, dirt |
26 | African origins | 100 | banana, bongo, banjo, cola, jazz, chimpanzee, goober, gumbo, impala, jumbo, mamba, zebra, zombie |
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