Words that connect us
A different language. A familiar word.
Spanish and Portuguese are full of words with Arabic connections, from the kitchen to the chessboard. Compare the words, open their stories, then try spotting the connection yourself.
A new random selection every visit. Open a pair to read its story.
- aduanaديوانdīwān
customs
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Aduana connects with Arabic dīwān, an office or register, through intermediate forms. Brazilians usually say alfândega, another Arabic word.
- alcobaالقبةal-qubba
bedroom / alcove
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Alcoba and alcova connect with Arabic al-qubba, a dome or vaulted room. Over time the meaning moved to a bedroom or alcove.
- laúdالعودal-ʿūd
lute / oud family
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The lute and the oud have connected names and histories. Related instruments are not necessarily identical.
- acequiaالساقيةas-sāqiya
irrigation channel
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Spanish acequia, an irrigation channel, connects with Arabic as-sāqiya, a word used for channels and water-lifting wheels.
- alguacilالوزيرal-wazīr
bailiff, constable
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Spanish alguacil, a court officer, connects with Arabic al-wazīr, a minister: an old title that came down in rank.
- mezquinoمسكينmiskīn
mean, petty
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Mezquino and mesquinho come from Arabic miskīn, a poor or unfortunate person. The meaning changed over time to mean or petty.
- algodónالقطنal-quṭn
cotton
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The Arabic cotton word left a trace in both Spanish and Portuguese. Notice the al- at the beginning.
- arrozالأرزal-aruzz
rice
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The Arabic connection is easier to hear in historical pronunciations with ar-. Languages reshape the sounds they borrow.
- tarifaتعريفةtaʿrīfa
tariff, rate
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Tarifa connects with Arabic taʿrīfa, a list of rates. It may have reached Spanish and Portuguese by different, indirect routes.
- alfilerالخلالal-khilāl
pin
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Alfiler and alfinete connect with Arabic al-khilāl, a pin. The Portuguese word is built from it rather than a sound-for-sound copy.
- ajedrezشطرنجshaṭranj
chess
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The name of chess travelled through Arabic, with earlier Persian and Indic connections. The game and its name crossed cultures.
- arrabalالربضar-rabaḍ
outskirts
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Arrabal connects with Arabic ar-rabaḍ, the outskirts of a town. Portuguese arrabalde is less everyday.
- elixirالإكسيرal-iksīr
elixir
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This word travelled through Arabic and has an earlier Greek history. Its associations with alchemy helped it travel.
- albornozالبرنسal-burnus
bathrobe; hooded cloak
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Albornoz connects with Arabic al-burnus, a hooded cloak. In Spain today it is a bathrobe; the word is rare in Brazil.
- caféقهوةqahwa
coffee
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This is an indirect connection, through Turkish and European languages. It is not simply a medieval Andalusi borrowing.
- cifraصفرṣifr
figure, digit; code
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Cifra connects with Arabic ṣifr, empty or zero. Its meanings grew into digit, figure and secret code.
- alarifeالعريفal-ʿarīf
master builder
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Alarife connects with Arabic al-ʿarīf, an expert. It is a specialised, historical word for a master builder.
- álgebraالجبرal-jabr
algebra
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Álgebra comes from Arabic al-jabr, restoring or reuniting the parts of an equation, in the title of a famous mathematics book.
- barrioبريbarrī
neighbourhood
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Barrio and bairro are connected with Arabic barrī, about the land outside, beyond the walls. It is not the modern Arabic word for neighbourhood.
- alquitránالقطرانal-qiṭrān
tar
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Compare the consonants in al-qiṭrān, alquitrán and alcatrão. A material used in building and waterproofing carried its name between languages.
- almohadaالمخدةal-mikhadda
pillow / cushion
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The names share a history, but their usual meanings differ. In Brazil, almofada is commonly a cushion; a bed pillow is usually travesseiro.
- jarabeشرابsharāb
syrup
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Jarabe and xarope come through Arabic sharāb, a word for drink. Today sharāb is not exactly the word for cough syrup.
- cenitسمتsamt
zenith
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Cenit and zênite come from Arabic samt, a direction, changed by copying mistakes over centuries. Same family as azimut.
- alambiqueالإنبيقal-inbīq
distilling apparatus
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The name of this distilling apparatus travelled through Arabic, with an earlier Greek history. It is a story of technical vocabulary crossing borders.
Every word here is still being checked, one by one, by our reviewers. A historical connection is not always a modern translation: some words also have older Persian, Greek or Indian roots, and some changed meaning on the way. The quizzes use only the best-known connections.