Tuesday, March 04, 2008

"English" words borrowed from Arabic

admiral adobe aladdin albacore albatross alborak alchemy alcove alembic alfalfa algebra algorithm ali baba alkali alkanet almagest almanac amalgam amber antimony apricot arak arsenal artichoke azimuth azoth azure barberry bard bedouin blighty borax bougie buckram burgoo calibre camel camphor candy carafe carat caraway cipher coffee cotton crimson damascene dragoman durra elemi elixir fakir falafel fellah felucca fennec gazelle gerbil ghoul gibraltar giraffe guitar hajji halal halvah hammam harem hazard henna imam jar jasmine jennet jerboa jinnee julep kebab kismet kohl lemon lilac lime loofah lute macramé magazine marzipan mattress minaret mohair monsoon mosque mozarab mummy muslin nadir orange oud mater ramadan ream rook safari saffron sahara saice sash satin scarlet senna sequin sesame sheikh sherbet soda sofa souk spinach sugar sumac summit syrup tabby tabla tahini talc talisman tamarind tambourine tare tariff tarragon trafalgar vizier zarf zedoary zenith zero

Thanks, Leila Abu-Saba, one of my favorite bloggers. She's too modest, but from time to time lets readers get a peek at her rich and impressive heritage.

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