In one of the episodes of Outline, Fadi Boukaram (known on the internet as @cedrusk) helped us dive into the etymology of some Arabic words. Alongside discussion about Fadi’s background, work as a photographer, and love for all things language, he shared some fascinating stories about the origins of words such as “artichoke” and “akedenia.”

Our conversation with Boukaram sparked a curiosity to learn more about Arabic words, specifically, English words that come from Arabic. So we put together a list of common English words you’d never know came from Arabic. Disclaimer: as Fadi explains in the episode, etymology often consists of hypotheses as to the origins of words. Hence, the use of terms such as “thought to”, “could have” and so on. If you know of alternate stories on origins of any of these words, do let us know!

Admiral

Let’s start with “admiral” which means an officer of very high ranking in the navy or commander of a fleet of ships. As Fadi explains, this word could trace its roots back to 13th century French “amirail.” The word most probably entered the French language through cultural contact with Arabs, who used the term “amir al-” to denote a chief or commander of something, for instance, “amir al-bahr” meaning commander of the sea. Another potential source could be the word “amir al-raql” meaning chief of transport, which was used to refer to the fleet sailing between North Africa and Andalusia.

Alcohol

You might be surprised to learn that the word “alcohol” might actually have come from Arabic. It’s possible that it derived from the Arabic “al-Kuhul” which first referred to powders such as kohl. The meaning later transformed to denote distilled or rectified spirits.

Average

Though there are mixed opinions about the etymology of the word “average” one theory posits that it comes from “awariya” in Arabic which means damaged merchandise.

Alchemy

Alchemy comes from the ancient Greek word “khemeioa.” This could either have been a word for “land of black earth” or “that which is poured out.” From the Greek, “khemeioa” it entered Arabic becoming “al-kimiya.” This was adopted into Medieval Latin to refer to a philosopher's stone, and thereafter by Old French and then English. This is also the root of the word “chemist.”

Cipher

The word “cipher” comes from the Arabic “sifr” which means “empty, nothing.” The word traveled to Europe alongside Arabic numerals, and its meaning was distorted to become “any numeral” and then later “coded message.”

Sofa

The British word for couch, “sofa” comes from the Arabic “suffah” which refers to a bench of stone or wood.

Alcove

Alcove entered English through French and Spanish, ultimately stemming from the Arabic “al-qobbah” which means vaulted chamber.

Carafe

A carafe, which means a vessel for water, could have come from the Arabic word “gharraf” which means “drinking cup.”

Eight English Words You Didn’t Know Came From Arabic