Science and numbers
- Algebra: from al-jabr (الْجَبْر), “restoring”, from the title of a maths book by the 9th-century scholar al-Khwarizmi
- Algorithm: from the name al-Khwarizmi himself
- Zero and cipher: both from ṣifr (صِفْر), “empty”
- Alchemy: from al-kīmiyā’ (الْكِيمِيَاء), which later gave us chemistry
- Elixir: from al-iksīr (الْإِكْسِير)
- Alcohol: from al-kuḥl (الْكُحْل), a fine powder used as eyeliner; the meaning changed over time
Notice how many start with “al”. That is the Arabic word for “the”, which stayed attached when the words were borrowed.
Food and drink
- Sugar: from sukkar (سُكَّر)
- Coffee: from qahwah (قَهْوَة), through Turkish kahve
- Syrup and sherbet: both from the root ش ر ب, to drink (sharāb, a drink)
- Lemon: from laymūn (لَيْمُون)
- Apricot: from al-barqūq (الْبَرْقُوق), through Spanish
- Spinach: from isfānākh (إِسْفَانَاخ), originally a Persian word
At home and in the market
- Cotton: from quṭn (قُطْن)
- Sofa: from ṣuffah (صُفَّة), a raised bench
- Mattress: from maṭraḥ (مَطْرَح), a place where something is laid down
- Magazine: from makhāzin (مَخَازِن), storehouses
- Tariff: from ta‘rīf (تَعْرِيف), notification
- Admiral: from amīr (أَمِير), commander
Animals and the sky
- Giraffe: from zarāfah (زَرَافَة)
- Gazelle: from ghazāl (غَزَال)
- Many star names, such as Aldebaran (al-dabarān, “the follower”) and Altair (al-ṭā’ir, “the flyer”)
Why this matters for learners
Spotting familiar words makes Arabic feel less foreign. It also shows the root system at work: once you know that ش ر ب means to drink, you can see the link between sharāb, syrup and sherbet, and you will recognise the same root in the Quran when it describes the drink of Paradise.
Some origins on this list are well documented; others passed through several languages, so dictionaries sometimes differ on the exact route.
