List of English Words of Spanish Origin
List of English Words of Spanish Origin
List of English Words of Spanish Origin
A
abaca
via Spanish abac from Tagalog abak
abalone
from Spanish abuln, from Ohlone aluan or Rumsen awlun.
adios
from Spanish 'adis' meaning "goodbye"
adobe
From Egyptian via Arabic "Al-tub"
aficionado
from French 'amateur' "unprofessional person" or "affection" too.
albatross
from alcatraz, see below.
Alcatraz
(meaning "gannet") from Arabic al-as ("the diver")
alidade
via French, Spanish alidada and Medieval Latin alhidade from Arabic al-idada, "the revolving radius"
alligator
from el lagarto, "the lizard"
alpaca
from Spanish, from Aymara allpaka/allpaqa
aludel
from Old French alutel, via Spanish and Medieval Latin from Arabic al-ul, "the sublimation vessel"
amigo
from Spanish and/or Portuguese amigo, "friend"; from Latin amicus meaning "friend," derived from amare (to
love).
amole
Mexican Spanish from Nahautl amolli meaning "soap root."[1]
amontillado
from the village of Montilla, Province of Crdoba, Spain
B
banana
from Spanish or Portuguese banana, probably from a Wolof word,[4] or from Arabic ba nana fingers[5]
bandolier
from Spanish bandolera, meaning "band (for a weapon or other) that crosses from one shoulder to the opposite
hip" and bandolero, loosely meaning "he who wears a bandolier"
barbecue
from the Chibcha word barbacoa
barracuda
from barracuda May have come from barraco, meaning overlapping tooth
barranca
from Spanish barranca or barranco, ravine
barrio
from Spanish barrio, "neighborhood", from Arabic barri, wild
bastinado
from bastonada, from Spanish bastn, cane
bodega
from Spanish and/or Portuguese bodega, meaning cellar
bolero
C
caballero
from Spanish caballero meaning "knight/gentleman", from caballo, "horse", celtic caballos "horse".
cabana
from Spanish cabaa or Portuguese cabana; both meaning "cabin."
cacique
from Spanish, from Taino cacike or Arawak kassequa, both meaning a chief
cafeteria
from cafetera, "coffee store"
calaboose
from Vulgar Latin calafodium "to dig a protected place" and Louisiana French calabouse, from Spanish
calabozo[7]
caldera (used in geology)
from Spanish caldera meaning "cauldron" from Latin caldaria, "cooking pot."
California
place name first seen in print in 1510 Spanish novel 'Las sergas de Esplandin' by Garci Rodrguez de
Montalvo
camarilla
from camarilla, "small room"
camino
from camino a path or road, from Celtic cammanos "road".
cannibal
from Spanish canbal, alteration of carbal, from Caribe
canoe
D
daiquiri
from Daiquiri, a port city in eastern Cuba
dengue
from Spanish dengue meaning "fever", from Swahili dinga, "seizure"
derecho
from Spanish derecho meaning "straight", a widespread and long-lived convection-induced straight-line
windstorm
desperado
from Spanish desesperado, desperate
E
El Dorado
from El Dorado, literally, "the golden one"
El Nio
from El Nio de la Navidad, literally, "the Christmas child" due to the warming of Pacific waters seemed to
warm around Christmas
embarcadero
from embarcadero a boat dock
embargo
from Spanish embargar, to "seize" or "impound"
escabeche
from escabeche, "pickle"
F
fiesta
from the Spanish fiesta meaning "party"
Florida
from La Florida, the flowery or plant-filled place or pascua florida, "flowery Easter."
G
gaucho
from Mapuche "Argentine cowboy"
guacamole
via American Spanish from Nahuatl ahuaca-molli ("avocado sauce")[13]
guerrilla
from Spanish "small war"
gordita
from Spanish "little fat girl"
H
habanero
from the Spanish for the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English.
Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there.
hacienda
from Old Spanish facienda, "estate"
hackamore
from Spanish jaquima, "halter."
hombre
from Spanish "hombre", man
hoosegow
from Spanish juzgado, courthouse, from juzgar, to judge
hurricane
from Spanish huracn, from Taino hurkan; akin to Arawak kulakani, thunder
I
Inca
from Spanish inca, from Quechua Inka, literally: "lord, king."[14]
incommunicado
from incomunicado, "in solitary confinement."
iguana
from Spanish iguana from Arawak iwana.
J
jade
from Spanish piedra de ijada, "stone of flank."
jalapeo
from Spanish, a type of spicy chilli named after Jalapa de Enrquez, a town in Mexico, and the capital of the
state of Veracruz
jerky
from Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch'arki, "dried flesh"
junta
from Spanish junta literally "joint"; a board of joint administration; sometimes used to refer to military officers
command in a coup d'tat. As an adjective, it means "together".
K
key
from Spanish cayo, from Taino cayo (this is English 'key'/'cay'/'quay' as in an island, reef or a linked series of
them, not the 'key' with which one locks/unlocks)
L
Llanos, Los
from Spanish llano (plain); vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and
Venezuela.
lariat
from la reata, meaning "the strap, rein, or rope" from reatar ("to tie again") from atar "to tie (up);" from Latin
aparte, "to join."[15]
lasso
via American English from Spanish lazo meaning "tie;" ultimately from Latin laqueum, "noose, snare."[16]
llama
from Spanish llama, from Quechua llama
loco
from loco, "mad" or "crazy"
Lolita
from the diminutive for Lola, short for Dolores
M
macho
from macho, male, brave, the property of being overtly masculine. In Spanish is masculinity
majordomo
via Spanish mayordomo or Italian maggiordomo (both meaning "butller") from Latin maior domus meaning
"mayor of the place."
matador
from matador meaning "killer" from matar ("to kill") probably from Arabic mata meaning "he died", also
possibly cognate with Persian mordan, "to die" as well as English "murder." Another theory is that the
word "matador" is derived from a combination of the Vulgar Latin mattre, from Late Latin mactare (to
slaughter, kill) and the Latin -tor (which is cognate with Greek -tr and Sanskrit -tar-.)[17]
mesa
from mesa, table. The corresponding Spanish word to a flat top mountain is meseta
mescal
from Spanish mezcal, from Nahuatl mexcalli
mesquite
from Mexican Spanish mezquite, from Nahuatl mizquitl
mestizo
from mestizo, "racially mixed." in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed European-native American descent
mojito
dim. formed from "mojado" (wet or dripping) probably referring to the mint leaves in the well known Cuban
drink
mole
from Spanish, from Nahuatl molle or molli ("sauce")
Montana
from montaa, a mountain
mosquito
from mosquito, literally "little fly"
mulatto
from Spanish or Portuguese mulato meaning "octoroon, sambo". in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed
European-African descent. it is not derogatory
mustang
from mestengo or mesteo, "without known master or owner" (archaic)
mustee
from mestizo, "racially mixed."
N
nacho
from Nacho, a nickname for the given name Ignacio, inventor of the snack
nada
from "Nada" meaning " nothing."
negro
from Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian negro, "black", from Latin Nigrum (nom. Niger) and Greek
Negros, both meaning "black.".[18] In Spanish it is not derogatory.
Nevada
from Nevada literally "snowy"
nostromo
from nuestro amo, "our master".
O
ol
an interjection, an expression of approval or triumph, similar to the Italian bravo (capable), by spectators of
bull fights or football (soccer) matches
oregano
from organo, "marjoram"
P
pachuco
from pachuco, "fancy-dresser."
paella
from Spanish paella, from Valencian paella "pan" and originated in Latin patella, also meaning "pan."
palmetto
from palmito, "palm heart, little palm", diminutive form of the word for palm.
pampa
from Spanish, from Quechua pampa, plain
papaya
from japaya, akin to Arawak papia
pramo
from Spanish pramo (moorland)
patio
from patio, inner courtyard, "an open paved area adjacent to a home"
peccadillo
from pecadillo, "small sin"
peccary
from Spanish pecar, from Carib pakira or paquira.[19]
peon
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Q
quadroon
from cuartern, "fourth"
quesadilla
from quesadilla loosely meaning a traditional Mexican dish made with tortillas and cheese, diminutive of
"queso", cheese.
Quetzal
from Spanish, from Nahuatl "quetzalli": a group of colourful birds of the trogon family found in tropical
regions of the Americas. It also may refer to Guatemalan quetzal, the currency of Guatemala.
quinoa
from Spanish quinua, from Quechua kinua
Quinceaera
From Spanish Quince aos, literally: "fifteen years"; a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration similar to a sweet
sixteen; with special rituals
quirt
from Spanish cuarta literally: "quarter"; a short horseman's whip, from "one fourth" (of a vara)
R
ranch
from rancho, a very small rural community, smaller than a town; also a very humble dwelling in South
America.
reconquista
from reconquista, "reconquest"
remuda
from Mexican Spanish remudar, to exchange (horses)
renegade
from renegado, "turncoat, heretic, disowned"
robalo
from Spanish rbalo meaning "bass, sea wolf," a tropical marine game and fish food
roble
from Spanish roble, oak tree
rodeo
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S
saguaro
from saguaro, from Piman
salsa
from salsa, "sauce"
sapodilla
from zapotillo
sarabande
from French sarabande in turn from Spanish zarabanda
savanna
from sabana, "veld", from Taino zabana
savvy
from Spanish or Portuguese sabe, "knows"; sabio, wise, learned.
shack
perhaps from Mexican Spanish jacal meaning "hut", from Nahuatl xacalli
sherry
from Old Spanish Xers Spanish pronunciation:[ees], modern Spanish Jerez Spanish pronunciation:[xee].
Sierra
from sierra, a mountain range
siesta
from siesta, "nap", from Latin Sexta [hora] "sixth hour"
silo
from silo
sombrero
from sombrero (literally, shade maker), "hat"
stampede
from estampida
stockade
from a French derivation of the Spanish estocada, "stab"
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T
taco
from taco, "plug"[25]
tamale
from Spanish tamales, pl. of tamal, from Nahuatl tamalli meaning dumpling made from corn flour
tango
from Spanish tango.
tapioca
from tapioca, "cassava"
ten-gallon hat
from Spanish tan galn meaning "so gallant (looking)"; alternate theory is the gallon of Texas English here is
a misunderstanding of galn meaning braid
temblor
Spanish for trembling, or earthquake; from temblar, to shake, from Vulgar Latin *tremulre, from Latin
tremulus
tequila
from tequila
telenovela, or telenovella
from telenovela, "soap opera"
tilde
from tilde
tobacco
from Spanish (Nahuatl influenced) tabaco, "snuff", .
tomatillo
from Spanish tomatillo, "small tomato" (see Physalis philadelphica)
tomato
from Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl xitomatl
torero
from toro, "bull"
tornado
from Spanish tronada, "thunderstorm", influenced by tornar, "to turn"
tortilla
from tortilla, "little cake". Currently means "omelet" in Spain; in Spanish America = small cake of either corn
meal or wheat flour
tuna
from Spanish atn, from Arabic tun, from Latin thunnus, from Greek , thynnos (=tuna fish)
turista
from turista, "tourist"
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V
vamoose
from vamos, meaning "let's go"
vanilla
from Spanish vainilla, diminutive of Latin vaina, from vagina meaning "pod"[26]
Vertigo
from the Spanish word Vrtigo
vicua
from Spanish, from Quechua wikunna
vigilante
from Spanish vigilante, meaning "watchman."
W
wop
from Italian guappone, from Spanish guapo, "handsome" or "attractive".
Z
Zorro
from Spanish zorro, a fox, originally "smart"
References
[1] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=amole
[2] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=anchovy
[3] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=Apache
[4] "Online Etymology Dictionary" (http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=banana). . Retrieved 5 Aug 2010.
[5] Dan Keppel, Banana, Hudson Street Press, 2008; p. 44.
[6] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=breeze
[7] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=calaboose
[8] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=canyon
[9] Mexicolore article on chicle (http:/ / www. mexicolore. co. uk/ index. php?one=azt& two=art& id=168)
[10] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=Choctaw
[11] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=corral
[12] Harper, Douglas. "crimson" (http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=crimson). Online Etymology Dictionary. .
[13] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=guacamole
[14] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=Inca
[15] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=lariat
[16] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=lasso
[17] http:/ / dictionary. reference. com/ browse/ matador
[18] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=Negro
[19] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=peccary
[20] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=pinata
[21] "Luisito and the Piragua", Page 12, Author: Toro, Leonor, Publisher: New Haven Migratory Children's Program, Hamden-New Haven
Cooperative Education Center; ERIC #: ED209026; Retrieved July 14, 2008
[22] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=politico
[23] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=politic
[24] http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=poncho
[25] Wordreference.com translation (http:/ / wordreference. com/ es/ en/ translation. asp?spen=taco) Accessed August 31, 2010
[26] Etyomology.com (http:/ / www. etymonline. com/ index. php?term=vanilla) Accessed August 31, 2010
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External links
Montague, Artur, El elemento espaol en el vocabulario ingls: prolegmenos a una lista. AIH. Actas IV (1971).
(in Spanish) (http://cvc.cervantes.es/obref/aih/pdf/04/aih_04_2_027.pdf)
Online Etymology Dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/)
Real Academia Espaola Spanish dictionary (http://buscon.rae.es/diccionario/drae.htm)
(http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/nada)
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License
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