Spanish Words That Come from Arabic

Spanish Words That Come from Arabic

Spanish is a very rich language that has received many different influences throughout its history and evolution from other languages and cultures. One of the most important influences on our language and culture is Arabic.

The Arabs lived and ruled in the Iberian Peninsula for 8 centuries, from their arrival in 711 until 1492, when the last Nasrid king surrendered Granada to the Catholic Monarchs. During this period, there was a great exchange of culture of all types: architectural, gastronomic… and, of course, linguistic. There were many new elements that the Arabs introduced to the peninsula for the first time, so we adopted their names by adapting them to our phonetics. This influence continues to this day and is very present in daily life, as there are many words we use that have this origin: these words are called “arabisms.”

Today we’re going to look at 8 of these words. We’re sure they’ll surprise you!

1. Aceite (Oil)

Surely you know this product that’s so widely used and loved in Spain and, in general, in Mediterranean countries. Well, that’s right! It comes from the Arabic “az-zait” (الزيت), which means “olive juice.” The words aceite and aceituna (olive) are similar, aren’t they? That’s because aceituna also comes from Arabic.

During their stay on the peninsula, the Arabs introduced new techniques for obtaining olive oil, so we adopted this word for its use.

2. Azúcar (Sugar)

The name of this everyday (and sweet) food also owes its name to Arabic, “assúkar” (السكر). The Arabs were also the ones who brought sugarcane to the peninsula and applied their way of working with it and processing it to obtain sugar to the culture.

3. Almohada (Pillow)

The influence of Arabic culture was also important in everyday and household areas. The Arabs introduced this custom of using this object for sleeping. The word comes from the Arabic “al-mijadda” (المخدة), which means “cushion” or “pillow.” This object was very important in Arabic culture, as it was used not only for sleeping but also for sitting and resting.

4. Azulejo (Tile)

Azulejos are one of the most characteristic elements of Spanish and Portuguese architecture, where you can see streets, cathedrals, shops, etc. with all kinds of tiles and images. It comes from the Arabic “al-zulaich” (الزليج), which means “small polished stone.”

5. Ajedrez (Chess)

This famous game of skill was born in Asia and later became popular in the west, where neighboring Arab countries adopted it and who, again, imported it to the peninsula during their stay here. Although the origin of the word is not Arabic, but Sanskrit, we made the adaptation from the Arabic «shaṭranj» (شطرنج), which evolved phonetically to the word «assatranj» and gave rise to the one we currently use: ajedrez. Do you know how to play chess?

6. Azahar (Orange Blossom)

The word azahar refers to the characteristic white flower of the orange or lemon tree; this flower was one of the most prized in ancient times for its beauty, smell, and properties. In Arabic, the word «zahr» (زهر) meant «flowers,» and it was used especially to designate white flowers. From there, it evolved in our language and gave us this beautiful word to designate these flowers that we undoubtedly see at the beginning of spring.

7. Ojalá

Have you ever heard this expression? Its use is very common and forms part of Spanish adverbs; we use it to express a very great desire for something to happen. Its origin is from the Arabic “law sha’a Allah” (لو شاء الله), which means “if God wanted.” Don’t forget to use the subjunctive after ojalá!

Did you know these words? Did you know they came from the Arabic language? If you look closely, many of them begin with “a-” or “al,” which is the article in this language, although in Spanish we adopted the article and noun as a whole.

Which of these words surprised you the most? What are they called in your language? Tell us about it! We’re waiting for you at Escuela Elcano.