Special Report
30 Everyday English Words You Didn't Know Came From Arabic
November 28, 2022 9:01 am
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1. Admiral
> Arabic (phonetic transliteration): amīr
> Meaning in Arabic: military commander (amīr-al-baḥr = “commander of the sea”)
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2. Alchemy, chemistry
> Arabic (phonetic transliteration): al-kīmīā
> Meaning in Arabic: alchemy; the art of transmuting base metals
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3. Alcohol
> Arabic (phonetic transliteration): al-kuḥul, al-kohl
> Meaning in Arabic: fine powder
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4. Algebra
> Arabic (phonetic transliteration): al-jabr
> Meaning in Arabic: reduction, broken parts
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5. Assassin
> Arabic (phonetic transliteration): al-hashīshīya, hashīshīn
> Meaning in Arabic: hashish users; also the name of a Shia Muslim sect who used hashish and carried out assassinations during the Crusades
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