Made in India, mostly
(though Hindi is spoken in many places)
Hindi has given English speakers some great words.
The word loot arrived in English in 1849 from a Hindi word meaning booty or stolen property. Hindi speakers got this word from Sanskrit.
In HIndi, a payndit is a learned master or teacher. By the 1670s, this word oozed into English as pundit, a person who offers opinions in an authoritative manner.
Pajamas (& pyjamas) came to English in 1800 from a Hindi word meaning loose trousers tied at the waist. Pajamas came to Hindi from a Persian word meaning leg clothing.
In 1851 bloke arrived in English. Etymologists haven’t nailed down its source, but the two frontrunners are a Celtic word meaning a large, stubborn person, & a Hindi word meaning a man.
Hindi speakers got the word kamarband from Persian, which by 1610 made its way to English as cummerbund, a loose sash worn as a belt.
Bandana made its way to English in 1752 from a Hindi word referring to a method of dying. This word came from a Sanskrit word meaning bind — apparently the method of dying in question was something like our modern tie-dye.
In 1859 the word nark or narc came to English — an informer. Its most likely source is a Romany word which came from a Hindi word meaning nose.
The punch that refers to a type of mixed drink appears to have come from the Hindi word for the number five — reportedly the number of ingredients in the first punch. This particular meaning of punch came to English in the 1630s.
The word cot, a small, light, bed, first appeared in English in the 1630s from a Hindi word meaning couch or hammock.
In 1915, the Hindi word meaning pleasant, happy, & healthy, gave us the word cushy. Interestingly, it has no relationship to the word cushion.
We English speakers probably owe a thank you note to the Hindi-speaking world. For which of these words do you feel most grateful?
My thanks go out to this week’s sources, Merriam Webster, Collins Dictionary, Etymonline, & Wordnik.
Some real surprises in this one, Mr. Monger. I was sure "cushy" came from cushion. And--now this sounds dumb--I thought "narc" came from "narcotics officer." Haha. Lots of new information here I never knew before. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteGreetings Anne - I'm with you on both counts -- who woulda thunk?
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