LINGUISTIC JOURNEY

Check Out These 10 Words You Probably Didn't Know Came From Arabic!

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Arabic may seem a world apart from English, but you may be surprised to learn that many of the words you use every day have Arabic roots! While English is spoken by over 1.4 billion people worldwide, our language has been in contact with many others throughout history. This interesting past has helped enrich its vocabulary in ways you wouldn't imagine.

Today, we’re sharing 10 English words you probably didn't know come from Arabic!

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Despite being among the most impressive and beautiful animals in the world, giraffes are not native to the Americas. Likewise, the word for this unique animal doesn't originate from English but from Arabic. The Arabic zarāfah can be translated as "fast-walker," a meaning probably related to the animal's extensive limbs.

Zarāfah was first adapted into Italian as giraffaand then into French as girafe. Finally, English adopted it in the 16th century, turning it into the word we use today.

But that's not all! Before the word "giraffe" was established, there was a very different expression. Archaic English used the term "camelopard," based on the belief that the giraffe was a hybrid of a camel and a leopard! Weird, right?

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While algebra can be a challenge for many of us, understanding the origin of this word may be a bit easier.

TheArabic wordal-jabrmeans "completion" or "reunion of broken parts." This word was first used in a text from 820 CEentitled Kitab al-Jabr wa-l-Muqabala ("The Compendious Book on Calculation by Completion and Balancing"). This text, one of the fundamental pillars of algebra, was translated into Latin around the 12th century, and the word al-jabr -with its very appropriate meaning, we have to say- passed into Latin as algebra.

Spanish, Italian, and French took the word from Latin without major modifications, and so did English when it borrowed the term.

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There's nothing like a delicious cup of coffee in the morning, right? Or in the afternoon, or even in the evening! Yes, like many Americans, we love coffee.

We have Ethiopia to thank for this beverage that enriches our days and wakes up our brains, and the Arabs for giving us the word to name it. Although coffee was discovered in the Kaffa region of Ethiopia, it was the Arabs who commercialized and distributed this delicacy to the rest of the world.

The word the Arabs had for coffee was qahwa, which originally meant "wine" or "elixir." This term evolved to kahve in Turkish and qahveh in Persian. When coffee arrived in Europe in the 16th century, the Italians called it caffè, and the Dutch koffie. Finally, it was adapted to café in Spanishand "coffee" in English.

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You know what to do if life gives you lemons, but what if it gives you laymūn? Well, it'd be pretty much the same!

The lemon tree is believed to have been first cultivated in Asia. Once it reached the Middle East, the Arabs did an excellent job with its propagation in the Middle Ages.

Just like the yellow citrus fruit, the word to call italso had a big journey across continents. The Arabic laymūn, used specifically to refer to lemon, was first adapted to Old French limun and Italian limone.

Probably during the Norman conquest of England, limun was adapted to Middle Englishas lymon and then to the familiar "lemon." When Europeans arrived in America in the 15th century, they brought not only the term but also the fruit and eventually established lemon groves in different parts of the continent. Lucky us!

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Sugar, so common today, was once a luxury that only a few could enjoy.

As with many other products, the Arabs brought sugar from the Middle East and Asia to Europe, with their own word for it: sukkar. That term was, in turn, derived from the Sanskrit śarkarā and the Persian shakar, which can be translated as "grit" or "gravel."

Medieval Latin adapted the Arabic term to succarum, which then mutated into the Old French sucre and eventually into the English word "sugar."

At first, "sugar" referred to various sweet substances from different types of plants, and over time, it came to designate the product derived from sugarcane, i.e., the sugar we all know!

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What would you say if we told you that, in ancient times, the word "alcohol" designated makeup? Well, the truth is that the Arabic term al-kuhlwas used to refer to a type of antimony powder that some groups used as an eyeliner!

Over time, al-kuhl began to expand its meaning and was used to designate any product obtained through distillation, which included spirits.

Later, when the word came in contact with Latin, it was adapted to alcohol. Through this change, the word began to refer to ethanol, the alcohol present in beverages. By the 16th century, the word was already established in English, Spanish, and other languages.

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Magazines are still an important part of our lives, whether in digital or analog format. Surprisingly, the Arabic word that gives origin to "magazine" didn't refer to what you're probably thinking.

Makhzan referred to a storehouse or a warehouse. In the 14th century, Old French adopted it as magasin, and this word passed into English as "magazine" in the 17th century. However, its meaning was still linked to the original sense given by the Arabs.

The modern meaning of the word began to take shape in the 18th century when publications similar to today's magazines became widespread. With topics such as science, literature, philosophy, and many others, magazines came to be seen as a "storehouse of information" or a place where knowledge is kept. Poetic, don't you think?

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Nothing like spending a night on the sofa watching a movie and eating some tasty treats, right? Well, it seems that, back in ancient times, the Arabs did that too - without the movie part, of course.

Ṣuffaor soffah is the word the Arabs used to describe a raised platform covered with blankets, carpets, and cushions, designed for people to sit or lie on comfortably.

This word evolved into Italian as sofà and Old French as sofa. Finally, those terms were adapted to our beloved "sofa" that graces the living rooms of many Americans and people around the world.

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Hard candies, gummy bears, chocolate bars; with so many delicious options, it's impossible to pick just one! While these treats are everywhere today, there was a time when your favorite candies didn't exist, and the word we use to designate them was different from the one we know today.

Our "candy" comes from the Arabic qandi, meaning "made with sugar."When qandi encountered Latin, it evolved into candi, which then became candie in Old French.

Finally, Middle English adopted the word as "candy," originally referring to crystallized sugar. Over time, its definition expanded to reach its current meaning.

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In the Middle Ages, people in the Middle East used mats or cushions that were thrown on the floor to sleep or rest on. The term for them was matrah, which can be translated as "something thrown down."

In the 12th century, during the Crusades, Europeans not only adopted the Arabic practice but also the word, which was incorporated into Latin as matratium. Later, the word evolved into Old French as materas.

In the 14th century, the word entered Middle English as matresse, which evolved into today's "mattress."

TRAILBLAZERS IN ANIMATION

10 Saturday-morning cartoons that were loved for generations

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Catchy theme songs. Universal visual gags. Ageless catchphrases. These cartoons have woven themselves into the fabric of our culture, and have brought giggles to parents, their children, and their grandchildren. They shaped the language of animation and left us with iconic characters and music that can spark old Saturday-morning nostalgia. Let's look into the history of 10 titles that charmed audiences and evolved into movies, park rides, and merch that still live in countless homes around the world.

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As is the case with many early animated cartoons, Popeye the Sailor was born in 2D. The comic strip he first appeared in, Thimble Theater, was created by Elzie Crisler Segar in 1919. Interestingly, Popeye’s famous love interest, Olive Oyl, was introduced 10 years before him. Once Popeye was drawn into Thimble Theater, though, he stole the show. Popeye became so popular that Fleischer Studios decided to produce a series of animated shorts about him.

The 1933 show was one of the trendsetters for the rotoscope technique, where animators traced over live-action footage to create more realistic movement. Popeye the Sailor was also one of the first cartoons to incorporate sound effects synchronized with on-screen actions. Segar eventually revealed that the character had been based on an eccentric retired sailor he had once known, called Frank "Rocky" Fiegel.

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Did you know that Looney Tunes was conceived as a strategy for Warner Bros. to promote its music catalog? It began as a series of shorts in 1930 and so, Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and many others were born. Looney Tunes became legendary for its use of humor and storytelling.

It introduced a faster-paced, more dynamic style of animation. We still remember the chattering, speedy speeches of many of these characters and some of their catchphrases, like "What's up, doc?", "That's all, folks!" or "¡Andale!". The series also established the device of "personality animation," where characters had signature moves, mannerisms, and quirks, setting the standard for character-driven style in the industry.

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It all began with a mouse and a cat. Tom & Jerry was created by animators William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who developed the series for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1940. The collaboration was so successful that it marked the beginning of one of the most enduring partnerships in animation history: Hanna-Barbera Productions. Remember that name.

Tom & Jerry was visual and musical storytelling, relying heavily on slapstick humor, with minimal dialogue, allowing physical comedy and expressive animation to drive the narrative. This focus on action and visual gags made Tom & Jerry universally appealing to audiences regardless of their mother language. Over time, it won seven Academy Awards for Best Animated Short Film.

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Mickey Mouse & Friends is what the series of original Disney shorts are popularly called. From 1928 to the present, the characters created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks have been cemented as some of the most iconic cartoons of all time. Since its inception, the series was a trailblazer in animation for its pioneering use of synchronized sound in Steamboat Willie, one of the first cartoons to feature a fully synchronized soundtrack. Walt Disney was soon established as a leader in the animation industry and technology.

The popularity of Mickey and his friends led to the creation of countless shorts, feature films, and television series that are still recreated and watched today. Mickey Mouse's iconic status was further solidified when he became the first animated character to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1978.

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The renowned cartoon about two families in the Stone Age was one of the creations of Hannah-Barbera Productions. It premiered in 1960 as the first prime-time animated television series. The Flintstones paved the way for many other animated shows aimed at adults. To give an idea, The Flintstones was the first animated show to feature a married couple sharing a bed on-screen.

At its heart, this show was a sitcom. It was modeled after The Honeymooners, also consisting of scenes from a suburban family, but adapted to a prehistoric setting. The show’s success proved that animated series could attract an adult audience in prime time, which was a significant departure from the children’s programming that dominated the landscape at the time.

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The Jetsons was another of Hanna-Barbera Productions’ prodigal children. It premiered in 1962 with a concept deriving from the success of The Flintstones. This time, the suburban family scenes would be set in a utopian space-age world. The Jetsons offered a satirical yet optimistic view of the future, with flying cars, robot maids, and advanced technology.

The producers decided to emphasize the vibrant, high-tech world they were painting by broadcasting the show in color. This was rather new. While The Flintstones was also produced in color, it aired in black-and-white during its first two seasons. The Jetsons wasn’t a hit at first and was canceled after one season owing to low numbers, while it competed with Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color. In the 80s, ABC came up with the idea to move the show to Saturday mornings, where it achieved widespread success and stayed on that schedule for decades.

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The original premise for the show was a musical group touring around the country in their van, accidentally solving mysteries (a twist on the by-then-famous The Archie Show). That’s why their talking dog, Scooby-Doo, was named after Frank Sinatra’s scat line, doo-be-doo-be-doo. Although the musical angle was dropped, the villain-unmasking group of teenagers still became legendary.

Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was released as a Saturday morning CBS show in 1969 to compete with the violence of superhero cartoons. Since then, the original episodes, along with spin-offs and revivals, have lived on. It became a trailblazer for being one of the first animated mystery series, blending winks to supernatural horror, comedy, and adventure.

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As unforgettable as its jazzy theme song, the Pink Panther is the icon of one of the longest-standing American TV and film franchises. The suave and silent character was introduced in the opening credits of Blake Edward’s 1963 The Pink Panther, set to the iconic music by Henry Mancini. The bit was so popular in the subsequent films that it developed into an animated series, The Pink Panther Show. The first installment was 1964's The Pink Phink, which won that year’s Academy Award for Animated Short Film.

By 1968, the show was airing on Saturday mornings on NBC. It was groundbreaking in its use of minimal or null dialogue. Set only to jazzy original scores, the Pink Panther’s endearing personality and his visual gags transcended language barriers and became popular worldwide.

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The Smurfs was created in Belgium, and it might have stayed there if it hadn’t caught the eye of Hannah-Barbera. Belgian cartoonist Peyo (Pierre Culliford) was the creator behind the 1958 comic strip, Les Schtroumpfs. The blue humanoid beings, who were friendly teamworkers and lived in mushroom-shaped houses, had in fact been born as side characters in a previous successful comic strip by Peyo.

Just like Popeye had, these colorful, wholesome creatures won the audience’s hearts and got their own strip. In the following years, animated shorts featuring the Smurfs were released in Belgium. Attracted by their success, Hanna-Barbera decided to produce a series to run in the U.S. This Saturday-morning cartoon aired for the first time in 1981 via NBC and is still broadcast in the country to this day.

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Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons, designed an animated dysfunctional family and named its members after his own. He only changed his name to "Bart". The Simpsons was released in 1989 as a half-hour prime-time show after a series of shorts that aired on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987 became popular.

The satirical sitcom soon became a cultural phenomenon. The show pioneered a willingness to tackle controversial topics, a style that grew to become a subgenre of animated TV. Opening with one of the most recognized themes in television history, by Danny Elfman, The Simpsons has won numerous awards, including 34 Primetime Emmy Awards. It also holds the record as the longest-running American sitcom and the longest-running American scripted prime-time television series.