List of English words of Semitic origin

This is a list of English words of Semitic origin other than those solely of Arabic origin or Hebrew origin.

Most of these words are found in ancient Greek writings, with the Greek word believed today to have come from a Semitic source.

Common words

abba

from Aramaic ܐܒܐ abba 'father' (AHD)

abbé

from Aramaic ܐܒܐ abba 'father' (AHD, MW)

abbot

from Aramaic ܐܒܐ abba 'father' (AHD, MW)

abracadabra

disputed (OED) + probably Balkan (WNW) + probably from Aramaic אבדא כדברא abhadda kedhabhra 'disappear as this word' (NI)

adonis

from Phoenician 𐤀𐤃𐤋 adon 'lord' (AHD)

aloe

from ancient Greek ἀλόη aloe (AHD) 'dried juice' (MW). Likely from a Semitic source. See Hebrew אהלים 'ahalim 'trees of lign' (SC), perhaps in turn from Dravidian^[1]

alphabet

The ancient Greek word represents the first two letters of the Greek alphabet (alpha and beta). The Greeks got their alphabet from the Phoenician/Canaanite one. Compare Canaanite 'aleph 'ox' (AHD) + from Phoenician/Canaanite bet 'house' (AHD)

apron

from Latin mappa 'cloth' (MW), probably from Hebrew menafa 'fluttering banner' (WNW) + perhaps from Carthaginian (AHD)

arbiter

from Latin arbitr-, arbiter 'judge' (MW), from Phoenician (AHD)

babel

from (AHD, MW) Hebrew בבל balal 'confound' (SC) + in part from (AHD) Akkadian 𒇷𒄿 𒀊𒁀 bab-ilu 'gate of God' (MW)

balm

from Greek βάλσαμον balsamon (AHD), probably of Semitic origin, similar to Hebrew basham 'aromatic substance' (MW)

balsam

from Greek βάλσαμον balsamon (AHD), probably of Semitic origin, similar to Hebrew basham 'aromatic substance' (MW)

bdellium

from Greek βδέλλιον bdellion (MW), from (AHD) Hebrew בְּדֹלַח bedolach (WNW) 'pieces' (SC) + from Assyrian 𒁍𒁺𒆷𒄷 budulḥu (WNW)

byssus

from Greek bussos (AHD), perhaps from בוץ buts (WNW) 'linen cloth', from Semitic (MW) *b-w-tz 'to be white' (WNW)

birr

from Arabic بير birr '100 cents' (MW), probably from Amharic (AHD)

camel

from Greek κάμηλος kamelos (AHD). From Semitic. See Hebrew גמל gamal 'desert animal', Arabic jamal 'camel'.

camisado

secondarily; by way of Spanish camisa, "shirt". But of dubious Semitic origin. See "chemise" below.

camisole

from a southern-Romance diminutive of late Latin camisia. But questionably Semitic. See "chemise" below.

cane, cannella, canister, cannelloni, cannon, cannula, canon, canyon

from Greek κάννα kanna (AHD), of Semitic origin. See Hebrew קָנֶה "qaneh" 'tube', 'reed' (WNW) + Assyrian qanu (WNW), similar to Arabic qanah 'hollow stick', 'reed' (MW)

chemise

from (Vulgar) Latin camisia (MW), itself from proto-Celtic.^[2] Ugaritic has qms 'garment' (AHD). That word is similar, and shows the same k>q pattern that the later Semitic loanwords show. But a Semitic origin for camisia is a minority position in scholarship.^[3]

cinnamon

from Greek κιννάμωμον kinnamomon (MW), of Semitic origin, similar to Hebrew קִנָּמוֹן qinnamon 'aromatic inner bark' (AHD)

cumin

from Greek (AHD) κύμινον kyminon (MW), perhaps from Hebrew כמון kammon 'umbel' (WNW), similar to Akkadian kamunu 'carrot family plant' (MW)

deltoid

from Greek delta (AHD), perhaps from Hebrew דלת daleth 'door' (WNW), similar to Phoenician dalt 'door' (AHD)

earnest (money)

from (MW, AHD) Hebrew ערב arav 'pledge' (WNW) + from Canaanite 'irrabon 'pledge', 'surety' (AHD)

fig

from Latin ficus, possibly from Phoenician^[4] or Paleo-Hebrew 𐤂𐤐 "pag", as found in Song of Songs 2:13

goat

from proto-Germanic *gaits,

cognate with Latin haedus 'kid', likely of Semitic origin. Compare Hebrew גדי ”gdi” 'kid'.

hyssop

from Greek (AHD) ὕσσωπος hyssopos (MW), of Semitic origin. Compare Hebrew אזוב 'ezobh 'mint herb' (WNW)

iotacism

from Greek Ιώτα iota, a letter from (MW) Phoenician (AHD). Compare Hebrew יד yodh 'hand' (WNW).

jot

from Matthew 5:18 transliterating Greek Ιώτα iota. The subtext was the Hebrew letter yodh as written in the Aramaic alphabet in that verse's setting.

maudlin, madeleine, magdalen

from (NI) Greek Μαγδαλα 'Magdala' (WNW) (='tower'), perhaps from Hebrew גדל gadal 'large' (SC) and (MW) Aramaic Magdela 'Magdala' (OED) (='tower') (SC)

map

from Latin mappa 'cloth' (MW). Said by Quintilian (1st century AD in Latin) to be a word of Punic origin. Compare Talmudic Hebrew menafa 'fluttering banner' (Etymonline.com)(AHD)(WNW).

mat

from Greek ματτα matta, of Semitic origin (MW), perhaps from Phoenician 𐤌𐤀𐤕𐤕𐤀 matta, similar to Hebrew מטה mitta 'bed', 'couch' (AHD)

myrrh

English is from classical Latin myrrha which is from ancient Greek murra which is from a Semitic source; see Aramaic murra, Akkadian murru, Hebrew mōr, Arabic mur, all meaning myrrh.

messiah

from Hebrew (AHD) משיח mashiah 'anointed' (MW) + in part from Aramaic (AHD) meshiha 'anointed' (MW)

napkin

from Latin mappa 'cloth' (MW), probably from Hebrew menafa 'fluttering banner' (WNW) + perhaps from Carthaginian (AHD)

pharisee

from Aramaic (AHD) perisha 'separated', from (MW) פרש Hebrew parash 'separate' (SC), 'cleave' (WNW)

sac, sack

from ancient Greek σάκκος sakkos. Of Semitic origin (OED); see Hebrew שק saq 'bag', 'sackcloth', from Phoenician, Aramaic/Syriac ܣܩܐ saqqa, similar to Akkadian saqqu (AHD)

sapphire

from Latin sapphirus and Greek sappheiros, from a Semitic source. See Hebrew ספיר sappir 'precious stone' (AHD). The word is perhaps ultimately from Sanskrit शनिप्रिय sanipriya 'sacred to Sani'^[5]

schwa

from Hebrew שוא schewa' 'unstressed mid-central vowel' (MW), probably from Syriac ܫܘܝܐ shewayya 'equal' (AHD)

shekel

from Hebrew (MW) שקל saqal 'weight', from Canaanite tql (AHD)

souk

from Arabic سوق suq (AHD) 'market' (MW), from Aramaic ܫܘܩܐ/שוקא šuqa' 'street', 'market', from Akkadian 𒊓𒆪 saqu 'narrow'

sycamore

Ancient Greek συκόμορος sykomoros 'fig tree', looks to be ancient Greek syko- 'fig' and ancient Greek moros 'mulberry tree'. But the Greek is perhaps from a Semitic source. See Hebrew שִׁקמָה shikma 'mulberry' (WNW).

Letter names

alpha

from Greek Άλφα alpha, perhaps from Phoenician alef 'ox', 'leader' (WNW), from Canaanite 𐤀𐤋𐤐 'alp 'ox' (AHD)

beta

from Greek Βήτα beta, from Phoenician (WNW) + from Canaanite 𐤁𐤉𐤕 bet 'house' (AHD)

gamma

from Greek Γάμμα gamma, perhaps from Phoenician גימ"ל gimel '

delta

from Greek Δέλτα delta (AHD), perhaps from Hebrew דל"ת daleth 'door' (WNW) + of Semitic origin, similar to Phoenician 𐤕𐤋𐤀𐤃 dalt 'door' (AHD)

zeta

from Greek ζήτα zeta, from Phoenician, similar to Aramaic ܙܝܢܐ zayin, Hebrew זי"ן zayin (AHD) 'weapon'

eta

from Greek Ήτα eta, perhaps from Hebrew chet חי"ת (WNW) 'terror' (SC) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤕𐤇 (AHD)

theta

from Greek Θήτα theta, from (MW) Phoenician 𐤕𐤄𐤈, similar to Hebrew טי"ת tet (AHD) 'snake'

iota

from Greek Ιώτα iota, perhaps from Hebrew יו"ד yodh 'hand' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤕𐤏𐤉 (AHD)

kappa

from Greek Κάππα kappa, perhaps from Hebrew כ"ף kaph (WNW) 'palm of the hand' (MW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤅𐤀𐤊 (AHD)

lambda

from Greek Λάμβδα lambda, perhaps from Hebrew למ"ד lamedh 'whip', 'club' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤃𐤌𐤀𐤋 (AHD)

mu

from Greek Μυ mu, from Phoenician, similar to Hebrew מ"ם mem 'water' (AHD)

nu

from Greek Νυ nu, perhaps from Hebrew נו"ן nun 'fish' (WNW) + of Semitic origin (AHD)

pi

from Greek Πι pi, perhaps from Hebrew פ"א pe 'mouth' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤄𐤐 (AHD)

rho

from Greek Ρω rho, perhaps from Hebrew רי"ש rosh 'head' (WNW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤔𐤏𐤓 (AHD)

sigma

from Greek Σίγμα sigma, from Phoenician, similar to Hebrew סמ"ך samek (AHD) 'prop'

tau

from Greek Ταυ tau, perhaps from Hebrew ת"ו taw (WNW) 'mark', 'cross' (MW) + from (MW) Phoenician 𐤅𐤀𐤕 (AHD)

izzard

probably from French et zede 'and Z', in part from Greek ζήτα zeta (MW), from Phoenician, similar to Aramaic ܙܝܢܐ zayin, Hebrew זי"ן zayin (AHD) 'weapon'

zed

from Greek ζήτα zeta (MW), from Phoenician, similar to Aramaic ܙܝܢܐ zayin, Hebrew זי"ן zayin (AHD) 'weapon'

See also

• List of English words of Arabic origin
• List of English words of Hebrew origin
• List of loanwords in Assyrian Neo-Aramaic

References

1. "aloe". Online Etymology Dictionary.
2. Kim Schulte (2009). "Loanwords in Romanian". In Martin Haspelmath; Uri Tadmor (eds.). Loanwords in the World's Languages: A Comparative Handbook. Walter de Gruyter. pp. 230–59., 234. Schulte draws a further match with proto-Germanic *hamithjan. Whichever borrowed from whomever, the proto-Germans got it prior to Grimm's Law *k->h, and the Latins got it from the later Celts.
3. From Late-Antique Greek καμίσιον kamision, the word migrated to pre-classical Arabic (Q. 12:18-28, 93; also poetry) قميص qamiṣ 'shirt' and to Ethiopic qamas and to Syriac (not earlier Aramaic) qûmisié. Arthur Jeffery. The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur'an. Baroda: Oriental Institute. p. 243. Jeffery's reference to Syriac is from Fraenkel (1886), 45; to "Ethiopic" from Josippon. Leslau [Wolf Leslau (1990). Arabic Loanwords in Ethiopian Semitic., 74] assumes also from Fraenkel that Arabic-speakers delivered these Greek and Syrian shirts to the Ethiopians. Fraenkel would imply, further, that these traders provided the Syrian spelling for these shirts. καμίσιον itself might derive from the Celtic or the Vulgar Latin.
4. "fig (n. 1)". Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
5. "sapphire". Online Etymology Dictionary.

• AHD: American Heritage Dictionary
• FD: The Free Dictionary – ONLINE
• MW: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary – ONLINE
• OED: Oxford English Dictionary – ONLINE
• RHD: Random House Dictionary – ONLINE
• NI: Webster's New International Dictionary
• SC: Strong's Concordance
• WNW: Webster's New World Dictionary: 3rd edition