Spanish Words That Have Arabic Origins

Have you ever caught a glimpse of the connections between Spanish and Arabic words? It’s not just your imagination—there’s a fascinating story behind it! This link is rooted in Spain’s rich history of Muslim conquest and rule, which left a lasting mark on the language and culture. Discovering this Arabic influence can give you fresh insights into modern Spanish. In this quick guide, we’ll explore how Arabic shaped the Spanish language and introduce you to some popular Spanish words that have their roots in Arabic.

The Arabic Influence on Spanish Language

To understand the influence of Arabic on Spanish, it’s helpful to be familiar with the history. Like French, Portuguese, and Italian, the modern-day Spanish language belongs to the family of Romance languages and descends from Vulgar Latin. Until the Muslim conquest, Latin had had the biggest influence on Spanish. But, in 711 AD, the Islamic Empire conquered the Southern region of Spain and ruled over the Iberian Peninsula (then renamed Al-Andalus) until 1492 AD.

As a result, Arabic became key in developing the Spanish language to what we know today. There are words borrowed from Arabic that are present in modern Spanish from Europe to Latin America. You’ll notice that many Spanish words derived from Arabic start with “a-” or “al-.” This is because the “al-” root is similar to the English word “the.” Arabic has also influenced quite a few Spanish words for food.

22 Spanish Words with Arabic Origins

There are two types of Arabic-related words in Spanish: the ones that are derived from Arabic words, and the ones that have Arabic roots. The difference is that derived words have been modified to adjust to the sounds in the Spanish pronunciation. Words with Arabic roots, on the other hand, carry their original meaning. For example, “al-kanz” literally means “treasure,” while “al-kuhol” refers to an ancient practice that has nothing to do with drinking alcohol.

Below, you’ll find a list of 22 Spanish words with Arabic origins.

1. Albahaca (Basil)

This comes from the Arabic word, “habaqah,” which means “basil.” The word “habaqah” later became “alhabáqa,” which eventually led to the word “albahaca” that we use today.

2. Albaricoque (Apricot)

“Albaricoque” means “apricot” in English. This word is derived from the Arab, “al-barquq.” The original meaning of this word is “plum.”

3. Alcancía (Piggy Bank)

This is an interesting word because it comes from the Arab word, “al-kanz” and translates to “treasure.” In English, an “alcancía” is a “piggy bank.”

4. Arroz (Rice)

The Spanish word “arroz” is closely related to its original Arabic form, “ar-uzz.” They even sound similar! The English translation for this word is “rice.”

5. Azúcar (Sugar)

“Azúcar” comes from the Arabic word “al-sukkar,” which means sugar.

6. Barrio (Neighborhood)

The Spanish word, “barrio” is derived from the Arab word, “barri.” While “barrio” translates to “neighborhood,” “barri” means “outside of the city.”

7. Bellota (Acorn)

The Spanish word “bellota” comes from the Arabic word “belluta.” In English, this word means “acorn.”

8. Berenjena (Eggplant)

“Berenjena” comes from the Arabic word “badenjan.” Its English translation is “eggplant.”

9. Dado (Dice)

The Spanish word “dado” is derived from the Arabic word, “a’dad.” Its original meaning is, “numbers.” Interestingly, the English translation for “dado” is “dice.”

10. Elixir (Elixir)

The Spanish word “elixir” is spelled differently than the original Arabic word, “al-iksir” but they sound similar and have the same meaning. You might notice the English word is spelled the same as the Spanish one.

11. Escabeche (Marinade)

The Spanish word “escabeche” is derived from the Arabic word “assukkabág.” This word can be hard to understand because its original meaning is closer to “spaghetti” than to the English word “marinade.” In Latin American Spanish vocabulary, however, this word is used to refer to a dish that is cooked by marinating fish, chicken, or meat in vinegar.

12. Guitarra (Guitar)

The Arabic word “gitara” is very similar to its Spanish counterpart, “guitarra.” It’s not surprising that they both mean “guitar” in English.

13. Hazaña (Good deed)

The Spanish word “hazaña” comes from the Arabic, “hasana.” “Hasana” is a popular Arabic word that translates to “good deed.”

14. Jarabe (Syrup)

The Spanish word “jarabe” means “syrup” in English. The Arabic word it came from, “sharab” can also translate to syrup, drink, or beverage.

15. Jarra (Jar)

The Spanish word “jarra” comes from the very similar Arabic word, “jarrah.” One would think that “jarrah” would simply translate to “jar” but it’s more specific. It means, “earthen jar.”

16. Jirafa (Giraffe)

The Spanish word “jirafa” comes from the Arabic word “zarafah.” This word originated from the Persian word, “zurnapa.” In English, we call this animal “giraffe.”

17. Laúd (Lute)

The word “laúd” comes from the Arabic, “al’úd.” However, many people believe that this word originated from “úd.” “Al’úd” and “laúd” both translate to “lute.” A lute is a stringed musical instrument that was very popular in Europe during the Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque eras.

18. Limón (Lemon)

The Spanish word “limón” comes from the classic Arabic word “limun.”

19. Mazmorra (Dungeon)

The Spanish word “mazmorra” comes from the Arabic “matmura.” Both of these words refer to cellar-like underground prisons.

20. Mezquino (Stingy)

The Spanish word “mezquino” comes from the Arabic word, “miskeen.” It refers to someone who acts poor or who’s associated with misery.

21. Naranja (Orange)

The Spanish word “naranja” originated from the Arabic word, “narag.”

22. Ojalá (Hopefully)

“Ojalá” is a common word in Spanish that means “hopefully.” It comes from the Arabic word, “Inshallah,” which means “God-willing.”

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