10WordsQStudy guides › Level 7 · Roots & Origins
Borrowed words
💡 The idea
English has borrowed words from all over the world, often along with the thing itself. A good first guess: where does the thing come from?
⚡ Handy ones
| Word | From |
|---|---|
| kindergarten | German (“children’s garden”) |
| piano | Italian |
| ballet | French |
| tsunami, karate | Japanese |
| shampoo, jungle | Hindi |
| canyon, mosquito, patio | Spanish |
| robot | Czech |
| algebra | Arabic |
| yoga, avatar | Sanskrit |
| kayak, igloo | Inuit |
| cookie, yacht | Dutch |
| ski | Norwegian |
| chocolate, tomato | Spanish (which took them from Nahuatl, the Aztec language) |
⚠️ Watch out
- Words travel. English borrowed “chocolate” from Spanish, and Spanish had taken it from Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. The app asks for the language English took it from.
- Spelling clues help: -garten looks German; -ami and -ate endings often come from Japanese.
🎯 Try these
- igloo
- algebra
- kindergarten
Answers: 1) Inuit 2) Arabic 3) German
This guide is also in the 10WordsQ app: tap “📖 Study guide” after a question.