The influence of
Arabic on the Spanish language is fundamentally
lexical but its other influences are also briefly examined in this article. It is estimated that there are about one thousand Arabic
roots and approximately three thousand
derived words, making a total of around four thousand words or 8% of the Spanish dictionary. See
Influences on the Spanish language for more on how the number of Arabisms in Spanish has been estimated. The exact number of words of Arabic origin and their derivatives in Spanish is not known, and many words not included on this list are
regionalisms: words that are used in certain parts of Spain and/or Hispanic America but are generally unknown elsewhere. The high point of Arabic word use in Spanish was in late medieval times and has declined since then but hundreds are still used in normal conversation. The large majority of these words are nouns, with a number of
verbs and
adjectives derived direct from these nouns, e.g.
alquilar (to rent) and
alquilado (rented) from
alquiler (rent), most of which are excluded from this list. There is also one
preposition:
hasta (until), and one
adverb:
he. There has been little influence on the basic grammatical structure of the language. Many Arabic loanwords in Spanish start with
a- or
al-, where these sounds come from the Arabic
article al- (giving just
a- when the Arabic word begins with a
solar letter). This initial
a(l)- is an integral part of the word in Spanish; that is, it is not a
morpheme.
List of words of Arabic origin This is an open list of Spanish words acquired
directly from
Classical and
Andalusi Arabic, listed in alphabetical order. This list includes the Spanish meaning of the word as well as the Arabic
etymology. No fixed standard of
Arabic transliteration is used.
Rationale for inclusion Due to the great influence of Arabic on Spanish vocabulary, this list is relatively restrictive: • This list has been edited to include only words considered to appertain to the Spanish language and the
Hispanic culture and society. Arabic words that may be understood by Spanish speakers but remain foreign to the Hispanic civilisation such as
Ayatolá,
Yihad and
Chiita are excluded from this list. • Only words that have passed direct from Arabic are included. Arabic words that entered the Spanish language through other, non-
Iberian,
Indo-European languages (such as
Ayatolá,
Beduino,
Sofá and
sorbete) are not included. Included as exceptions to this rule are
álcali and
álgebra, words of Arabic origin thought to have entered Spanish through "
Low Latin"—as suggested by their initial stress (the
Arabic definite article al- is not normally borrowed as a stressed syllable). • Generally, only Spanish root words are listed, derivations (including nouns, verbs or adjectives) not being included. For example,
aceite (from
az-zeit, oil) is included but not
aceitería,
aceitero,
aceitón or
aceitoso. On the other hand,
aceituna (
olive) is included since it derives not from
az-zeit but from
az-zeituna in Arabic, even though the root of the
Arabic word is the same.
Aceituno (olive tree), on the other hand, would not be included, since it shares the same root as
aceituna. For this reason a significant number of verbs and adjectives are excluded from this list. An exception to this rule may be made when the derived word is much more commonly used than the
root word, when the meaning of the derivative has no evident connection with the root word or when it is not clear that one is derived from the other (e.g. horro and ahorrar). • Words derived from Mozarabic are not included (Mozarabic being fundamentally a
Romance language) unless the Mozarabic word is itself derived from classical or Andalusi Arabic. • Words acquired from
Berber or
Hebrew (or other
Afro-Asiatic languages) are not included. The etymology and meaning of most of these words can be verified on the site of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española, although a small minority are available only in other sources or past editions of this dictionary. Many of these words will be unfamiliar to many Spanish speakers because their use is restricted to certain regions of Spain or Spanish-speaking countries, or they are no longer in regular use. For example, the Arabic-derived word for ‘jewel’,
alhaja, is very common in Mexico, whereas in Spain it is restricted to rural areas of the southern half of the country, the alternative Spanish term
joya being much more common. On the other hand, the Arabic derived term for fruit juice,
zumo, is the standard term in Spain, whereas in Hispanic America the Latin-derived
jugo or
agua are generally used. The Arabic term
alberca in Spain refers to agricultural water deposits, whereas in Mexico it is the common term used for swimming pool, as opposed to
piscina elsewhere or
pileta in Argentina.
A (Ababol to Azumbre) •
ababol:
poppy, in
Aragon,
Navarre,
Albacete and
Murcia. From Andalusian Arabic
Happapáwr, a fusion from the Arabic plural
al-ḥabūb (الْحُبُوب) (), the generic term for "seeds, beans or grains", and the Latin
papāver. •
abacero: owner of an
abacería, small food shop. From Andalusi Arabic
*ṣaḥb uz-zād () "owner of supplies." () •
abadí: descendant/lineage of
Mohammed ben Abad, founder of the
Taifa Kingdom of Seville in the 11th century AD. From Andalusi Arabic '' 'abbādī'' (عبّادي) (). •
abalorio: cheap jewellery or jewellery beads. From Andalusi Arabic and Arabic
al-ballūriy[u] (بَلْورَة) () "[made of/ like] glass or clear as crystal". Ultimately from Greek , "beryl" () •
abarraz: stavesacre (
Delphinium staphisagria), a medicinal plant. From Andalusian Arabic
ḥább arrás () "head seeds" (). •
abasí: pertaining to the
Abbasid dynasty from Arabic عَبَّاسِيّ (), which overthrew the
Umayyads in the 8th century. •
abelmosco:
musk seeds, an aromatic plant. From Andalusi Arabic
ḥabb al musk () literally "musk seeds." Classical Arabic ''ḥabbu 'l musk'' (). •
abencerraje: used in expression: "
Zegríes y abencerrajes", "partisans of opposite interests". The
Abencerrajes (in Arabic
aban as-sarráǧ) was an Arabic family of the
Kingdom of Granada, rivals of the Zegríes in the 15th century (). •
abenuz:
ebony. From Arabic
abanūs (أَبَنُوس) of the same meaning but in Arabic referring to the "black wood" of the tropical tree. () •
abismal: screw in head of a spear. From Arabic
al-mismar (الْمِسْمَر) "nail." (). •
abitaque: a cut of wood used in construction of a certain shape and dimension. From Arabic
aṭ-ṭabaqah (الطَّبَقَة) "layer" or "intermediate chamber" or "group, standard, type". (). •
acebibe: raisin. From Arabic
az-zabīb (الزَّبِيب) of the same meaning but also "dried grape" or "currant" [=
Ribes, genus of berry plants, e.g. blackcurrant, redcurrant and white currant]. (). •
acebuche: wild olive tree, or wood from such a tree. From Andalusi Arabic
azzabbúǧ. •
aceche:
copper,
iron or
zinc sulphate. From Andalusi (Hispanic) Arabic ''*azzáj, الزَّاج), meaning
vitriol -
sulphuric acid or a sulphate زاج (). •
aceifa: Muslim summer military expedition. From Arabic
aṣ-ṣayf (الصَّيْف), "summer" (). •
aceite: oil. From Arabic
az-zayt (الزَّيْت) "oil" (). •
aceituna: olive. From Arabic
az-zaytūn (الزَّيْتُون) () "olive" (). •
aceituní: precious cloth from the Orient. From Arabic
az-zaytuni, a possible adaptation of the Chinese city Tsö-Thung . •
acelga:
Chard. From Arabic
as-salq (السَّلْق) of the same meaning (). •
acémila:
beast of burden; tax formerly paid in Spain. From Arabic
az-zamilah "beast of burden", most likely stemming the Arabic scientific term for "pack-animal", "''aḍ-ḍābatu 'l-ḥaml'' (الذَّابَةُ الْحَمْل)" () •
acemite: wheat husk; a type of wheat porridge. From Arabic
semolina,
as-samid (السَّمِيد) (). •
acenefa: see
cenefa. •
aceña:
watermill. From Arabic
as-saniyah (السانية) "the lifter." •
acequia: irrigation canal. From Arabic
as-saqiyah () "the irrigator" (). •
acerola: fruit of the trees
Malpighia emarginata or
M. glabra, generally found in the Americas, of the
Malpighiaceae family. This should be differentiated from the European Service Rowan Tree (
Sorbus domestica), family
Rosaceae. From Arabic ''zu 'rūrah
(). Originally from Syriac za‘rārā''. •
acetre: bucket or cauldron used to extract water from a well; small cauldron used to spray
holy water in
Christian liturgy. From Arabic
as-saṭl () (), from the latin word sitŭla. •
aciar: (or
acial): instrument used to keep farm-animals still by squeezing their ear or snout. From Arabic
az-ziyār (الزِيَار) with the same meaning (). •
acíbar:
aloe (both the plant and its bitter juice); bitterness, grief, distaste. From Arabic
aṣ-ṣabir (الصَّبِر) (). •
acicalar: to clean or polish (
Acicalarse in reflexive form); to make oneself look good by combing, shaving etc. From Arabic
aṣ-ṣaql (الصَّقْل), an instrument used for polishing things (). •
acicate: spurs or the spikes on spurs; incentive. From Arabic
(Muzil) as-siqaT "what takes away weaknesses." •
acidaque: Muslim dowry. From Arabic
aṣ-ṣadāq (الصّداق),
dowry in
Islamic law. () •
acimut: azimuth, an astronomical concept - the angle with which the meridian forms a vertical circle which passes through a point in the globe. From Arabic
as-sumut (السُّمُوت) plural of
samt سَمْت. •
ación: handle on the stirrup. From Arabic
as-suyūr (السُّيُور), plural of
sayr (سَيْر) "strap" or "belt" (). •
acirate: line of soil used to separate different plots of land; path between two lines of trees. From Arabic
aṣ-ṣirāṭ (الصِّرَاط) () (). •
acitara or
citara: thin wall, normally on a bridge. From Arabic
as-sitārah (السِّتَارَة), wall to avoid falls - possibly from the Arabic for curtain, drapes or "hangings" (). •
achacar: to blame. From Arabic
tashakkà (): to complain or to blame (). •
adafina: pot used by Jews to cook. It is buried in embers on Friday night, where it cooks until Saturday. From Arabic:
dafina () "buried", alternative meaning "hidden treasure" (). •
adalid: leader; general of Spanish militia. From Arabic
dalil (). (). •
adaraja: each of the gaps made by the bricks in a horizontally unfinished wall. From
daraja () (). •
adarga: leather shield. From Arabic
daraqa(t) (درقة) "shield." (). •
adárgama: flour, rarely used today. From Arabic
darmaka دَرْمَك (). •
adarme: small portion of something; type of measurement. From Arabic
dirham () (). •
adarvar: to shock. From Arabic
dharb () "blow." Replaced by
pasmar and
aturdir in current speech (). •
adarve: wall of a fortress; protection, defense. From Arabic
dharb () •
adefera: a small, square wall or floor tile. From Arabic
add-ddafeera (). •
adehala: that which is granted or taken as obligatory with the price in the leasing or sale of a property. From Mozarabic
ad ihala and originally from Arabic
ihala "offering credit.". •
adelfa:
oleander. From Arabic
ad-difla (الدِّفْلَى) of the same meaning (). •
ademán: gesticulation which expresses the will to do something. From Arabic
adh-dhamān (الضَّمَان), literally meaning legal guarantees. The change of meaning is due to the exaggerated promises and gesticulations which were offered in such a plea (). •
ademe: wooden structures used to strengthen tunnels in mines. From Arabic ''da'm'' (دَعم), meaning "buttress, support, fortify, pillar, hold up". () •
adiafa: present or refreshment given to sailors when back from a voyage. From Arabic
Diyafa (
adh-dhiyāfah الضِّيَافَة) "present of hospitality", the word for "accommodation, hospitality, housing" or "hospitable reception" () •
adivas: a disease provoking throat inflammation in animals. From Arabic
aD-Dibbah "wolverine", which is the old Arabic name for this disease. Most likely the disease
lupus, ''aḍ-ḍa'ab'' (الذَّأَب) (). •
adive: a type of canid similar to a fox. From Arabic a''ḍ-ḍi'b'' (الذِّئْب) (). •
adobe: brick made from clay. From Arabic
aṭ-ṭūbah (الطُّوبَة, from Coptic
tôbe) of the same meaning, and from
ad-dabba. •
adoquín: paving-stone, cobble; block. From Arabic
Dukkan bench of rock or wood () . •
ador: in regions where water for irrigation is restricted and shared out by local authorities, irrigation-time for each farm/field. From Arabic
dawr . •
aduana: customs house; customs. From Arabic
diwaan () (). •
aduar: semi-permanent rural settlement, normally used for Gypsies, Bedouins or Amerindians in South America. From Bedouin Arabic دُوَّار
duwwar (). •
adúcar: type of silk made from the outside of the silk-worm's cocoon. From Andalusi Arabic
Haduqa (). •
adufe: tambourine used by Spanish Muslims. Originally from Arabic
ad-duff (الدُّفّ), the generic word for tambourine (). •
adul: in Morocco,
assessor of the
Cadí (see under letter C, another Arabic loanword). From Arabic ‘
adl (عَدْل), "honorable, trustworthy person" or "fair, impartial" (). •
adula: see
dula. •
adunia: (adverb) lots. From Andalusi Arabic
addunya, originally from classical Arabic
ad-dunyā (الدُّنْيَا) "the (whole) world", "the material world" () •
adutaque: same meaning as
adárgama. From Arabic
ad-duqāq (الدُّقَاق) "fine flour" or "flour meal" (). •
afán: effort; desire; zeal. From
afanar. •
afanar: to steal; to work with passion. From Arabic
al-fanā‘ (فناء) "extinction, extinction, destruction, vanishing", the notion, emotion of "annihilation through passion", used in poetry or to describe a type of madness () •
aguajaque: the whitish resin of fennel. From Arabic
aw-washaq "contaminated with water" (). •
agüela: Income from interest on loans assigned in public documents; Renta de los derechos sobre préstamos consignados en documento público. From Arabic
Hawalah (). •
ahorro: from Arabic حُرّ (ḥurr, “free, noble, virtuous”). Same origin of
horro. •
ajabeba: Moorish flute. From Classical Arabic
ash-shabbābah (الشَّبَّابَة), the generic word for "flute, clarinet" (). •
ajaquefa: Roof. Same origin as
Azaquefa (see the word). •
ajaraca: Ornamental loop in Andalusian and Arabic architecture. From Andalusi Arabic
Ash-sharakah "loop". •
ajarafe: terrace. From Classical Arabic
saraf "commanding height () •
ajebe:
Alum;
Para rubber tree. From Arabic
ash-Shabb (). •
ajedrea: plant in the genus
Satureja (family
Lamiaceae), about 30 cm in height, with many branches and dark, narrow leaves. It is cultivated as an ornamental in gardens. From Arabic
assariyya or
assiriyya (), ultimately from Latin
satureia. •
ajedrez:
chess. From Arabic
ash shatranj (الشطرنج) which is from Persian
Shatranj from the
Sanskrit Chaturang (four armed) as was the shape of the original chess board in India () •
ajenuz: nutmeg flower or Roman Coriander (
Nigella sativa). From Andalusi Arabic
Shanuz and ultimately Classical Arabic
Shuniz (). •
ajimez:
bifora (twin arched window); wooden balcony with lattice windows. From Arabic
shamis (). •
ajomate: pluricellular
alga formed by very thin filaments, without knots, bright and of intense green color. It abounds in fresh waters of Spain. From Classical Arabic
gumam, pl. of
gumma, "luxurious hair". •
ajonjolí:
sesame; herbaceous,
annual plant of the family of the
Pedaliaceae, a meter high, straight stem, serrate and almost triangular leaves, white or rosy corolla, and fruit with four delicate, yellowish, oily and edible capsules and many seeds. From Classical Arabic
gulgulān ()"sesame." (). •
ajorca: bangle; type of gold hoop, silver or another metal, used by the women to adorn the wrists, arms or the feet. From Classical Arabic
shuruk الشَرَكة (), ultimately from the word
shirāk "strap." •
ajorrar: To drag, to tow. See
Jorro. •
ajuagas: equine animal ulcers. From Classical Arabic
shuqaq (). •
ajuar: dowry, a collection of household and personal items (clothes, furniture, jewelry etc...) which women in Spain traditionally prepare from a young age for the day in which they marry and move in with their husband. From Arabic
shawār, "household utensils". •
alacena: cupboard. From Classical Arabic
ẖizānah (خزانة) (). •
alacet: foundation of a building. From Classical Arabic
asas (أساس). () •
alacrán:
scorpion. From Classical Arabic
aqrab (عقرب) of same meaning (). •
aladar: Tuft of hair which falls on either side of the head. From Arabic
idar (). •
aladroque: Anchovy. From Andalusi Arabic
Al Hatruk (), "big mouthed". •
alafa: wage; pay. From Classical Arabic
alafah () "subsistence allowance." The word was replaced by
sueldo in modern Spanish. •
alafia: grace; pardon; mercy. From Andalusian Arabic
al afya ultimately from Classical Arabic
afiyah (عافية) "health" (). •
alahílca: tapestry to adorn the walls. Perhaps of
alailaca from Andalusian Arabic
ilaqa, and this of Classical Arabic
ilāqah (علاقة) perhaps meaning "hanger" (). •
alajor: Tax which was paid to owners of land where buildings were built. From Arabic
Ashur, period of ten days before Easter when debts were paid and alms were given. •
alajú: Andalusian cake made of almonds, nuts,
pine nuts, bread, spices and cooked honey. From
al Hashu "filling". •
alamar: A type of decorative attachment which is buttoned on clothing. From Andalusi Arabic
Alam, decoration (in clothes). •
alambique:
alembic, alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distilling chemicals. From Arabic
al-anbiq "the cup/container holding water", in turn from Greek. •
alambor: Two meanings in Spanish with two different etymologies. 1) Embankment, from Andalusi Arabic
Harabul "rim", from classical Arabic verb
Hawwala, "to alter". 2) Type of orange tree. From Catalan ''l'ambor
, singular of els zambors
, derived from Andalusi Arabic Azzambu''. •
alamín: Village judge who decided on irrigation distribution or official who measured weights. From Arabic
al-amin (). •
alamud: Steel bar used to close windows. From Arabic
amud (). •
alaqueca: A type of blood-coloured quartz. From Arabic
'
aqiq. Currently replaced by the word
cornalina (). •
alárabe: Arab. From Andalusi Arabic, maintaining the definite article
al arabi.العربي (). •
alarde/alardear: To boast/to show off. From Arabic "show" (
ala?ard العرض) (). •
alarife: 1) Architect 2) Builder (in mining) 3) Astute or quick-witted person (in Argentina and Uruguay). From Arabic ''al 'arif'': The expert (). •
alarije (uva): A type of grape. From Arabic ''al'aris''. •
alaroz: Crossbar which divides a window or a door. From Arabic ''al'arud'': Obstacle placed to block entry. •
alaroza: Fiancée or newly wed wife. From Arabic Andalusi Arabic
al-arusa (العروسة), (). •
alatar: Drug, spice or perfume dealer. From Arabic
al attar(العطّار), (). . •
alatrón: Nitrate foam. From Arabic
an-nattrun. •
alazán/alazano: Reddish cinnamon coloured, used commonly to describe sorrel-coloured horses. From Arabic
al-as·hab. From Andalusian Arabic الاسهاب, from Arabic اَصْهَب (aṣ·hab, () "reddish, reddish-brown"). •
alazor:
safflower. From Arabic
al-usfur. •
albacara: Wall around a fortress, within which cattle were normally kept. From Arabic
bab al-baqqara "The cattle gate/door".
baqara (بقرة) means "cow" in Arabic. •
albacea: Executor (of a will). From Andalusi Arabic
Sahb al Wassiya (صاحب الوصية); "The owner of the will". •
albacora: Albacore. From Arabic
al-bakura "premature" or
al-bakrah "young camel." •
albadena: Type of tunic or silk dress. From Arabic
badan: Type of shirt which covers the torso. •
albahaca:
Basil. From Arabic
al-habaqah (). •
albahío: Pale yellowish colour, used commonly for cattle. From Arabic
bahi: "Shining" (الباهية) (). •
albalá: Official document. From Arabic ''al-bara'ah''. •
albaida: Anthyllis cystoides (Flowering plant). From Arabic
al-baida: "The white one" (البيضاء) ().. •
albanega: 1) Net used for hair. 2) Rabbit trap. From Arabic
al-baniqa. •
albañal: Sewer. From Andalusi Arabic
al-ballá: "swallower". •
albañil: Construction worker. From Andalusi Arabic
al-banni. Originally from classical Arabic
banna (). •
albaquía: The remainder. From Arabic
al-baqi (الباقي) of the same meaning (). •
albarán: Invoice. From Arabic ''al-bara'ah'' (). •
albarazo:
Vitiligo. From Andalusi Arabic
Al-Barash (). •
albarda: Packsaddle. From Arabic ''al-barda'ah'' (). •
albardán: Clown or fool. From Andalusi Arabic
albardán: "insolent". Originally from Classical Arabic
bardan: "Idiot (cold headed)" (). •
albardín: Plant endemic to the Spanish steppes, similar in nature and use to
Esparto. From Arabic "al-bardi": "papyrus" (). •
albaricoque: Apricot. From Arabic
al-barqouq (البرقوق) "plum" or "early-ripe." •
albarrada: 1) Clay vase, see
alcarraza. 2) Stone wall. From Arabic
al-barradah: "the cooler". •
albarrán: 1) Farm boy 2) Shepherd 3) Person with no fixed residence. From Andalusi Arabic
al-barrani: "Outsider". •
albatoza: Small, covered boat. From Arabic
al-gattosha:
grebe. Due to the Arabic custom of giving names of birds to vessels. •
albayalde:
Cerrusite. From Arabic
al-bayad (). •
albéitar: Vet. From Arabic
al-baytar (). •
albenda: Decorated white linen. From Arabic
al-band. •
alberca: Water deposit for irrigation. In
Mexico and
Honduras it is also the term of choice for
swimming pool. From Arabic
al-birka (البِركة) "pond" (). •
albérchigo: Apricot tree. From Andalusi Arabic
al-bershiq. •
albihar:
Mayweed. From Arabic
al-bahar. •
albitana: 1) Fence to protect plants in gardening. 2) Prolongation of the keel or stern post of a ship. From Arabic
al-bitana. •
alboaire: The craft of decorating churches and domes with "azulejos". From Andalusi Arabic
al-buhaira: lagoon. •
albogue: Single-reed clarinet used in Spain. From Arabic
al-bûq (البوق): The horn or the trumpet (). •
alboheza:
Malva, from Andalusi Arabic
al-
hubayza (). •
albohol:
Morning glory, from Andalusi Arabic
al-hubuul: "rope". •
albollón: Drainage or sewage. From Mozarabic
Ballaón and ultimately from Classical Arabic ''balla'ah''. •
albóndiga: Meatball; ball. From Arabic
al-bunduqa (البندقة) "the ball," from Greek (κάρυον) ποντικόν
(káryon) pontikón, "Pontic [nut]" (). •
albórbola: Joy, celebratory noise. From Arabic
walwalah. •
alborga: Matweed sandal. From Arabic
albúlḡa (). •
albornía: A type of large vase. From Arabic
barniya (). •
albornoz: Bathrobe. From
al-burnos (البرنس); "(bath)robe" (). •
alboronía: A type of Andalusian vegetable stew. From Arabic
al buranniya "Buran's (stew)." Buran was the wife of Caliph Ma'moun. •
alboroque: 1) A present or gratuity given in exchange for a service. 2) The kind treatment and lavish attention offered and received in anticipation of a commercial transaction. From Andalusi Arabic
al-borok, possibly ultimately from Classical Arabic
arbun. •
alboroto: Riot, joy. Comes from arabism
alborozo (joy), from andalusí Arabic
al-burúz derived from
Classical Arabic al-burūz, "military parade previous to a campaign"; or related to Latin
volutāre. •
alborozo: Extreme chaos or happiness. From Andalusi Arabic
al-buruz: "Military parade prior to an expedition". •
albotín:
Turpentine Tree. From Arabic
butm of the same meaning (). •
albricias: 1) Term used to congratulate someone. 2) Present or gift provided to a bringer of good news. From Arabic
bushra (). •
albudeca: A bad
watermelon. From Andalusi Arabic
al batiha (). •
albufera: Lagoon. From Arabic
al buhaira(البُحيرَة) ().. •
albur: This term has a wide range of meanings: 1)
Flathead mullet (Spain and Cuba), 2) A card combination in a card game known as Banca, 3) A chance occurrence on which an enterprise hedges its bets, 4) An expression which has a double or hidden meaning (Mexico and Dominican Republic) 4) An amorous affair (Nicaragua), 5) A lie, slander or rumour (Puerto Rico and Honduras). From Arabic
al-boori (). •
alcabala: 1) A tax on commercial transactions. 2) Police checkpoint outside cities and on main roads (Colombia and Venezuela). From Andalusi Arabic
al qabala (). •
alcabor: Hollow interior of a chimney or oven. From Arabic
al qabw (). •
alcabtea: A type of linen. From Arabic
al qubtiya, meaning "Egyptian" or "Coptic" (). •
alcacel or
alcacer: 1) Green barley 2) A barley field. From Arabic
al qasil (). •
alcachofa: Artichoke. From Arabic
al-ẖarshoof of the same meaning. •
alcaduz: Water pipe. From Arabic
Qâdûs (قادوس) meaning "water-wheel scoop" (). •
alcafar: Limbs of a cuadruped (normally a horse). From Arabic
al kafal (). •
alcahaz: Birdcage. From Arabic
qafaṣ (قفص) () of the same meaning. •
alcahuete: Accomplice, pimp, a person who helps another in a love affair, specially an illicit one; gossipy person. Alcahuete comes from Hispanic Arabic
alqawwad (the messenger), and this from
Classical Arabic qawwad (القوَّاد) (). This "messenger" carried messages to a married woman's lover. By extension it became commonly known as any person who sets up a love affair, generally illicit. •
alcaicería: an establishment where silk farmers presented their produce, under the rights reserved to the Muslim rulers in
Granada and other towns of the
Nasrid Kingdom. From Andalusi Arabic
Al-Qaysariya, originally from the Latin
Caesarea (). •
alcaide: a term historically referred to various positions of government authority. In modern Spanish commonly refers to a prison warden. From Arabic ''al qa'id''(القائد) (), "military commander". •
alcalde: Mayor. From Arabic
al-qadi (the judge).
Qadi comes from the verb
qada (to judge) (). •
álcali: Alkali. From Arabic
qalawi (قلوي) of the same meaning thru Medieval Latin. •
alcaller: Clay artisan or his helper. From Andalusi Arabic
al qallal (). •
alcamiz: An obsolete term referring to a list of soldiers. Its etymology is an erroneous transmission of
at-taymiz, "Military inspection" in Andalusi Arabic and "Distinction" in Classical Arabic. •
alcamonías: Seeds used in spice mixes such as anisseed or cumin. It is also a now obsolete expression referring to the act of hiding things. From Arabic
kammuniya(الكَمّون) (), a cumin-based concoction. •
alcana: Henna or Henna tree. From Arabic,
hinna (). •
alcaná: Commercial street or neighbourhood. From Arabic القناة
qanaah: "Drains or water pipes" (). •
alcancía: Clay money box, penny or
piggy bank. From Andalusi Arabic
alkanzíyya, derived from classical Arabic
kanz: "treasure" (). •
alcándara: Hook used to hang clothes or fowl. From Arabic
Kandarah. •
alcandía:
Sorghum. From Andalusi Arabic
qatniyya. •
alcandora: A type of shirt. From Arabic
qandura. •
alcanería: A rural term for a type of artichoke. From Andalusi Arabic
al-qannariya, an Arabic rendering of the Latin
cannaria. •
alcanfor:
Camphor. From Andalusi Arabic
Al-Kafur. •
alcántara/alcantarilla: Drain. From Arabic
al-qantarah meaning "bridge" (). •
alcaparra: Caper. From Andalusian Arabic
al-kaparra. Via Latin and Greek. •
alcaraván:
Stone-Curlew. From Andalusian Arabic
al-karawan. •
alcaravea:
Caraway. From Andalusi Arabic
al-Karawiya. •
alcarceña: Name given to the
Ervil and the
Carob. From Andalusi Arabic
al-kershana, meaning "the big bellied", due to the plants causing a swelled stomach when consumed in large quantities. •
alcarraza: A type of clay container similar to a Spanish
Botijo. From Andalusi Arabic
al-karraza. Ultimately from Persian
Koraz. •
alcarria: Of uncertain Arabic etymology. Refers to a flat highland with little vegetation. •
alcatenes: A type of medicine which is mixed with copper sulfate to treat ulcers. From Arabic
al-qutn. •
alcatara (or alquitara):
Alembic. From Arabic root for the verb "to distill"
qattara (). •
alcatifa: An obsolete term for a thin carpet or underlay for carpet. From Arabic
al-qatifa (). •
alcatraz:
Cormorant. From Arabic
القطرس al-qaṭrās, meaning "sea eagle". •
alcaucil: Artichoke. From Spanish Andalusi Arabic
alqabsíl[a], that comes from Mozarab diminutive
kapićéḻa, and this from Spanish Latin
capĭtia, "head". Standard Latin,
caput-itis. •
alcaudon:
Shrike. From Andalusi Arabic
al-kaptan. •
alcavela/
alcavera: Mob, herd, family, tribe. From Arabic
al-qabila. •
alcayata: Metallic hanger or hook. From Andalusi Arabic
al-kayata, originally from Latin
Caia •
alcazaba: Palace. From Arabic
al-qasbah, (قصبة), "the quarter" (). •
alcázar: Citadel; palace. From Arabic
al-qasr (القصر) "the citadel," from Latin
castrum, "castle," same etymology with Spanish term
castro (). •
alcazuz (or orozuz): Liquorice. From Arabic
‘urúq sús or
‘írq sús, and from classic Arabic
irqu [s]sús. •
alcoba: Alcove. From Arabic
al-qubba (القُبَّة) () "the vault" or "the arch". •
alcohela:
Endive. From the
Andalusi Arabic alkuḥáyla, and this one from the Arabic ''kuḥaylā'.'' •
alcohol: From Arabic
al-kuhul (الكحول), fine powder of
antimony sulfide used as eye makeup. Derivate word: alcoholar. •
alcolla: Large glass bulb or a
Decanter. From Hispanic Arabic
alqúlla, and this one from the Arabic
qullah. •
alcor:
Hill. From Hispanic Arabic
alqúll, and this one from the Latin collis. • alcora • alcorcí • alcorque • alcorza • alcotán • alcotana • alcrebite • alcuacil • alcubilla • alcuña • alcuza • alcuzcuz • alchub • aldaba •
aldea/aldeano: Village / Villager. • aldiza • alefriz • aleja • alejija • alema • alerce • aletría • aleve/alevoso/alevosía: from Hispanic Arabic ''al'áyb
and the latter from Classical Arabic áyb'', "defect, blemish, or smudge of infamy" () • aleya • alfaba • alfábega • alfadía •
alfaguara: Geyser. From Arabic
fawwâra (فوارة): "spout, fountain, water jet" (). • alfahar/alfaharería • alfaida • alfajeme •
alfajor: Sweet almond shortbread. From Spanish Arabic
fašúr, and this from Persian
afšor (juice). •
alfalfa: alfalfa hay. From Hispanic Arabic alfáṣfaṣ[a], from Classical Arabic fiṣfiṣah, and this from Pelvi aspast. •
alfaneque: 1) A type of bird, from Arabic
al-fanak () 2) A tent, from Berber
afarag. •
alfanje: A type of sword. From Arabic
al-janyar "dagger". • alfaque • alfaqueque • alfaquí • alfaquín • alfaraz •
alfarda: Two meanings; from Arabic
al-farda and from Arabic
al-fardda. •
alfarero: potter. • alfardón • alfareme • alfarje • alfarrazar • alfaya • alfayate • alfazaque •
alféizar: Window ledge. From Arabic
al-hayzar, "The one which takes possession". •
alfeñique: 1) Weakling. 2) A type of sweet consumed in Spain and Mexico. From Andalusi Arabic
Al-Fanid. Ultimately from Persian and Sanskrit. • alferecía • alferez • alferraz •
alferza: Piece, known as Vizir in other languages, corresponding to the modern chess "
queen" (though far weaker), from which modern
chess developed in medieval Spain. From Andalusi Arabic
Al Farza, ultimately from Persian
Farzan, "the guardian". • alficoz •
alfil: Bishop, in chess. From Arabic
al-fiyl (الفيل) () "The elephant." • alfilel/alfiler • alfinge • alfitete • alfiz • alfolí •
alfombra: Carpet. Two meanings; from Arabic
al-jumra and from Arabic
al-humra. •
alfóncigo: Pistachio. From Arabic
al-fustuq (). • alfóndiga • alforfón •
alforja: Saddlebag. From Arabic
al-khurj ( الخرج ) "saddle-bag", portmanteau (). • alforre • alforrocho • alforza • alfóstiga •
alfoz: Neighborhood, district. From Arabic
hauz (حوز) meaning "Precinct" or "City limits" (). • algaba • algadara • algaida • algalaba • algalia • algalife • algar • algara • algarada •
algarabía: Incomprehensible talk; gabble; gibberish. From Arabic ''al-'arabiya'': "Arabic" (). • algarivo •
algarazo: Short rainstorm. From Arabic ''al 'ard'': "cloud". • algarrada •
algarrobo: Carob. From Arabic
al-kharouba "the carob" (). • algavaro • algazafán • algazara • algazul •
álgebra: Algebra. From Latin
algebræ from Arabic
al-jabr, meaning "completion, rejoining", from the name of
al-Khwarizmi's book
Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala "
The Calculus of Completion and Equality." •
algodón: Cotton. From Arabic "al-qúţun (قطن)", meaning "The cotton", "Egyptian", "Coptic". • algorfa •
algoritmo: algorithm, comes from the Latin word
algobarismus, influenced by the Greek word
arithmos "number". The persian name of
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, محمد بن موسى ا
لخوارزمي, famous mathematician, through its Latinized prounuciation
Algorithmi. • algorza: •
alguacil: Sheriff. From Arabic "al-wazîr (الوزير)", meaning "Minister". •
alguaquida: fuel for a fire. From Arabic
waqîda (وقيدة) meaning "Fuel" () •
alguaza: Window or door hinge.From Arabic
wasl "juncture". •
alhadida: From Arabic "
al-hadida" (الحديدة) (), meaning
Copper sulfate. •
alhaite: Jewel. From Arabic
al hayt "string". الخيط () •
alhaja: Jewel. From Arabic
al-hajah "the valuable thing." الحاجة () •
alhamar: Red mattress or bed cover. From Arabic
hanbal, "fur bedcover". Also from Arabic
Alhamar ()/ Al-Ahmar "red". •
alhamel: Beast of burden or human porter, in Andalusian Spanish. From Arabic
hammal. الحامل، حمّال () •
alhamí: Stone bench normally covered with
azulejos. Refers to the Grenadine town of Alhama. •
alhandal:
Colocynth. From Arabic
Alhandhal. الحنظل () •
alhanía: 1) Bedroom 2) Cupboard 3) A type of small mattress. From Andalusi Arabic
al haniyya, "alcove". •
alhaquín: Weaver. From Arabic plural
Al Hayikeen, "weavers". الحيّاكين () •
alharaca: Violent reaction to a small issue. From Arabic
haraka. حركة () •
alhavara: Flour. From Arabic
huwara. •
alhelí:
Aegean Wallflower. From Arabic
hiri. •
alheña: Spanish word for
Henna and the plant from which it is derived. •
alholva:
Fenugreek. From Arabic
hulbah. () •
alhorí: Same meaning and etymology as more commonly used term
alfolí. •
alhorre: 1) Feaces of a newborn child. From Arabic
hur, "feaces". 2) Common skin rash in babies, nappy rash. Commonly used in expression "
Yo te curaré el alhorre!" when threatening to beat a child. From Arabic
shakatu el hurr, "skin infection". •
alhorría: (or
ahorría): Expression used for when a slave is freed. From Arabic
al-hurriya, "freedom". •
alhucema:
Lavender. From Arabic
huzama (). •
alhuceña:
Woodruff. From Arabic
uhshina. •
aliara: Drinking horn. From Andalusian Arabic
al fiyara. •
alicante: Vernacular name of two different types of poisonous snakes present in Spain and Northern Mexico respectively. From Arabic
al aqrab, "scorpion". •
alicatar: To till. From Arabic
qat, "to cut". •
alicate: Pliers. From Arabic
laqaat, "tongs". •
alidada:
Alidade. From Andalusian Arabic ''al'idada'' (). •
alifa: Sugar cane, two years old, in Andalusian and Mexican Spanish. From Arabic
halifa () "successor". •
alifafe: 1) Light indisposition. 2) Type of tumor which develops on the legs of horses from excessive work. From Arabic
ifash "sowing bag". • alifara • alijar • alimara • alioj • alirón • alizace • alizar • aljaba • aljabibe • aljama •
aljamía/aljamiado: Medieval Romance Spanish or Mozarabic written in Arabic script. • aljaraz • aljarfa • aljébana • aljerife from arabic شريف () • aljez • aljibe from Andalusian Arabic
اَلْجُبّ (al-júbb), from Classical Arabic جُبّ (jubb, “cistern, well”) • aljófar/aljofarar from Arabic جَوْهَر (
jawhar), via Andalusian Arabic, from Persian گوهر (
gowhar, “pearl”). The same origin of
Johor,
Malaysian state. • aljofifa • aljor (or
aljez) • aljuba • aljuma • añagaza • almacabra •
almacén: Deposit, dry goods store. From Arabic
al-majzan of
makhzan (المخزن) () "the storage" or "the depot." • almacería • almáciga • almadén •
almádena:
sledgehammer. From Andalusian Arabic
al-māṭana (الْمَاطَنَة) "sledgehammer." • almadía •
almadraba: Tuna fishing in Andalusia and particularly in the
province of Cádiz. From Andalusi Arabic
Al-madraba (), "place where to hit", in reference to the fishing technique. • almadraque • almagazén • almagra • almahala • almaizar • almaja • almajaneque • almajar • almajara • almalafa •
almanaque:
almanac (see etymology section in the article for further discussion). From Andalusian Arabic
almanáẖ "calendar", from Arabic
munāẖ "caravan stop", or from Greek
almenichiakon "calendar." • almancebe: type of river fishing net, from Spanish Arabic
al-manṣába, bank. • almarada • almarbate • almarcha • almarjo • almarrá • almarraja or almarraza •
almártaga: two meanings, from ''al-marta'a
and al martak.'' • almástica • almatroque •
almazara: Olive press. From Arabic "al-ma'sarah" (المعصرة) (), "juicer". • almazarrón •
almea: two meanings, from ''almay'a
عالمية () and alima.'' الميعة () • almejía •
almenara: two meanings, from
al-manara () and
al-minhara. • almez •
almíbar: sugar syrup, juice concentrate. • almicantarat • almijar • almijara • almijarra • almimbar • alminar • almiraj/almiraje/almiral • almirez •
almirón:
Dandelion. From Andalusian Arabic
al mirun. • almizate • almizcle/almizque • almocadén • almocafre • almocárabe • almocela • almocrebe • almocrí • almodón • almófar • almofariz • almofía • almofrej/almofrez • almogama • almogávar •
almohada: Pillow, from Arabic
al-makhada (المخده) with the same meaning. • almoharrefa • almohaza • almojábana •
almojama: see
mojama • almojarife • almojaya • almona •
almoneda: Sale or auction. From Arabic
munadah (). • almoraduj/almoradux • almorávide • almorí •
almoronía: see
alboronía. • almotacén • almotalafe • almotazaf/almotazán • almozala/almozalla • almud • almuédano •
almuerzo: Lunch. Arabic
al- + Latin
morsus (bite). •
almunia: an agricultural settlement, from () meaning desire. (see
Article in Spanish). • alpargata • alpechín • alpiste •
alquería: Farmhouse. From Arabic القرية [
al-qaria] ) "the village." • aloque • aloquín • alpargata • alquequenje • alquermes •
alquerque: Two meanings, from
al-qirq and
al-qariq. القرق () • alquez • alquezar • alquibla • alquicel •
alquiler: Rent. From Arabic Al kira' (الكراء) () • alquimia: alchemy, from Arabic
al-kīmiyā' ( or ) via Medieval Latin
alchemia, from the
Late Greek term
khēmeía (χημεία), also spelled
khumeia (χυμεία) and
khēmía (χημία), meaning 'the process of
transmutation by which to fuse or reunite with the divine or original form'. • alquinal • alquitira • alquitrán: tar, from Arabic اَلْقِطْرَان
al-qitran. () • alrota • altabaca • altamía •
altramuz:
Lupin bean. From Arabic
at-turmus (). •
alubia: Pea, bean. From Arabic
lubiya (). • aludel • aluquete/luquete • alloza • amán • ámbar: amber, from Arabic
ʿanbar , meaning "anything that floats in the sea", via
Middle Latin ambar. • ámel • amín • amirí • anacalo • anacora • anafaga • anafalla/anafaya • anafe • anaquel • andorra • andrajo • anea • anejir • anúteba • añacal • añacea/añacear • añafea • añafil • añagaza • añascar • añazme •
añil: Ultimately from Sanskrit
nilah, "dark blue". • arabí • arancel • arbellón/arbollón • archí • argadillo • argamandel • argamula • argán • argel • argolla • arguello/arguellarse • arije • arimez • arjorán • arnadí • arrabá • arrabal • arracada • arráez • arrayán • arrecife • arrejaque/arrejacar • arrelde • arrequife • arrequive • arriate • arricés • arroba • arrobda • arrocabe • arrope •
arroz: Rice (). • áscar/áscari • asequi •
asesino: Assassin. From Arabic
hashshashin "someone who is addicted to hashish (marijuana)." Originally used to refer to the followers of the Persian
Hassan-i-Sabah (حسن صباح), the
Hashshashin. • atabaca • atabal • atabe •
atacar: To tie, to button up. From Andalusi Arabic
tákka, originally from classical Arabic
tikkah (), ribbon used to fasten clothes. • atacir • atafarra/ataharre • atafea • atahona • atahorma • ataifor • ataire • atalaya • atalvina • atambor • atanor • atanquía • ataracea • atarazana • atarfe • atarjea • atarraga • atarraya •
ataúd: Coffin. • ataujía • ataurique • atifle • atijara • atíncar • atoba • atocha •
atracar: To assault, to burgle, to dock a boat, to get stuck, to gorge oneself with food, to cheat, to get stuck. From Arabic
Taraqa, "To rise". • atríaca/atriaca: Obsolete word. •
atún: Tuna fish. From the Arabic word
al-tuna (التونه). • atutía •
auge: surge, rise, boom. • aulaga • avería • azabache • azabara • azacán • azacaya • azache • azafate/azafata •
azafrán:
Saffron. From Arabic اَلزَّعْفَرَان
az-za`farān (), from Persian زعفران
zaferān or زرپران
zarparān gold strung. •
azahar: White flower, especially from the orange tree. From Spanish Arabic
azzahár, and this from Classic Arabic
zahr (), flowers. • azalá • azamboa • azándar •
azaque: Alms-giving or religious tax in Islam. From Arabic
zakāt (Arabic: زكاة (), "that which purifies"[1]). See article
zakat. •
azaquefa: Covered portico or patio. From Andalusi Arabic
assaqifa, "portico", originally from Arabic
as-saqf (السَّقْف), () meaning "roof" or "upper covering of a building". •
azar: Luck; chance. From Arabic
az-zahr "the dice" or North African Arabic
az-zhar () "luck". • azarbe • azarcón • azarja • azarnefe • azarote • azófar • azofra/azofrar •
azogue: Two meanings, from ''az-za'uq
() and from as-suq.'' • azolvar • azorafa •
azote: Smacking, beating, scourge. From Arabic
sawṭ (). •
azotea: Flat roof or terrace. From Andalusi Arabic
assutáyha, diminutive of
sath, "terrace" in Classical Arabic.السطيحة () • azoya •
azúcar: Sugar. From Arabic (سكر)
sukkar of the same meaning (), from Persian
shekar. • azucarí • azucena • azuche • azud • azufaifa/azufaifo •
azul: Blue. From Arabic
lāzaward, ultimately from
Sanskrit. • azulaque (or zulaque) •
azulejo: Handpainted glazed floor and wall tiles, from Arabic
az-zellīj (), a style of mosaic
tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces set into a
plaster base, from
zalaja () meaning "to slide". See also
alboaire and
alhamí. • azúmbar •
azumbre: Measurement for liquids equivalent to around two litres. From
Del Andalusi Arabic aTTúmn, and this from Classical Arabic:
Tum[u]n, "an eighth" ().
B •
babucha: Slippers. From French
babouche, derived from Persian "papoosh" (پاپوش) literally meaning "foot covering" via Arabic
baboush (بابوش). The transition from Persian "p" to Arabic "b" occurs due to lack of the letter p in the Arabic alphabet. "Pa-" in Persian means foot and "poosh" means covering. Persian "pa" or foot shares the same root with other Indo-European languages, i.e. Latin
pede[m], French "pied", Spanish "pie" and "pata", etc (). •
badal: Cut of meat from the back and ribs of cattle, close to the neck. From Andalusi Arabic ''bad'a
"Calf muscle" derived from classical Arabic bad'ah'' () "piece". •
badán: Trunk of an animal. From Arabic
badan, (بدن) (). •
badana: 1) Sheepskin, 2) Hat lining, 3) Lazy person. From Arabic
bitana, "lining", (بِطانة) (). •
badea: 1) Watermelon or melon of bad quality. 2) Insipid cucumber, 3) Weak person, 4) Unimportant thing. From Arabic
battiha "bad melon". •
badén: Dip in land, road, sidewalk or ford. From Arabic
bāṭin (بطين) "sunken" (land) (). •
bagarino: Free or hired sailor, as opposed to a press-ganged or enslaven one. Same origin as
baharí (). •
bagre: a freshwater fish that has no scales and has a chin. From Arabic
baghir or
baghar. •
baharí:
Bird of prey. From Arabic
bahri: "from the sea". •
baja: Pasha, Turkish officer or governor of high rank. From Arabic
basha (باشا) (). Ultimately from Turkish
pasha of the same meaning. •
baladí: 1) Unimportant thing or matter. 2) Something of the land our country. From Arabic
baladiy "From the country" (). •
balaj/balaje: Purple ruby. From Arabic
Balahshi: From Balahshan (region in central Asia where these stones are found). • balate • balda (and baldío) • baldar •
balde: 1) Free. 2) Without cause. 3) In vain. From Arabic
batil "false" or "useless" (). • bancal • baño •
baraka: Heavenly providence or unusual luck. From Moroccan Arabic. Recently introduced word. (بركة) (). • barbacana • barcino • bardaje • bardoma/bardomera • barragán •
barrio/barriada: Area, district or neighbourhood in a town. From Arabic
barri "outside" (). •
bata: either from Arabic
batt or French
ouate. • batán • batea • baurac • bayal • belez •
bellota: Acorn, the fruit or seed of the oak tree. From Arabic
ball-luta (بلوط) of the same meaning (). • ben • benimerín • benjui • berberí • berberís • bereber • berenjena/berenjenal: eggplant, aubergine, from Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏenjān), from Persian بادنجان (bâdenjân) of the same meaning. • bezaar/bezoar • biznaga • bocací • bodoque/bodocal • bófeta •
bórax:
Borax, from Arabic word
bawraq (بورق), from Persian
bure of the same meaning. • borní • boronía • botor • bujía • bulbul • burche • buz • buzaque
C •
cabila: Tribe of Berbers or Bedouins. From Arabic
qabila (قبيلة) () "tribe." • cachera •
cadí: From Arabic
qādiy / qādī (قَاضِي), a "judge", type of public officer appointed to hear and try causes in a court of justice; same etymology with
alcalde (). • cadira •
café: Coffee. From Italian
caffe, from Turkish
kahve via Arabic
qahwa (قهوة) of the same meaning, from the Kaffa region of Ethiopia. • cáfila • cafiz (or cahiz) • cafre • caftán • cáid (same origin as alcaide) • caimacán •
calabaza: Pumpkin or squash. From Arabic
qerabat (قربات), plural of
qerbah (قربة), meaning wineskin (). • calafate/calafatear • calahorra •
calí: same root as
álcali. • cálibo/calibre • cambuj • camocán •
canana: Cartridge belt. • cáncana/cancanilla • cáncano •
cande: in
azúcar cande. • canfor • caraba • cárabe •
cárabo: Owl; dog. Taken from Arabic
qaraab and
kalb "dog" (
kalaab "dogs"), respectively (). • caracoa • caramida • caramuzal • caravasar • carcax •
carmen/
carme: From Spanish Arabic
kárm, and this from Classical Arabic
karm, vine (). •
carmesí: Crimson, bluish deep red. From Arabic
quirmizi. • carrafa • cártama/cártamo • catán • catifa • cazurro • cebiche • cebtí • ceca • cedoaria • cegatero • cegrí • ceje • celemí/celemín/celeminero • cenacho • cendolilla • cenefa • ceneque • cení • cenia • cenit: zenith, from Arabic
samt سَمْت, same etymology with
acimut. • cequí • cerbatana •
cero: Zero. From Arabic
sifr of the same meaning. • cetís • ceutí • chafariz • chafarote • chaleco • charrán • chifla •
chilabai: From Moroccan Arabic. • chirivía • chivo • choz • chupa • chuzo • cianí • cibica • cica • cicalar • cicatear •
cicatero: different root to cicatear. • ciclán • ciclar • ciclatón • cid • cifaque • cifra/cifrar • címbara • cimboga • cimitarra • circón • citara • civeta/civeto • coba/cobista • cofa • coima • coime • colcótar • cora •
corán: from ''qur'aan'' (قرآن), the Muslim Holy Book. • corbacho • corma • cotonía • cubeba • cúrcuma • curdo • cuscuta
D, E •
dado: Dice, cube or stamp. From Classical Arabic ''a'dad'' "numbers" (). • daga - dagger • dahír • daifa • dante •
darga (adarga): Shield. •
dársena: Dock / basin. • daza • descafilar • destartalado • dey • dirham •
diván: Divan / couch. From Arabic from Persian دیوان
dēvān (="place of assembly", "roster"), from Old Persian دیپی
dipi (="writing, document") + واهانم
vahanam (="house"). This is a recent loanword and directly entered Spanish via Persian, as [v] sound in دیوان
dēvān is a modern Persian pronunciation. () • druso • dula/dular • edrisí • ejarbe • elche • elemí •
elixir: from
al-ʾiksīr (الإكسير) through Medieval Latin, which in turn is the
Arabization of
Greek xērion (ξήριον) "powder for drying wounds" (from ξηρός
xēros "dry") (). • embelecar/embeleco • emir (or amir) • encaramar •
enchufar/enchufe: 1) To plug in/plug; 2) To connect, 3) To offer an unmerited job or a post through personal connections. From Andalusi Arabic
Juf derived from Classical Arabic
jawf "stomach; internal cavity" (). •
engarzar: To set/thread. • enjalma • enjarje • enjeco •
escabeche: Pickle or marinade. From Arabic
as-sukbaj. Originally from Persian
Sekba (). • escafilar (see descafilar) • escaque/escaquear •
espinaca: Spinach. • exarico
F, G • faca • falagar • falca • falleba •
faltriquer: Pocket. • falúa/faluca • fanega/hanega • fanfarrón •
faranga (or haragán): Lazy, idler, loafer (). • farda • fardacho • farfán • fárfara • farnaca • farota •
farruco: Insolent or "cocky". From Andalusian Arabic
Farrouj, "Cock" (). • felús • fetua • fez • fideo • filelí • foceifiza • fondolí • fondac/fonda •
fulano: "any one" without naming, X of people. From Arabic
Fulan (). • fustal • fustete • gabán • gabela • gacel/gacela • gafetí • galacho • galanga • galbana • gálibo • galima • gandula/gandula • gañan •
garbi:
Sirocco wind. • garama • garbino • gardacho • garfa • gárgol • garra • garrafa • garrama • garroba • gazpacho • gilí • gomer • granadí • grisgrís • guadamací • guájara • guájete • guala •
guarismo: figure, character. From the name of
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, محمد بن موسى ا
لخوارزمي, famous mathematician, through its Latinized prounuciation
Algorithmi, same etymology with
algoritmo (). • guifa • guilla • gumía • gurapas
H, I •
habiz: Donation of real estate under certain conditions to muslim religious institutions. From Classical Arabic:
ḥabīs: amortized. •
habús: Same meaning as
habiz has in Morocco. From Arabic
ḥubūs, "property belonging to the deceased used for charity". •
hachís: Hashish. From Classical Arabic
Hashish (), "grass". This is a recent loanword influenced by written form, wherein
hachís is pronounced [], since is always silent in the beginning of Spanish, and [x] (voiceless velar fricative) which is closer to [h] did not exist yet in Old Spanish; the [] sound in Arabic like in the word hashish existed in Old Spanish, that evolved to [x] in Modern Spanish ([h] in other dialects of Modern Spanish) and [] in loanwords in Spanish is pronounced either [] or [s]. •
hacino: Miser or from Andalusian Arabic
ḥazīn (). •
hadruba: Hump (on someone's back): From Andalusian Arabic
ḥadúbba. •
hafiz: Guard or minder. From Andalusian Arabic
ḥāfiẓ (). •
hálara: Same meaning and etymology as
fárfara. 1) Interior lining of egg. 2) Coldsfoot. From Andalusian Arabic
falḡalála. •
hallulla: 1)A type of bread or bun consumed in Spain and parts of Hispanic America. 2) Nausea (Eastern Andalusia only) From Andalusian Arabic
ḥallún. •
hamudí: Descendants of Ali Ben Hamud, founders of the Málaga and Algeciras Taifas during the 11th century. •
haragán: 1) Someone who refuses to work. 2) In Cuba and Venezuela, a type of mop. From Andalusian Arabic:
khra kan: "Was shit". •
harambel: See "arambel". • harbar • harén • harma • harón • Hasaní •
hasta: "Until". From Arabic
hatta (same meaning). Influenced by Latin phrase 'ad ista' () • hataca • hazaña •
he: Adverb used in following manner:
"he aquí/ahí/allí": Here it is/there it is. From Arabic
haa. • hégira • hobacho/hobacha •
holgazán: Lazy person. From Arabic
Kaslan. Influenced by
Holgar (). • holgar • hoque/oque • horro, from Arabic حُرّ (ḥurr, “free, noble, virtuous”). • imam, imán • imela • islam
J, K •
jabalí : Wild Boar. From Arabic
jebeli: From the mountains. Perhaps originally from
Khanzeer Jebelí: Mountain Pig (). • jabalón • jábega • jabeca • jabeque •
jabí : A type of apple and type of grape. From Andalusi Arabic
sha‘bí, a type of apple. • jácara • jácena • jacerino • jadraque • jaez • jaguarzo • jaharí • jaharral • jaharrar • jaima • jaique • jalear • jalma (or enjalma) • jaloque • jamacuco • jametería • jámila • japuta • jaque •
jaqueca: Migraine. From Arabic
Shaqiqa, with same meaning (). • jáquima • jara •
jarabe: Syrup. From Arabic
Sharab. Usually in the context of cough syrup or linctus. • jaraíz • jarcha • jareta • jaricar • jarifo/jarifa • jarquía •
jarra: Pitcher or other pot with handle(s). From
ǧarrah, same as English
jar. • jatib • jazarino/jazarina •
jazmín: jasmine. From Arabic
yasmin (يسمين) then from the Persian word (same word). • jebe • jeliz • jemesía • jeque: From Arabic
shaikh or
sheikh, older •
jerife: From Arabic
sharif, noble, respected. •
jeta: Snout, face, cheek (in both literal and figurative sense). From Arabic
khatm: "snout" (). • jifa • jinete •
jirafa: giraffe. From
ziraffa of the same meaning (زرافة) ().. • jirel •
jofaina: a wide and shallow basin for domestic use. From
ǧufaynah. • jofor • jorfe • joroba • jorro • juba/aljuba/jubón • julepe • jurdía • jurel • kermes
L, M •
laca: resinous substance tapped from the
lacquer tree. From Arabic
lak, taken from Persian
lak, ultimately from Sanskrit
laksha literally meaning "one hundred thousand" referring to the large number of insects that gather and sap out all the resin from the trees. • lacre •
lapislázuli:
lapis lazuli, a deep blue mineral. From Arabic
lazaward () from Persian
lagvard or
lazward, ultimately from Sanskrit
rajavarta literally meaning "ringlet of the king." •
latón: brass. From Arabic
latun from Turkish
altın "gold." •
laúd: lute. From Arabic ''al 'ud'' () "the lute." •
lebeche: Southeasterly wind on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. From Andalusi Arabic
Labash. •
lebení: a Moorish beverage prepared from
soured milk. From Arabic
labani () "dairy" (). •
leila: from Arabic
layla () "night" (). •
lelilí: Shouts and noise made by moors when going into combat or when celebrating parties. From Arabic
lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh (): There is no god but Allah;
Ya leilí () : Night of mine;
ya ʿayouni () : My eyes. •
lima: lime. From Arabic
limah of the same meaning (). •
limón: lemon. From
laymoon (), derived from the Chinese word
limung. •
loco: crazy. From Arabic
lawqa "fool." • macabro • macsura • madraza • magacén • magarza/magarzuela • maglaca • maharon/maharona • maharrana/marrana/marrano • mahozmedín • maimón • majareta • majzén • mamarracho • mameluco • mamola • mandeísmo • mandil • maquila • marabú • maravedí • marcasita • marchamo • márfega • marfil • marfuz/a • margomar • marjal • marlota • marojo • maroma •
marrano pig; cf. Arabic
muharram "forbidden" (). • marras • márraga •
masamuda: (adj) Individual from the Berber
Masmuda tribe, from which originate the Almohades, a movement which ruled Spain and North Africa in the 12th century. From Arabic:
Masamuda. • matafalúa •
matalahúga/matalahúva: Aniseed, from Andalusi Arabic
habbat halwa, "sweet seed" (). • mártaga • máscara • matarife • mate • matraca • matula • mauraca •
mazamorra: Word to designate a number of bread or cereal based dishes typical of Southern Spain and parts of Hispanic America. From Andalusi Arabic
Pishmat (). • mazapán • mazarí • mazarrón • mazmodina •
mazmorra: Dungeon. From Arabic
matmura "silo". •
mazorca: corn cob; roll of wool or cotton. From Andalusi Arabic:
Masurqa, derived from classical Arabic
Masura () : a tube used as a bobbin (sewing) () . •
meca: Place which is attractive because of a particular activity. From Arabic
Makkah (). • mechinal • mejala • mejunje •
mendrugo: Piece of dry or unwanted bread, often reserved to give to beggars. From Andalusi Arabic
Matruq "Marked/Touched" (). •
mengano/mengana: Expression of similar meaning as
fulano or
zutano, used always after the former but after the latter, meaning "whoever". From Arabic
man kan meaning "whoever". •
mequetrefe: Nosy or useless person. From Andalusi Arabi
qatras meaning person of boastful demeanor. • mercal • metical • mezquino •
mía: A military term, formerly designating a regular native unit composed of 100 men in the Spanish protectorate of northern Morocco; by analogy, any colonial army. From Arabic
Miʿah: one hundred () (). •
mihrab (): • miramamolín • moaxaja • mogataz • mogate •
moharra: tip of the sword. From
muharraf, meaning "beached" (). • moharracho • mohatra • mohedal • mohino •
mojarra: Refers to fish in the Gerreidae order. From Arabic
muharraf. •
mojama (originally almojama): Delicacy of phoenician origin from the region of Cádiz. It consists of filleted salt-cured tuna. From the Arabic
al mushama: "momified or waxed" (). • mojí • momia • mona • monfí • morabito • moraga • morapio • mozárabe • mudéjar • muftí • mujalata • mulato: Perhaps from
Muwallad, as with the Muladi. Walad () means, "descendant, offspring, scion; child; son; boy; young animal, young one". According to
DRAE, from latin
mulus mulo (mule), in the sense of
hybrid. () • mulquía: Owned/Property. From "Mulkiyya" () • muslim / muslime: (Adjective) Muslim. A rare alternative to
musulmán. From Arabic
Muslim () ().
N, O, P, Q •
nabí: Prophet among arabs. From Arabic
nabiy (). •
nácar: Innermost of the three layers of a seashell. From Catalan
nacre, derived from Arabic
naqra (), small drum. •
nácara: Type of small metallic drum used historically by the Spanish cavalry. Same etymology as
nacar. •
nacarar: The process of browning rice in oil in a pan prior to boiling it. Same etymology as
nacar. •
nadir: Nadir, the point on the celestial sphere opposite the zenith directly below the observer. From
nadheer. •
nádir: In Morocco, administrator of a religious foundation. •
nagüela: Small hut for human habitation. From Andalusi Arabic
nawalla: hut. •
naife: High quality diamond. From Andalusi Arabic
nayif. Originally from classical Arabic ''na'if'': excellent. •
naipe: Playing card. From Catalan
naíp. Originally from Arabic ''ma'ib''. •
naranja: Orange. from Arabic
nāranja (), fr Persian
nārang, fr Sanskrit
nāranga, fr a Dravidian language akin to Tamil
naŗu "fragrant". • narguile • natrón •
nazarí: Related to the
Nasrid kingdom or dynasty of
Granada. •
neblí: Subspecies of the
peregrine falcon, valued in the art of falconry. Possibly from Andalusi Arabic
burni. •
nenúfar:
Water-lily. From Arabic
naylufar from Persian
nilofer, niloofar, niloufar. •
nesga: •
noria:
Watermill,
Ferris wheel. From Arabic ''na'urah'' (). •
nuca: Nape of the neck. From Arabic
nuḵāʿ , (). •
ojalá: "I hope"; "I wish that...". From
law šhaʾ allāh "If God wills." •
¡ole! (or
olé): The most famous expression of approval, support or encouragement, said to have come from
wa-llah , "by Allah!". However, its proposed Arabic origin is disputed and it is described as "
falsos arabismos" (false Arabisms) by the Spanish
Arabist Federico Corriente in his
Diccionario de Arabismos y Voces Afines en Iberorromance. •
omeya: adj. Related to the
Umayyad. • orozuz •
ox: Expression to scare away wild and domesticated birds. From Andalusi Arabic
Oosh. • papagayo • quermes • quilate/quirate: Carat or Karat. From Andalusi Arabic
Qirat (). • quilma •
quintal: weight unit of about 46 kg. In its current use under the metric system, it represents 100 kg. From Arabic
Qintar () "referring to a large number similar objects or an object which is large in its size ().
R, S, T •
rabadán: A rural position. One who oversees the training of shepherds on a farm. From Andalusian Arabic
rab aḍ-ḍān (رب الضأن) "lord/master of the lambs." • rabal • rabazuz • rabel • rábida • rafal • rafe • ragua • rahez • ramadán •
rambla: A ravine; a tree-lined avenue. From Arabic
ramlah (رملة) "sand." () • rauda • rauta •
real: Military encampment; plot where a fair is organized; (in Murcia region) small plot or garden. From Arabic
rahl: camping (). • rebato • rebite • recamar • recua • redoma • rehala • rehalí •
rehén: Hostage or captive. From Arabic , captive, ransom. () •
rejalgar:
realgar. From Andalusi Arabic
reheg al-ghar (): "powder of the cave" • requive • resma • retama •
rincón: Corner. From Andalusi Arabic
rukan, derived from classical Arabic
Rukn, or perhaps related to French
recoin (). • robda • robo (or arroba) • roda • romí/rumí • ronzal • roque: rook (chess piece), from Arabic روخ
rukh (), from Persian رخ
rukh. • sajelar • salema •
sandía: Watermelon. From Arabic
Sindiya "from
Sindh (province of
Pakistan)". •
sarasa: Homosexual or effeminate man. From "Zaraza". • sarraceno • sebestén • secácul • serafín • siroco • sofí • sófora • soldán • soltaní • sufí • sura • tabal (or atabal) • tabaque • tabefe • tabica • tabique • taca • tafurea • tagarino/tagarina • tagarnina • taha • tahalí • tahona • tahúr •
taifa: Refers to an independent
Muslim-ruled principality, an
emirate or
petty kingdom, of which a number formed in the
Al-Andalus (
Moorish Iberia) after the final collapse of the
Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031. Used in numerous expressions. Can also mean 1) a faction 2) a group of people of ill judgement. 3)
un reino de Taifas (a kingdom of Taifas) can also refer to a chaotic or disorderly state of affairs. From classical Arabic ''Ta'ifah'': faction (). • tajea • talco • talega • talvina • támara • tamarindo • tambor • tara • taracea •
taraje:
Salt Cedar. From Arabic
Tarfah. • tarasí • tarbea •
tarea: Task. From Arabic
ṭaríḥaand root (), "to throw". • tareco • tarida • tarifa • tarima • tarquín • tarraya •
taza: cup. From
Tasa. (). • tértil • tíbar • tochibí • tomín • toronja • toronjil • trafalmejas • truchimán/na • trujamán/na • tuera • tumbaga • Tunecí • turbit • turquí (in Azul Turquí) • tutía (or atutía)
V, X, Y, Z •
vacarí: from Arabic
baqari () "bovine" (). •
valencí: Uva Valencia. A type of grape from Murcia region in South East Spain. •
velmez: from Arabic
malbas () . •
verdín: Spontaneous growth of grass or sprouting. From Arabic
bardi (Same etymology as albardín). Influenced by Spanish word "Verde" (). •
visir: vizier. From Arabic
wazir () "minister," recent loanword. Same etymology with
alguacil (). •
yébel: from Arabic
jabal (جبل) "mountain"; same etymology as
jabalí (). •
zabalmedina: in the Middle Ages, judge with civil and criminal jurisdiction in a city. From Arabic
ṣāḥib al-madīna (صاحب المدينه) "Chief of the City" (). •
zabarcera: women who sells fruits and other food. Same origin as
abacero •
zabazala: imam who leads Islamic prayer. From Arabic
ṣāḥib aṣ-ṣalāh (صاحب الصلاه) "leader of prayer" (). •
zabazoque: same meaning as
almotacén. From Arabic
ṣāḥib as-sūq (صاحب السوق) "leader of the market" (). •
zábila:
aloe vera (used mainly in Hispanic America) From Andalusi Arabic
sabíra, originally from classical Arabic
Sibar, () same etymology with
acíbar. •
zabra: type of vessel used in the Bay of Biscay in the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age. From Arabic
zauraq (). •
zacatín: in some villages, a square where clothes are sold. From
saqqatin, plural of
saqqat: seller of clothes. •
zafar: a number of meanings in Spain and Hispanic American countries: To free, to untie, to ignore, to unknit among others. From Arabic
azaHa: to take away. •
zafarí:
Granada zafarí: a type of pomegranate.
Higo zafarí: a type of fig. From Arabic
Safr. •
zafariche: Structure used for placing clay urns. Same etymology as
jaraíz (see above). •
zafio: Uncouth. From Andalusi Arabic
Fellah safi: "Mere peasant". •
zafrán: See
Azafran. •
zaga: Backside of something. Cargo on the back of a truck. From Arabic
Saqah: Rear, rearguard (). •
zagal: A boy. From Andalusian Arabic
zaḡāl (زغال), traditional Arabic
zuḡlūl (زغلول) () with the same meaning. • zagaya (or azagaya) • zagua •
zaguán:
Vestibule, foyer, entryway. From Andalusian Arabic
ʾisṭiwān (إِسْطِوَان), traditional Arabic
ʾusṭuwāna (أسطوانة) () "pillar." •
zagüía: A
zawiya. From Arabic
zāwiyah (زاوية) () "corner." • zaharrón • zahén • zahón •
zahora: (Mainly used in Spanish region of La Mancha): Large meal accompanied by dancing or partying. From Arabic Islamic term
suhoor (). • zahorí • zaida • zaino • zala • zalamelé • zalea/zalear • zalema/zalama •
zalmedina: Same meaning and origin as
zabalmedina. • zalona • zamacuco •
zambra: Traditional festivity of the Moriscos in Spain which is maintained by the Gypsy community of Sacromonte, Granada. From Andalusi Arabic
Zamra, originally from classical Arabic
Zamr زَمْر (). •
zanahoria: carrot, presumably from Andalusi Arabic
safunariyya (سَفُنَّارْيَة) (), via Classical Arabic:
isfanariyya (إِسْفَنَارِيَّة), ultimately from Ancient Greek σταφυλίνη. •
zaque: Leather recipient for wine or extracting water from a well. Drunken person. From Andalusi Arabic zaqq. Originally from classical Arabic ziqq (). • zaquizamí • zaragüelles • zaranda/zarandillo/zarandaja •
zarandear: To shake vigorously / push around / toss about. From
Zaranda. •
zaratán:
Breast cancer. From the Arabic
saratan (): crab. •
zarazán: • zarco • zarracatín •
zarzahán:
Astrakhan, a type of fleece used in making outerwear. From Arabic
zardakhān (زردخان). • zatara •
zéjel: a form of Arabic poetry. From arabic
zajal (زجل) () . •
zoco: market in an Arab country. From Arabic
sūq (سوق) () "market." Not to be confused with other meanings of
zoco. • zofra •
zorzal: An intelligent person. From Andalusi Arabic
zurzāl (زورزال), originally from classical Arabic
zurzūr (زرزور) () "
thrush". •
zubia: Place where a large amount of water flows. From Arabic
Zubya (). • zulaque • zulla •
zumaque: sumac. From Arabic
summāq (سماق) () of the same meaning. •
zumo: fruit juice. From Arabic
zum. •
zuna: Sunnah, from Arabic Sunnah () •
zurriaga or
zurriago: Refers to a type of whip and to a lark. From Andalusi Arabic
surriyaqa Words with a coincidental similarity to Arabic and false arabisms •
el: The Spanish definite
articles el /
la /
lo /
los /
las, like most definite articles in the
Romance languages, derive from the
Latin demonstratives
ille /
illa /
illud. The similarity to the Arabic article
al is a mere coincidence. The exact Spanish article
al is a contraction of
a el, translated as "to the." •
usted: The formal second-person pronoun
usted is derived from a shortening of the old form of address
Vuestra merced, as seen in dialectal Spanish
vosted,
Catalan vostè, etc.
Usted is the remaining form from a number of variants used in Renaissance Spanish, such as
Usté,
Uced,
Vuesa Merced,
Vuesarced,
Vusted,
Su Merced,
Vuesasted or
Voaced. The possibility of a link with the Arabic word
ustādh ('mister'/'professor'/'doctor') seems very remote. •
paella: It is commonly believed in certain Arabic countries that the rice dish
paella comes from the Arabic baqiya (meaning leftovers). The Spanish pronunciation of paella is similar to the Arabic "baqiya", particularly where the latter is pronounced with a silent qaaf as in a number of eastern Arabic dialects. Nevertheless, the word paella is a Catalan word of Latin origin and refers to the pan in which it is cooked, with Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese cognates
Padilla,
Padella,
Poêle and
Panela. ==Other influences==