Persian Words Hiding in English
Caption
20 English words that began in Persian: orange, lemon, spinach, candy, pajamas, shawl, khaki, bazaar, caravan, kiosk, divan, paradise, check, magic, azure, lilac… Almost none came straight. Most travelled by relay through Arabic, Turkish or Urdu, then Greek, French or Italian.
Short takes
“Check” in chess is Persian shāh, “king”. Checkmate is shāh māt, usually glossed “the king is helpless”. Every time you say “check”, you are saying “king” in Persian.
Which of these would you have guessed is Persian? pajamas, orange, paradise, magic. Reply with your pick and I’ll tell you the route each one took.
Image description
Twenty cards in four rows showing English words with their Persian origins and the language they passed through: orange, lemon, spinach, candy, sherbet; pajamas, shawl, khaki, taffeta, turban; bazaar, caravan, kiosk, divan, paradise; check, magic, mummy, azure, lilac.
