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 𐤍𐤏𐤃𐤀 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 a Semitic source. Compare Hebrew אלוף alef 'ox', 'leader' (WNW) + from Canaanite 'alp 'ox' (AHD) + from Hebrew בית bet 'house', probably from Phoenician (WNW) + from 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 בלל 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, akin to Hebrew basham 'aromatic substance' (MW)

balsam 

from Greek βάλσαμον balsamon (AHD), probably of Semitic origin, akin 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), akin 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, akin to Hebrew קִנָּמוֹן qinnamon 'aromatic inner bark' (AHD)

cumin 

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

deltoid 

from Greek delta (AHD), perhaps from Hebrew דלת daleth 'door' (WNW), akin 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

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, akin to Hebrew מצע 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 murr, 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, akin 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 ܥܗܘܐܝܝܐ sewayya 'equal' (AHD)

shekel 

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

souk 

from Arabic سوق suq (AHD) 'market' (MW), from Aramaic שוקא suqa' '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, akin to Phoenician 𐤕𐤋𐤀𐤃 dalt 'door' (AHD)

zeta 

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

zed 

from Greek ζήτα zeta (MW), from Phoenician, akin 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

• 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