INDImag – Contemporary fiction | Motivational short stories | Social stories | Short story criticism

The English Language, which has come to be the Lingua Franca , finds its orgins in many languages like Greek, Latin, French and even our very own Indian languages like Sanskrit ,Hindi ,Urdu etc. Sure we have heard of Earl’s Karma, Dharma’s Nirvana, mentions of Curry in Harper’s Bazaar, the new mantra — Bangalored being preached by the software gurus. Many of these Indian words have made it to the english dictionaries as well.

But did you know there are is lot more “Angrezi” which originated from the Eastern Indian languages, especially Sanskrit ? These for instance from the English dictionaries are obvious : badmash , adda, bundh, dal puri, bandobast, chutney, chamcha , neta and dhaba .

However, there are some more English words that are not so obvious. Few are below..

English Words with Indian Origin — Clothing

Bandana : Any large scarf for the neck or head.
Origin : From Hindi bandhnu, ultimately from Sanskrit badhnati, “binds”.

Cashmere : The fine, downy wool at the roots of the hair of the Himalayan goat.
Origin : From Kashmir, the Himalayan region where this wool is from.

Cummerbund : A broad sash, especially one that is pleated lengthwise & worn as an article of formal dress, as with dinner jacket.
Origin : Hindi & Urdu – kamarbandh, from Persian kamar- waist + bandi- band. The sash was formally worn in the Indian subcontinent by domestic workers and low status office workers.

Dungaree : A sturdy, often blue, denim fabric. Trousers or overalls made of sturdy denim fabric.
Origin : Hindi dumgri – hard/coarse.

Pajamas/Pyjama : A lose fitting garment consisting of trousers and a jacket, worn for sleeping or lounging, often used in plural.
Origin : : Hindi paijama – loose fitting trousers, from Persian pai- leg + jamah : : garment

Shampoo : A liquid preparation containing soap for washing hair.
Origin : Via Hindi champo (massage/press) probably from Sanskrit capayati, which means “kneads”

Gunny : A coarse, heavy fabric made of jute or hemp, used especially for bags or sacks.
Origin : Hindi/Indian ghoni – sack, from Sanskrit gharati-sack

Jodhpurs : Riding breeches cut very full over the hips and tapering at the knees to become tightfitting from the knees to the ankles.
Origin : This word came from the word Jodhpur which is a city in west India. The men in this city wore a type of garments. In late 19th century, the English used similar type of garments, i.e. trousers that are loose above the knee and tight from the knee to ankle, worn when riding.

English Words with Indian Origin — Animals

Cheetah : One of the fastest animals, belonging to the Cat family.
Origin : from Hindi chita “a leopard”, from Sanskrit chitraka, which means “speckled”.

Langur : Any of various slender, long-tailed monkeys .
Origin : Through Hindi probably, ultimately from Sanskrit langulam meaning having a tail

Jackal : A nocturnal wild dog
Origin : From Turkish çakal, from Persian shaghal, from Middle Indic shagal, ultimately from Sanskrit srgalah “the howler”.

Meerkat : A carnivorous terestrial animal belonging to the Civet family.
Origin : Probably through Hindi markat ultimately from Sanskrit markata meaning “an ape”.

English Words with Indian Origin — Every Day Words

Brother : – Male sibling
Origin : From sanskrit brathra for brother

Mummy : mother
Origin : Angliced version of Urdu word for mom ” ammi ”

Chit : A short note or letter
Origin : From Hindi chitthi “a letter, note”, which is from Sanskrit chitra-s “uniquely marked”.

Juggernaut : any large, overpowering force or object, as war, a giant battleship, or a powerful football team
Origin : Through Hindi jagannath , ultimately from Sanskrit jagat-natha-s, which means “lord of the world”.

Loot : Anything taken by dishonesty, force, stealth, etc – a burglar’s loot.
Origin : Ultimately from Sanskrit loota-m through Hindi, which means “a booty, stolen thing”.

Lilac : A color, a variant of purple
Origin : Via Arabic lilak from Persian nilak meaning “bluish”, ultimately from Sanskrit nila, which means “dark blue”

Mugger : A robber
Origin : Via Hindi and Urdu ultimately from Sanskrit makara, like a crocodile, which attacks stealthily

Punch : A cocktail of juices
Origin : Via Hindi panch meaning five, ultimatly from sanskrit Panchan .

Doolally : “Gone Dolally”, phrase derived from the boredom felt at the Deolali British Army transit camp.
Origin : From Deolali, a place in Maharashtra, India. It means an unbalanced state of mind.

Pariah : A social outcast. An Untouchable.
Origin : Tamil pariah – untouchables very low in society. First recorded in English in 1613.

I’m sure the list of English words with Indian origin is even longer. Maybe we should ask some of our budding spelling bee talent for a comprehensive list ! In the meanwhile feel free to chime in with the ones that you know.

References

http://www.wikipedia.com

http://www.wmich.edu/dialogues/themes/indianwords.htm

http://www.writinghood.com

http://www.dictionary.com

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