Earlier this month I started a series of posts that will look at a number of different foreign words that are commonly used in English. Here is a funny quote that speaks to how the English language is often borrowing or taking words and grammar from other languages.
“English doesn’t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over, and goes through their pockets for loose grammar.” -James D. Nicoll
Here are some more “loose words” that English has take from other languages. Below I have written the foreign word(s) in English in bold; given the language of origin in parentheses, given a definition of the word(s) as they are used in English, and finally I give an example of how the word(s) are used in a sentence.
a la mode (French) – In the United states the phrase means “with ice cream.”
For example: I think I will have pie a la mode for dessert.
berserk (Old Norse) – Dangerously violent or mild angry outbursts of any kind; unrestrained behavior. In the ninth century the Vikings used this word to describe their ferocious warriors, who wore bearskins instead of armor. Berserkers were warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle.
For example: Fred went berserk at work yesterday after his boss told him he was being demoted.
chop-chop (Chinese) – be quick or hurry up (Sometimes people clap their hands together when they say this to underscore the urgency.) This phrase originated in the South China Sea as a Pidgin English version of the Chinese term k’wâi-k’wâi.
For example: Chop-chop! We are late and need to be out of the house in less than 5 minutes!
curriculum vitae (Latin) – This is a summary of everything a person has achieved educationally and professionally in his/her life, up to the present day.
For example: When I applied for my new teaching job they asked for my curriculum vitae and three letters of references.
debacle (French) – A sudden and certain failure.
For example: The party was a debacle; too many people showed up and there was not enough food or space for everyone.
smorgasbord (Swedish) – A buffet with meats, salads, desserts and other foods. also generally a wide range of something or a variety.
For example: There is a smorgasbord of shops to choose from at the new mall.
juggernaut (Sanskrit) – A huge, powerful, and overwhelming force or institution.
For example: The globalization juggernaut will continue to flatten all indigenous cultures in its path.
trek (Afrikaans) – A long sometimes difficult journey, often made on foot.
For example: We are planning on taking a trek across Spain with friends to see the historic pilgrimage route.
Utopia (Greek) – An imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect. This word was first used in English in the book entitled Utopia by Sir Thomas More in 1516.
For example: A world where there is no war and enough food to feed everyone is a Utopian ideal.
verbatim (Latin) – A quote in exactly the same words as the originally text or speech.
For example: My English teacher asked me to recite the passage verbatim, so I had to memorize it.
