List of English words of Persian origin - Definition and Overview

Many words of Persian origin have made their way into English through different circuitous routes. Some of them, like "paradise" date to the cultural contacts between the Persians and Greeks in the Hellenistic culture of Antiquity. Persian as the second important language of Islam has influenced many languages in the Muslim world, and its words have found their way beyond the Muslim world.

Persia, which was never colonised by outsiders, remained largely impenetrable to English-speaking travellers, well into the 19th century. Persia was protected from Europe in overland trade routes, while trade at Persian ports in the Persian Gulf was in the hands of locals. In contrast, intrepid English traders operated in Mediterranean seaports of the Levant since the 16th century, and some vocabulary describing features of Ottoman culture found their way into the English language. Thus many in the following list of English borrowings, though they were originally from Persian, arrived in English through Turkish mediaries.

Other words of Persian origin found their way into European languages— and eventually reached English at second-hand— through the Moorish-Christian cultural interface in the Iberian peninsula during the Middle Ages thus being transmitted through Arabi or, much later, through Hindi during the British Raj.

The list:

A

absinthe 

from Persian Spand.

Afghanistan

Persian name for that country

Ahriman

from Persian Ahriman.

Ahura Mazda 

from Old. Pers.

algorithm 

from the name of the Persian scientist Khwarazmi

Angra Mainyu 

older version of Ahriman

Armenia

from Persian Arman.

arsenic 

from zarnig

Asmodeus evil spirit, prince of demons, from L. Asmodaeus, from Gk. Asmodaios, from Talmudic Heb. Ashmeday, from Avestan (Old-Iranian) Aesh-ma-dæva, lit. "Aeshma the deceitful."

Arya 

from Ariya

Aryan 

from Persian Arya.

aubergine 

from Persian بادنجان Bâdinjân itself maybe originally from Sanskrit.

azure 

from lajavard

B

babouche 

via Ar. babush, from Pers. papush, from pa "foot" + posh "covering."

Bactrian 

from Pers. bâkhtar "the west."

baksheesh 

from Pers. bakhshish, lit. "gift," from verb bakhshidan "to give."

ban 

"governor of Croatia," from Serbo-Croat. ban "lord, master, ruler," from Pers. ban "prince, lord, chief, governor,"

banyan 

Zie (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Persian&searchmode=none)

barbican

from Ar. bāb "gate/door" + Pers. (khāneh "house").

bazaar 

from Persian بازار bāzār (="market"), from Middle-Persian bahâ-zâr ("The Place of Prices").

bezoar 

from pAd-zahr

bombast 

from pambak "cotton".

borax 

from burah

bronze 

Perhaps ultimately from Pers. birinj "copper."

bulbul 

from bulbul (=type of migratory songbird native to Kenya)

buzkashi 

from Pers. buz "goat" + kashi "drawing."

C

calabash 

from Pers. kharabuz , Kharbuzeh

cameo 

from Pers. chumahan "agate."

cannabis 

via Greek kannabis "hemp," probably from a north-eastern Iranian (Scythian) word.

carafe 

probably from Pers. qarabah "a large flagon." or Ar. ghurruf "drinking cup"

caravan 

from kārawān =("to go")

Casper 

from Persian Jasper

cassock 

probably ult. from Pers. kazhagand "padded coat," from kazh "raw silk" + agana "stuffed."

caviar 

from Khâg-âvar ("bringer of eggs")

chador 

from châdor

check 

check (n.) from O.Fr. eschequier "a check at chess," from eschec, from V.L. *scaccus, from Ar. shah, from Pers. shah "king," the principal piece in a chess game (see shah). When the king is in check a player's choices are limited. Meaning widened from chess to general sense of "adverse event, sudden stoppage" and by c.1700 to "a token used to check against loss or theft" (surviving in hat check) and "a check against forgery or alteration," which gave the modern financial use of "bank check, money draft" (first recorded 1798), probably influenced by exchequeur. Check-up "careful examination" is 1921, Amer.Eng., on notion of a checklist of things to be examined.

checkmate 

from Middle French eschec mat, from Arabic shah mat, from Persian shâh mât (="the King cannot escape/is dead")

chess 

from Russian Shach, from Persian shah ("the King"), an abbreviation of Shâh-mât (Checkmate).

cinnabar 

probably from Pers. zanjifrah

Cumin 

from Kerman

cummerbund 

from Hindi kamarband, from Persian, from kamar (="waist") + band (="band")

Cyrus

from Persian Kurosh, diminutive: Cy

D

Darius

demi-tasse 

from Fr., lit. "half-cup," from demi- + tasse, an O.Fr. borrowing from Arabic tassah, from Pers. tasht "cup, saucer".

dervish 

from Darvish

divan 

via Turkish divan, from Persian dēvān (="place of assembly", "roster"), from Old Persian dipi (="writing, document") + vahanam (="house")

E

Esther

from Persian setareh, its diminutives are: Ess, Essie, Tess, Tessie.

Euphrates

Euphrates 

O.E. Eufrate, from Gk., from Avestan (Old-Iranian) huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford."

F

Farsi, the local name for Persian in Persian.

Feringhee 

from Pers. Farangi

firman 

from Persian فرمان farmân ("decree", "order").

G

galingale 

from Persian خلنجان khalanjan, a plant.

Georgia

from Persian Gurjistan.

gherkin 

possibly ult. from Medieval Gk. angourion "a kind of cucumber," said to be from Pers. angarah

giaour from Pers. gaur, variant of gabr "fire-worshipper,"

guitar 

from Persian sitaar "Three snares".

H

henna 

Zie (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Persian&searchmode=none).

Hindu 

from Pers. Hindu "Indian"

I

India

from Persian Hind.

J

jasmine 

from yasmin, the name of a climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Variant Jasmin.

Jasper (boy's name)

from Persian meaning "treasure master".

Jasper (stone)

from Persian Yashp

jujube 

from Pers. zayzafun meaning "soft candy with date-like flavor"

julep 

from gulab (rose-water).

K

kabob 

possibly from Persian kabab, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

Kaftan 

from Persian خفتان khaftân.

Kazakhstan 

With Persian suffix -stan

khaki 

from khaki (="made from soil", "dusty" or "of the colour of soil"), from khak (= "soil"),

Khedive 

via Turkish from Pers. khidiv "prince," derivative of khuda "master, prince," from Old-Persian khvadata- "lord,"

kiosk 

from kushk (="palace, portico, pavilion")

Koh-i-Noor 

from Pers. koh "mountain" + Ar. nur "light."

Kyrgyzstan 

With Persian suffix -stan

L

lacquer 

through Ar. lakk, from Pers. lak

lemon 

possibly from Persian limon, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

lilac 

from Pers. lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil "indigo"

M

magi 

from magus from Persian Mogh (="sorcerer")

magic 

from magus from Persian Mogh (="sorcerer")

magus 

from Persian Mogh (="sorcerer")

manticore 

from O. Pers. word for "man eater," cf. martiya- "man" + root of khvar- "to eat."

Mausoleum

from the name of a Persian satrap

Mihrab

from Persian Mihr (the God Mithra)

Mithra

from the name of the Persian God Mithra.

Mithraeum

from Persian Mithra

Mithraism

mogul 

from mughul (="Mongolian")

Mosque

through Arabic masjid from Middle-Persian mazgat (House of worship)

mummy 

from Pers. mumiya "asphalt," from mum "wax."

musk 

ultimately from Middle Persian musk, from Sanskrit muska (="testicle") from diminutive of mus (="mouse")

Mussulman 

from Pers. musulman (adj.), from Arabic muslim (q.v.) + Persian adj. suffix -an.

must 

via Urdu mast "intoxicated, in rut," from Pers. mast, lit. "intoxicated"

N

naphtha 

via L., from Gk. naphtha "bitumen," perhaps from Pers. naft "oil", "pitch,"

O

orange  

from Milanese narans, from Arabic nāranj, from Persian nārang, from Sanskrit nāraṅga, from some Dravidian language, possibly Tamil or Malayalam

P

pagoda via Portugeese pagode, from a corruption of Pers. butkada, from but "idol" + kada "dwelling."

pajamas

from Hindi paajaama, from Persian pāë (pāÿ) jāmah, from pAy (="leg") + jAma (="garment")

Pahlavi 

from Pahlavi.

paradise 

from Greek paradeisos (=enclosed park"), from Old Persian pairidaeza (="enclosure, park"), from pairi (="around") + diz (="mold, form")

parasang 

from Old-Persian parasang

pard 

Zie (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Iranian&searchmode=none)

Parsee 

from Pârsi

Pasha 

from Pâdshâh

peach 

a corruption of the Latin word Persica. Peaches are called in Latin Prunus persica (Persian Prune).

Peri 

from pari

Persepolis 

from Pârsa+ Greek polis.

Persis 

from Pârs

pilaf 

from pilav (modern Persian speakers say pillaw or polo)

pistachio 

from Latin pistācium, from Greek πιστάκιον, from Persian pistah

popinjay 

from O.Fr. papegai (12c.), from Sp. papagayo, from Ar. babagha', from Pers. babgha "parrot,"

Punjab 

via Hindi Panjab, from Pers. panj "five" + ab "water."

R

roc 

from Persian rukh (name of a legendary bird)

rook 

from Middle English rok, from Midle French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian رخ rukh (=chess piece)

Rose 

ult. from Pers. *vrda-. Zie (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Persia&searchmode=none)

Roxana

from Persian: روشنك Roshanak, meaning "little star" its variants in English are meaning "dawn." Variants include, Roxane and Roxanne. Diminutives are Roxie and Roxy.

S

saffron possibly Persian

Satrap

from Persian Shatrap and Shahrab.

scarlet 

from Pers. saqirlat "a kind of rich cloth"

scimitar 

from Pers. shimshir (Shamshir)

seersucker 

from Hindi sirsakar, E. Indian corruption of Pers. shir o shakkar "striped cloth," lit. "milk and sugar".

Sepoy

from Persian Sipahi via Urdu

seraglio 

from sarây

serendipity 

from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, from Persian Sarandip (="Sri Lanka"),

shah 

from shāh, from Old Persian χšāyaþiya (="king"), from an Old Persian verb meaning "to rule"

Shamshir 

from shamshir

shawl 

from shāl

simurgh 

from simurgh

Sipahis

from Persian Sipahi via Turkish

sitar 

via Hindi sitar, from Pers. sitar "three-stringed," from si "three" (O.Pers. thri-) + tar "string"

sowar

from Persian Savâr.

spinach 

from French espinache, from Arabic isfAnAkh, from Persian from isfānāj, ispānāk, or aspanākh

Stan 

from -istân

sugar 

from Middle French sucre, from Latin zuccarum, from Arabic sukkar', from Persian shakar, from Sanskrit sakara (="pebble")

Sumac possibly from Persian Sumak.

T

tabor 

probably from Pers. tabir "drum,"

taffeta 

from Pers. taftah "silk or linen cloth,"

Tajikistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

Taj Mahal 

from Pers., lit. "the best of buildings;" or "the Crown's Place", second element related to Arabic halla "to lodge."

talc 

from Pers. talk "talc."

tambourine 

from Middle French tambour (="drum"), possibly originally from Persian tabirah (="drum")

tandoori 

from Pers. tannur "oven, portable furnace,"

tapestry 

from tâfteh

Tartar 

from M.L. Tartarus, from Pers. Tatar

tiger 

via Greek tigris from an Iranian source

toque 

from O. Pers. taq "veil, shawl."

turban 

via Turkish tülbent, from Persian dulband

Turkmenistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

Turkoman 

from M.L. Turcomannus, from Pers. Turkman, lit. "Turk-like," from Turk + Persian suffix -man "like."

typhoon 

طوفان from Persian Tufân or Greek Typhon; also affected by Cantonese taai-fung

U

Uzbekistan 

With Persian suffix -stan

V

vizier 

وزير from persian Vizier "minister" from Middle-Persian Vichir.

X

Xerxes 

Gk. form of O. Pers. Kshayarshan-, lit. "male (i.e. 'hero') among kings," from Kshaya- "king" (cf. shah) + arshan "male, man."

Z

Zarathustra, the Persian prophet

Zena 

girl's name from Persian Zan (woman).

zircon 

from zargûn (="gold colour")

zirconium 

from zargûn (="gold colour")

Zoroaster

from Persian Zarathustra

Zoroastrianism

Sources

Online etymology dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pers.&searchmode=none&p=0)

See also

• Lists of English words of international origin