One loan word per language

Language English Original word Original meaning Further etymology or notes

Indoeuropean

Germanic

West Germanic

South Africa Afrikaans trek trek A journey Dutch trek “journey, migration”
the Netherlands DutchNederlands boss baas Mid. Dutch baes “master”
[loc.country.gb/wessex] Old EnglishÆnglisc weird wyrd Fate, destiny Proto-Indoeuropean *wert- “to turn, to wind”
Germany GermanDeutsch schadenfreude Schadenfreude ” (Enjoyment from another’s misfortune) Schaden “harm” + Freude “joy”
[loc.country.yiddish] Yiddishיידיש Yidish klutz קלאָץ klots A wooden beam Proto–West Germanic *klott, whence English clod

Nordic

Denmark DanishDansk angst angst Fear, dread, anxiety, angst Proto-Germanic *angustiz “narrowness, tightness, fear, anxiety”
the Færoe Islands FæroeseFøroyskt skua skúgvur A great skua Old Norse skúfr “great skua”
Iceland IcelandicÍslenska geyser Geysir Name of a large geyser in southwestern Iceland lit. “gusher”, from geysa “to gush”
[loc.country.viking] Old NorseNorrǿna window vindauga vindr “wind” + auga “eye”
Norway NorwegianNorsk ski ski Old Norse skíð “snowshoe, stick of wood”
Sweden SwedishSvenska moped moped tramp-cykel med motor och pedaler “bicycle with engine and pedals”

Romance

[loc.country.es/cat] CatalanCatalà paella paella A frying pan, a paella Latin patella “pan”
[loc.country.fr/bourbon] Old FrenchFranceis air air Air, the atmosphere, a breeze, the weather Ancient Greek ᾱ̓ήρ āḗr air, mist, wind
Spain CastillianCastellano tornado tronada A thunderstorm tronar “to thunder”
France FrenchFrançais hotel hôtel A mansion, a hotel Latin hospitāle “hospital, guesthouse”
Italy ItalianItaliano balcony balcone augmentative of balco “scaffold, balcony”
[loc.country.it/rm] LatinLatina nature nātūra A nature, an essence, the natural world, a penis nāscor “be born”
Portugal PortuguesePortuguês dodo doudo A crazy person dated form of doido

Indo–Iranian

India Pakistan Hindi–Urduहिंदी اردو pyjamas पाजामा پاجامہ pājāmā Loose cotton trousers Persian پايجامه pâyjâma “leg garment”
Iran Persianفارسی Fārsi caravan کاروان kārvān A caravan, a convoy Mid. Persian 𐭪𐭠𐭫𐭥𐭠𐭭𐭥 kārawān “military column”
[loc.country.sikh] Punjabiਪੰਜਾਬੀ Paṁjābī Sikh ਸਿੱਖ sikhkha A Sikh, the Sikh community Sanskrit शिक्षा śikṣā “learning, study, skill”
[loc.country.roma] RomanyRromani ćhib pal phral A brother Cognate with English brother, Latin frater, &c.
India Sanskritसंस्कृतम् Saṃskṛtam karma कर्मन् kárman An act, an action, a performance, karma

Slavic

Czechia CzechČeština robot robot robota “servitude, drudgery”
Poland PolishPolski sabre szabla via German Säbel, French sabre
Russia RussianРусский Russkij mammoth мамонт mamont Compare Proto-Uralic *mëxeearth, land”
Serbia Serbo-CroatianСрпскохрватски Srpskohrvatski vampire вампир vampir via German Vampir, French vampire
Ukraine UkrainianУкраїнська Ukrainska Cossack козак kozak via Polish kozak, French cosaque

Hellenic

[loc.country.gr/ancient] Ancient GreekἈρχαία ἑλληνική Archǽa hellēnicḗ iris ἶρις îris A rainbow via Latin īris
Greece GreekΕλληνικά Elleniká malarkey μαλακία malakía Masturbation, nonsense

Celtic

Ireland IrishGaeilge tory tóraí An outlaw, a pursuer Originally applied to Irish Catholic rebels, then to supporters of the Catholic king James VII
Scotland Scots GaelicGàidhlig slogan sluagh-ghairm A battle cry sluagh “crowd, (obsolete) army” + ghairm “cry”
Wales WelshCymraeg corgi corgi cor “dwarf” + ci “dog”

Other

Albania AlbanianShqip dhampir dhampir ” (A half-human, half-vampire) From a South Slavic language, possibly Serbo-Croatian or Bulgarianвампир vampir

Sinotibetan

Hong Kong Cantonese廣東話 Gwóngdūng wǎ kowtow 叩頭 kautàu To bow so deeply one’s forehead touches the ground “knock” + “head”
China Mandarin官話 Guānhuà kung-fu 功夫 gōngfu Skill, accomplishment “achievement” + “man”

Niger–Congo

[loc.country.ng/biafra] IgboÌgbò okra ọ́kụ̀rụ̀ Disputed, may well come from some other related language
Kenya SwahiliKiswahili safari safari A journey, a trip Arabic سفر safar “departure, journey, military campaign”
Senegal Wolof banana banaana Arabic بنانة banāna “fingertip, finger”
South Africa XhosaIsiXhosa ubuntu ubuntu Ubuntu, humaneness, solidarity Also borrowed from Zulu ubuntu “ubuntu, solidarity, humanity”
Nigeria YorubaYorùbá dashiki dàńṣíkí Hausa ɗan ciki “inner garment”
South Africa ZuluIsiZulu impala impala Proto-Bantu *mpàdá “impala”

Afroasiatic

[loc.country.assyria] Akkadian𒀝𒅗𒁺𒌑 Akkadû lamassu 𒀭𒆗 lamassu ” (A sphinx-like guardian Deity of Assyrian myth)
Ethiopia Amharicአማርኛ Amari̠nya teff ጤፍ ṭef ” (An edible grass native to the Horn of Africa)
[loc.country.arableague] Arabicالعربية al-ʻArabiyyah coffee قهوة qahwa Wine, coffee via Turkish kahve, Dutch koffie
[loc.country.aramaic] Aramaicארמיא Ārāmāyā abbot אבא ʾabbā A father, an ancestor, a teacher, a leader, an author
Egypt EgyptianRa ni Ku:mat lily ḥaru:rat A flower, a blossom via Coptic ϩⲗⲏⲣⲓ hlēri, Ancient Greek λείριον leírion, Latin līlium
Israel Hebrewעִבְרִית Ivrit hallelujah הללויה halleluyah Praise God! הללו “praise” + יה (personal name of God)

Austronesian

Malayo-Polynesian

Malayic

Malaysia MalayBahasa Melayu orangutan orang utan orang “person” + utan “forest”

Philippine

[loc.country.ph/ilocano] IlocanoIlokano yo-yo yóyo
the Philippines Tagalog boondocks bundok A mountain

Oceanic

[loc.country.us/hi] HawaiʻianʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi ukulele ʻukulele ʻuku “flea” + lele “to jump”
[loc.country.nz/maori] MāoriTe reo Māori kiwi kiwi A kiwi bird Onomatopœic
Samoa SamoanGagana Samoa tattoo tatau To fight; a tattoo ta “to strike, to tattoo” + tau “to fight, to strike”
Tonga TonganLea faka-Tonga taboo tapu Prohibited, sacred Also found in Māori, Rapa Nui, Samoan, and Tahitian

Dravidian

India Malayalamമലയാളം Malayāḷaṁ mango മാങ്ങ māṅṅa An unripe mango fruit via Malay mangga, Portuguese manga
India Tamilதமிழ் Tamil̮ pariah பறையர் paṟaiyar Drummers; the Paraiyar, a lower caste in southern Indian society பறை paṟai “drum”
India Teluguతెలుగు Tĕlugu bandicoot పందికొక్కు paṁdikŏkku A bandicoot rat (unrelated to actual bandicoots, who are native to New Guinea) పంది paṁdi “pig” + కొక్కు kŏkku “great rat, bandicoot”

Uralic

Finland FinnishSuomi sauna sauna A sauna, (obsolete) a pit dug into snow for temporary shelter
Hungary HungarianMagyar coach kocsi A cart, a carriage, a car via German Kutsche, French coche; after the cart-buildng town of Kocs
[loc.country.sami] Kildin SámiКӣллт са̄мь Kiillt saam’ tundra тӯннтрэ tuunntre Of a mountain fell, of a fjeld Genitive of тӯнтар tuuntar

Algic

[loc.country.ca/mikmaq] Mi’kmaqMiʼkmawiʼsimk caribou qalipu Proto-Algonquian *maka·lipowa “it shovels snow”
[loc.country.ca/ojibwe] OjibweAnishinaabemowin totem odoodem Their clan, their totem Singular their, that is
[loc.country.us/powhatan] PowhatanKikitowämak raccoon arahkun arahkuněm “he scratches with his hands”

Hyperborean

Greenland GreenlandicKalaallisut kayak qajaq via Danish kajak
[loc.country.ca/nu] Inuktitutᐃᓄᒃᑎᑐᑦ igloo ᐃᒡᓗ iglu A house, a building Proto–Inuit–Yupik *ǝŋlu
[loc.country.us/ak] IñupiaqIñupiatun malamute malimiut The Malimiut people of northwestern Alaska Known for breeding malamutes

Pama–Nyungan

[loc.country.au/aboriginal] Arabana witchetty witjuti A witchetty bush (a wattle found in the Australian outback, often home to the eponymous critter)
[loc.country.au/aboriginal] Dharug koala gula
[loc.country.au/aboriginal] Guugu Yimidhirr kangaroo gangurru An eastern grey kangaroo
[loc.country.au/aboriginal] Woiwurrung yabber yaba To speak, to talk
[loc.country.au/aboriginal] Yagara yakka yaga Work

Other

Africa

[loc.country.nama] KhoekhoeKhoekhoegowab gnu !nu via Dutch gnoe

The Americas

[loc.country.us/lakota] LakotaLakȟótiyapi teepee thípi A house, a building thípi “they live (somewhere)”
Mexico NahuatlNāhuatl axolotl āxōlōtl ātl “water” + xōlōtl “naked one”
[loc.country.bo/wiphala] QuechuaRunasimi jerky ch’arki Dried meat, jerky; thin, miserly, stingy via Spanish charqui
[loc.country.taino] Taíno canoe *kanowa A dugout canoe Proto-Arawak *kanawa

Asia

Japan Japanese日本語 Nihongo futon 布団 futon A foldable mattress & duvet placed on the floor Mid. Chinese 蒲團 bu-dwan “meditation cushion”
South Korea Korean한국어 Han’gugeo mukbang 먹방 meokbang ” (A livestream where one eats and interacts with an audience) 먹다 meokda “eat” + 방송 bangsong “broadcast”
Turkey TurkishTürkçe yoghurt yoğurt
Vietnam VietnameseTiếng Việt pho phở
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