After Latin and French, the English language was enriched by German, Greek, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Sanskrit, and Yiddish among many others. The following words represent a small sampling of the words that have been embraced by English. Again, try to sound out each word and use the accompanying audio link to help you.
Source: “Squirrel Sneeze,” Glen Axelon, Flickr
gesundheit
interjection
Language: German (“good health”)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/gə- 'zúnt- ,hīt/
How it’s used: This term is like saying “bless you.” Gesundheit is a wish of good health for someone who has just sneezed.
Example: Everett says gesundheit after anyone sneezes–even in a movie theater.
hubris
noun
Language: Greek
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/'hyü-brəs/
How it’s used: In ancient Greece, hubris was considered a crime. Anyone who outrageously abused wealth or power might be accused of hubris. Now it’s used to describe arrogance, exaggerated pride, and too much self-confidence, especially when prideful behavior leads to a downfall.
Example: The businessman’s failure was brought on by his hubris. He considered himself far too important to be arrested.
Source: “Game night!” John Carleton, Flickr
mano a mano
adjective
Language: Spanish (“hand to hand”)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/,mä-nō-ä-mä-nō/
How it’s used: This term describes direct, face-to-face competition or conflict. It acts like the phrases “one-on-one” and “man-to-man.”
Example: A boxing match is the ultimate mano a mano competition with nothing between the two fighters but their boxing gloves.
Source: “McDonalds Breakfast Alfresco,” Todd Sanders, Flickr
alfresco
adjective
Language: Italian (outside, “in a fresh temperature”)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/al- 'fres-(,)kō/
How it’s used: This term describes something that takes place outside in the open air, most often eating outside, as in a picnic or on a restaurant’s patio.
Example: Dining alfresco in the Texas summer can be a bad idea because sometimes the heat melts the dishes.
Source: Hanashiro Chomo, Nakasone Genwa, Wikimedia Commons
karate
noun
Language: Japanese (“empty hand”)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/kə- 'rä-tē/
How it’s used: A Japanese art of self-defense employing hand strikes and kicks to disable or subdue an opponent.
Example: Dean wanted to learn karate not only for self-defense, but also to get in shape.
Source: “Karma” graphic, Eponabri, Flickr
karma
noun
Language: Sanskrit (“actions” or “deeds”)
Merriam-Webster Dictionary pronunciation:
/'kär-mə also 'kər-/
How it’s used: A hard-to-translate word borrowed from Buddhism, karma implies “what goes around comes around,” or “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” It assumes that good and bad actions have consequences, but we may not always experience them immediately, or even in this lifetime. You might have heard of “good karma” and “bad karma”—good deeds or bad deeds that pile up a kind of energy that can come back to a person later.
Example: Angel believes that helping other people in need will produce good karma.
Your Turn
For the culminating activity, choose two words from this section and explore them more deeply. You will use a graphic organizer to record your answers, but first look at the following example and the word memoir.
Memoir, a French word, is defined as “a writer’s account or memories of true events in his or her life.” Remember that a memoir
- does not always convey a person’s entire life. It might focus on a few significant years;
- will always be true or nonfiction. You can’t make up things that didn’t happen in order to make the story more interesting; and
- is a form of autobiography because it’s an account of an important time in your life.
Examples of memoirs include the following:
- A short story about the day I broke my arm
- A diary kept by a child living in a war zone
If a memoir includes true accounts from someone’s life and those accounts include a life-changing event, non-examples would be stories that aren’t true or aren’t types of autobiographies. For example, science fiction, historical novels, essays, and dramas are not memoirs. The non-examples are close to the definition and characteristics, but they won’t exactly match. Some non-examples of a memoir might include the following:
- A short story about turning into a superhero
- A fictional diary of a teenager who is having trouble at school
You have now completed the lesson on origins and meanings of foreign words and phrases. Remember that when you come across a foreign word or phrase—which is likely since a majority of the words in the English language come from Latin or French—take time to look up the origin and meaning. It may take you a while to get used to looking up words and may seem distracting to your reading, but with practice and experience, your knowledge and fluency will improve.
Are you interested in learning about the Spanish influence on the English language? Check out this link to several alphabetized word lists.