List of English words of Persian origin
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At a deep cultural level, many Persian and English words are cognates that derive from their shared Proto-Indo-European roots. These cognates are too numerous to list here.
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, and through Greek and then Latin found their way to English. 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 by overland trade routes that passed through territory inhospitable to non-Muslims, 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 from the 1570s, 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. Compare List of English words of Etruscan origin for a similar situation.
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 Arabic or, much later, through Hindi during the British Raj.
A
- absinthe
- from Latin absinthum, from ancient Greek apsinthion, perhaps from Persian aspand/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
- aubergine
- from Persian بادنجان Bâdinjân itself maybe originally from Sanskrit.
- azure
- from Medieval Latin azura, from Arabic al-lāzaward, from Persian lājaward
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,"
- 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 pād-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."
- 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 "tent"
- 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 Daryoosh
- 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
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: from the word French: a person from France: the first foreigners that significantly influenced the goverment under the Ghajar dynasty in Iran.
- 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 ancient Greek kithara, perhaps 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
- jackal
- from Persian shaghāl, Any of several doglike mammals of the genus Canis of Africa and southern Asia that are mainly foragers feeding on plants, small animals, and occasionally carrion.
- 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
- Uses 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") or Middle Persian gōšak "corner"
- Koh-i-Noor
- from Pers. koh "mountain" + Ar. nur "light."
- Kyrgyzstan
- With Persian suffix -stan
L
- lacquer
- through Ar. lakk, from Pers. lak from Prakrit lakkhā from Sanskrit lākşā "red dye"
- lemon
- possibly from Persian limon, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish
- lilac
- from Pers. lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil "indigo"
M
- magic
- from magus from Old Persian maguš "mighty one"
- 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)
- Mother
- from maadar
- 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 (n)
- 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,"
- narcissus
- may be from Persian nargis (may also be a Pelasgian word)
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
- Pashmina
- from Pashmineh, made from pashm; pashm (= "wool")
- peach
- a corruption of the Latin word "Persicum." Peaches are called in Latin malum Persicum (Persian apple) prunum persicum (Persian plum), or simply persicum (pl. persici). This should not be confused with the more modern Linnaean classification Prunus persica, a neologism describing the peach tree itself (from the Latin prunus, -i which signifies "plum tree").
- 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 Middle French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian رخ rukh (=chess piece)
- Rose
- from Latin rosa, probably from ancient Greek rhodon, possibly ult. from Pers. *varda-. 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
- Zaferoon
- Satrap
- from Persian Shatrap and Shahrab.
- scarlet
- from Pers. saqirlat "a type of red 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 "inn"
- 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 isfānākh, from Persian from isfānāj, ispānāk, or aspanākh
- -stan
- from -istân "place" or "where one stands"
- Sumac
- possibly from Persian Sumak.
T
- tabor
- probably from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"
- 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 from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"
- 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."
- tulip
- from French tulipe, from Turkish tülbend, from Persian dulband
- Turan
- from Persian توران
- turban
- via Turkish tülbend, 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. cf. also Arabic Wazir.
X
- Xerxes
- Gk. form of O. Pers. Kshayarshan-, lit. "male (i.e. 'hero') among kings," from Kshaya- "king" (cf. shah) + arshan "male, man."
Z
- Zarathushtra or 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 Zarathushtra
- Zoroastrianism
Sources
Online etymology dictionary (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=pers.&searchmode=none&p=0)