List of French words of Arabic origin

Words of Arabic origin have entered the French language and many European languages. One of the primary routes that they have entered other languages is via the Spanish language, heavily influenced by the Arabic of al-Andalus.

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A

* abricot (apricot): from Spanish albaricoque, derived from the Arabic أَلْبَرْقُوق (al barqūq) which is itself derived from the Latin præcoquum, meaning the fruit, in turn from the Greek βερύκοκο (verikoko).
* adobe: from the Spanish adobe, derived from the Arabic al-ṭūb (الطوب) meaning a brick of dried earth.
* alambic (still): from al-inbīq (الإنبيق) meaning a still for the distillation of alcohol. The invention of the still is traced to Ptolemaic Egypt. The original Greek word ἄμβιξ (amvix), meaning the top of a still had the definite article al- added onto it by the Arabs.
* albacore (zoo.) from the Spanish "albacora" from the Arabic "al barqūq" (ألبرقوق) : young bonito;
* alcade Spanish word "alcalde" : magistrate; Arab governor "al-qāḍi" (القاض) : judge; cadi.
* alchimie (alchemy): from the Arabic al kîmiâ' (الكيمياء), possibly from either Greek or Coptic according to current hypotheses.
* alcool (alcohol) الغول و جمعها أغوال
* alcôve (alcove)
* alezan (horse: chestnut, sorrel)
* algèbre (algebra): from the Arabic al-jabr الجبر through the Latin "algebra"
* algorithme (algorithm): from the name of mathematician al-Khwarizmi
* alidade
* almanach (almanac)
* amalgame (mixture, blend, amalgam)
* ambre (amber) عنبر
* amiral (admiral) أمير البحر
* aniline
* arcane
* arrobe (at sign)
* arsenal دار الصناعة
* artichaut (artichoke) الخرشوف
* assassin حشاشين
* aubergine البادنحات
* aval (downstream, downhill)
* avarie (damage on a vehicle)
* azimut السمت
* azur (azure)

B

* babouche (slippers) بلغة
* baldaquin (baldachin)
* barkhane (barchan)
* baobab
* baroud (raid)
* benjoin (benzoin resin)
* benzine البنزين
* bergamote (bergamot orange) برتقال
* bled (colloquial: Place, Town) بلد
* blouse (overall, white coat)
* borax بوراق
* bougie (candle) from Bejaia (بجاية, port town in Algeria), but not particurlarly arabic

C

* cabas (basket for shopping) قفص
* cafard (cockroach)
* café (coffee, café): from Arabic qahwah قهوة, via Turkish
* caïd (chief of a mob; as a nickname, can be translated as "tiger")
* calfeutrer (to draught-proof)
* calibre (standard for calibration, calibre, see also "Caliper") قالب
* calife (calif) خليفة
* camaïeu (camaieu)
* camelot, camelote (rubbish)
* camphre (camphor)
* candie (Heraklion) قند (من سكر قندي)
* carafe (water pot)
* caravelle (caravel)
* carat (gem mass or metal purity) قيراط
* carmin (carmine)
* caroussel (carousel)
* carvi (caraway)
* chèque (check) صك
* chiffre (number, see "Cipher") صفر
* chimie (chemistry)
* civette (chives, civet)
* clebs (slang for dog) كلاب
* coton: from Arabic qutun قطن, via the Spanish coton (Algodon)
* couffin (Moses basket)
* coupole (cupola)
* cramoisi (crimson) قرمزي
* cravache (crop)
* cumin
* cuscute (Greater Dodder)

D

* dame
* divan
* douane
* drogue
* drogman ترجمان

E

* écarlate
* échec (jeu d'échecs)
* éden عدن
* élixir الإكسير
* émir أمير
* épinard
* erg
* estragon

F

* fakir
* fanfare, fanfaron
* fardeau
* fenec
* felouque
* flouze
* fondouk

G

* gabelle
* gala
* gaze
* gazelle: from Arabic ghazâl (غزال)
* gazette
* genette
* gerboise
* gilet
* girafe: from Arabic zarâfah (زرافة)
* goudron
* goule غول
* guitare قيثارة
* guitoune

H

* hammam: from Arabic ʜammām حمّام "bathroom"
* harem
* hasard
* haschisch: from Arabic ʜaʃīʃ حشسيش "grass"
* henné: from Arabic: ʜanna حنّة

J

* jaquette
* jarre جرة
* jasmin ياسمين
* jupe, jupon

K

* Kif-Kif
* kermès
* kohol
* kidnappe

L

* laiton
* laque
* lascar
* lilas
* limon
* limonade
* loukoum
* luth

M

* maboule
* macramé
* magasin
* marabout
* marcassite
* maroquin
* massepain
* massicot
* matelas
* matraque
* méchoui
* mesquin
* mohair
* moire, moiré
* momie
* mosquée
* mouchtefert
* mousseline
* mousson
* mulâtre
* muscade

N

* nabab
* nacre
* nadir
* naphte
* natron
* nénuphar
* noria
* nouba

O

* orange
* ouate

P

poutin

Q

* quetsche

R

* ramdam
* raquette
* razzia
* récif
* risque
* riz
* roque

* saccharine
* safari
* safran
* salamalec
* santal
* saphir
* sarbacane
* satin
* savate
* sirop
* smala
* sofa
* sorbet
* soude
* souk
* sucre
* sultan

T

* taboulé : "تبولة" ("tabbūla")
* tabouret : "تبوﺮ" ("tabour")
* taffetas : ' '
* talc : "طلق" ("ṭalq")
* talisman : "طلسم" ("ṭilasm")
* tare : "طرح" ("ṭarḥ")
* tarif : "تعريفة" ("taʿrīfa")
* timbale : "طبل" ("ṭabl")
* toubib : "طبيب" ("ṭabīb") (doctor)
* truchement : "ترجمان" ("tarjumān")

V

* varan
* vizir وزير

X

* x as "unknown" in mathematics: The letter « x » does not exist in Arabic; the word chaïi, which means « thing », designates an unknown in mathematics, and this word being reduced to ch.

Z

* zénith
* zéro
* zouave

See also

*Influence of Arabic on other languages
*List of English words of Arabic origin
*List of Portuguese words of Arabic origin
*List of Spanish words of Arabic origin

References

"Much of the content of this article comes from [http://fr.wikipedia.org/Mots_fran%C3%A7ais_d%27origine_arabe the equivalent French-language wikipedia article] , accessed June 13, 2006."