Foreign Words and Phrases (Miscellaneous)

This page is mainly about words and phrases that have entered English from other languages. It's one of my favourites, because it demonstrates the rich and diverse heritage of the English language – even if some of the words and phrases are indisputably foreign and can't really be said to have entered English.

See also Foreign Words & Phrases (for more direct translations of non–English words and phrases into English).

German word, used in the UK for the activity or technique known in North America as rappel(ling) – a word of French origin		Abseiling
Word used for unaccompanied singing, originating in an Italian phrase meaning 'as in chapel'		Acapella
Latin phrase, used to describe something (such as a committee) formed for a specific purpose		Ad hoc
Spanish term for a fan or enthusiast		Aficionado
Latin for 'things to be done'		Agenda
French term meaning 'according to the menu', used where each dish is individually priced and customers can choose freely (cf. 'table d'hote')		À la carte
French term used in the USA for a dessert served with ice cream (or, in some regions, with cheese)		À la mode
Derived from Spanish for 'the lizard' (el lagarto)		Alligator
River whose name means 'destroyer of boats'		Amazon
A declaration of affirmation, found in the Bible, and used in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim worship as a concluding word or a response to prayers; said to be of Hebrew origin, but also has roots in Aramaic; typically translated as "so be it", or sometimes "verily" or "truly"		Amen
Russian word for an official of the Soviet Communist Party: came to be used in English (and other languages) to mean any official or bureaucrat; can also mean a Communist spy or agent		Apparatchik
Latin phrase describing knowledge that's based on experience or empirical evidence, rather than pure reason or deduction		A posteriori
Latin phrase describing knowledge that's based on theoretical deduction, rather than observation or experience		A priori
London–based luxury clothing manufacturer and retailer: name is Latin for 'water shield'		Aquascutum
Keffiyeh		Arab headdress
Word for a group of islands: originates in Italian, but derived from the Greek for 'chief sea'		Archipelago
Portuguese word (masculine) for someone who is a suspect in a criminal case but has not been charged		Arguido
Derived from Latin meaning 'star sailor'		Astronaut
Scots phrase: literally means 'old long since'; more loosely 'old long ago', or (even more loosely) 'a long time ago'		Auld lang syne
Portuguese term (very similar in Spanish) meaning 'act of faith' – referring to a public act of penance performed by heretics condemned by the Inquisition; used in English to refer to burning at the stake		Auto da fe
Italian for motorway		Autostrada
French term used to refer to people, or works of art, that are experimental or particularly innovative		Avant–garde
Word that means 'little' in Welsh and 'stream' in German; also the surname of a family of German composers		Bach
Vietnamese word or phrase for bread – commonly used for a popular type of sandwich, consisting of a small baguette with various savoury fillings		Báhn mì bahn mi
Spanish for raft		Balsa
Greeting traditionally used for emperors in China and Japan: literally '(may you live) ten thousand years'		Banzai
Country whose name comes from either the Portuguese or Spanish for 'bearded ones'		Barbados
Spanish for a framework of sticks		Barbecue
In South Africa, a braai is a
German word for Bavaria		Bayern
The word 'barber' has its origins in the Latin word for a		Beard
The classical poetic name for Italy – translated by Longfellow (from Dante) as 'fair land', and by A. S. Kline (from Petrarch) as 'fair country'; used as the name of a semi–soft cheese invented in 1906		Bel paese
Name used in parts of Germany for a type of jam doughnut; also the name of a newspaper format (slightly larger than tabloid, but smaller than broadsheet – used in the UK by the Guardian and Observer since 2005)		Berliner
Item of (bathroom) furniture: name, imported into English from French, is French for a pony		Bidet
Used by French–speaking audiences, where English speakers would say 'Encore'		Bis (twice)
Food whose name is French for 'twice cooked'		Biscuit
Arabic word meaning 'in the name of God', familiar to non–Muslims from its use in the lyrics of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody		Bismillah (Basmala)
Foodstuff, known in French as boudin noir		Black pudding
French slang term for a German soldier, loosely translated as 'rascal'		Boche
Spanish term (originally meaning 'calm sea'), meaning a sudden and unexpected stroke of good fortune – used as the title of a long–running TV western series (1959–73)		Bonanza
Japanese name for the art of growing miniature trees		Bonsai
Originally Norman French for a child's undershirt; first used in English in 1893, for an undergarment known in France as a soutien–gorge (literally, "breast–supporter")		Brassiere
Spanish word, used to mean 'rough' or 'rugged' (of a coastline) or 'spicy' (of food)		Brava (brave)
Term used in English for collectable items of low value – from a French phrase meaning 'at random'		Bric–à–brac
Word for a privateer or free sailor: derived from a native South American word for a wooden frame used to roast or smoke meat (typically that of the manatee)		Buccaneer
Type of pancake: name originated in Mexico, and literally means 'little donkey'		Burrito
Samurai code of honour		Bushido
Word derived from a French dialect word for straw, used in North America as an alternative name for the pipe of peace		Calumet
Familiar on restaurant menus: the singular form of the Italian word for stockings or trousers		Calzone
Card game named after the Spanish word for a basket		Canasta
Barbe à papa (literally 'daddy's beard') is the French name for		Candy floss
Bird whose name means 'horse of the woods' in Scottish Gaelic – because of the sound that the male makes during its courtship display, which is said to sound like horses' hooves cantering on a hard surface		Capercaillie
Derived from a Latin term that literally means 'farewell to meat'		Carnival
From Italian: derived from the word for a house – originally referred to the part of a house that was used for socialising		Casino
Two–word Latin phrase, used to refer to an act or event that either provokes or is used to justify a war		Casus belli
Spanish term for a charismatic political leader with a military background		Caudillo
Vegetable known in German as blumenkohl		Cauliflower
Word (from the Sanskrit word for a wheel) used in Hindu tradition and in yoga, to refer to any of the seven energy points in the body		Chakra
Gas: from the Greek word		Chaos
Derived from the Persian for 'the King is dead' (or 'the King is helpless')		Checkmate
Type of yarn, or the fabric made from it, whose name is French for a caterpillar (because it resembles the hairy variety)		Chenille
Weihnachten is the German word for		Christmas
Hebrew word for audacity, insolence or impertinence		Chutzpah
Italian bread whose name means 'slipper'		Ciabatta
Commonly–used spice: English name comes from the Latin and/or French word for a nail (because when dried, they resemble a nail in shape)		Cloves
Type of snake: name is Portuguese for a snake		Cobra
Bone in the human body: gets its name from the Greek word for the cuckoo, whose beak it's said to resemble		Coccyx
Word derived from the Greek word for hair (of the head) – Aristotle described them as 'stars with hair'		Comet
Mercenary soldier leaders (or warlords) of the professional, military free companies contracted by the Italian city–states and the Papacy, from the late Middle Ages and throughout the Renaissance		Condottieri
French term, originally referred to the ribbon worn by members of the highest order of knighthood under the Bourbon monarchy		Cordon Bleu
Word that originally referred to the horn of Amalthea, the goat that suckled Zeus (in Greek mythology) – literally meaning 'horn of plenty'		Cornucopia
Italian phrase, meaning 'our thing', used by its members to refer to the Mafia		Cosa nostra
French term: literally means a bolt of lightning, but used figuratively to mean 'love at first sight'		Coup de foudre
French term meaning 'final blow'		Coup de grace
French term meaning 'blow of the state' – used to describe the seizure and removal of a government and its powers		Coup d'état
Type of savoury cake (of meat, fish or vegetables) fried in breadcrumbs: name comes from the French word for 'to crunch'		Croquette
French phrase meaning 'bottom of bag' – used in English for a dead end or 'no through road'		Cul–de–sac
Latin phrase meaning 'with praise' or 'with honour' – used in education (particularly in the USA) to recognise high achievement; can be prefixed by 'magna' to mean 'great' or 'summa' to mean 'highest'		Cum laude
Known in France as crème Anglaise		Custard
Russian word for a second home – originally a small country estate given as a gift by the tsar, now owned by an estimated 25% of Russian city dwellers		Dacha
Flower whose Latin name (Bellis perennis) means 'pretty, everlasting'		Daisy
Flower whose English name comes from the French for 'lion's tooth' (dent de lion) – but which is known in France as the pissenlit		Dandelion
Title given to the heir apparent to the French throne, 1439–1830		Dauphin
French phrase meaning 'required by fashion'		De rigeur
Style of Chinese appetiser: name literally means 'touch the heart' in Cantonese		Dim sum
Japanese term, meaning 'place of the way', used for a training area – especially for martial arts such as aikido, judo and karate		Dojo
Italian phrase for 'nothing at all' – roughly equivalent to 'sweet nothing'		Dolce far niente
Italian phrase for a life of self–indulgence or luxury – literally 'sweet life'		Dolce vita
English translation of Dauphin (because he had two on his coat of arms)		Dolphin
Curry dish, name means 'two onions' – in an Urdu term originally from Persian		Dopiaza
German word for a ghostly double (of a person)		Doppelganger
Honorary title granted to someone who retires from a position of distinction – especially in academia: a Latin word, meaning 'having completed [one's] service'		Emeritus (or emerita)
French term for an influential advisor to a public figure, after a secretary to Cardinal Richelieu		Eminence grise
The Greek word for 'union': used as the name of the movement of various Greek communities outside Greece for incorporation into the Greek state – particularly that of EOKA in Cyprus in the 1950s		Enosis
French phrase, commonly used in English to mean a feeling of solidarity or morale among members of a group		Esprit de corps
'Negus' is a word formerly used to mean a king, in (African country)		Ethiopia (and Eritrea)
English word borrowed from French, where it was derived from a verb meaning 'to attach, or stick', and was used in the court of King Louis XIV for cards reminding courtiers of rules such as keeping off the grass		Etiquette
El Gordo – the colloquial name for the Spanish lottery whose full official name is El Gordo de la Primitiva		The Fat One
French term for 'bad step' – used in English for a social gaffe		Faux pas
Word used in the Middle East and North Africa to refer to a farmer or agricultural laborer: derived from the Arabic word for a ploughman or tiller		Fellah
Chinese phrase meaning 'wind and water'		Feng shui
Genus of snakes, native to South and Central America and the West Indies: known in English by a French phrase that translates as 'spearhead'		Fer–de–lance
World–famous Italian surname that means 'blacksmith' or 'iron worker'		Ferrari
French term for a cut of tenderloin steak – literally 'cute fillet' or 'dainty fillet'		Filet mignon
Pompier (pom–pee–ay) in French, bombero in Spanish		Firefighter
Italian name for the city of Florence		Firenze
Hejira (the event from which the Muslim calendar dates)		Flight of Mohammed
Rose cultivar, named after the Latin for 'many–flowered' (cf. Polyantha)		Floribunda
Chinese dish: name literally means 'lotus egg'		Foo yung
'Welsh': comes from the Anglo–Saxon word wealas, meaning		Foreigner(s)
The Spanish name Paco is a diminutive of		Francisco
Island whose former name is Portuguese for 'beautiful'		Taiwan (Formosa)
Japanese word, literally 'outside person', equivalent to 'foreigner'. Used as the title of a novel by James Clavell (1993)		Gaijin
Astronomical term derived from the Greek for milk		Galaxy
Confection made from chocolate and cream, and used as icing, sauce or filling: name is French for the cheek or jowl		Ganache
Suburb of Seoul: name means 'south of the river'		Gangnam
Name given to a mounted herdsman or cowboy of the South American pampas – particularly one of mixed Spanish and Native American descent (also known, apparently, as a charro in Mexico, huaso in Chile, chalan in Peru, guajiro in Cuba, jibaro in Puerto Rica, llanero in Venezuela or Colombia, chagra in Ecuador, and paniolo in Hawaii)		Gaucho
Latin: plural of genus (cf. opus/opera)		Genera
Mongolian for 'gravel–covered plain'		Gobi
Weapon (a hand–thrown bomb) named from the French word for a pomegranate (pomme–grenade)		Grenade
Native South American word (from Quechuan) for seabird droppings used as fertiliser		Guano
Diminutive form of the Spanish word for war		Guerrilla
In Arab countries, a dragoman is a		Guide or interpreter
Soviet agency responsible for the labour camp system – name came to be used for the camps themselves		Gulag
German word for a secondary school		Gymnasium
Song from The Lion King – title is Swahili for 'no worries'		Hakuna Matata
In Germany, people refer to a mobile phone as a		Handy
Arabic word for 'forbidden' (the opposite of halal)		Haram
In the Zulu language, 'izulu' (not 'Zulu' itself) means		Heaven, sky, weather, etc.
Greek term meaning 'the many', used in English to denote 'the masses'		Hoi polloi
Prefix that means 'man' or 'male' in Latin, but 'same' in Greek – leading to potential confusion when used in English as a prefix to (for example) 'erotic'		Homo–
Latin for 'little man': term used in various fields to mean a representation of a human being, and especially a miniature but fully–formed human body – a concept that evolved from folklore into 16th–century alchemy and 19th–century literature		Homunculus
Food product: name (resulting from a national competition won by London student Herbert Grime) comes from the Latin phrase for 'strength of man' (hominis vis)		Hovis
Producer or sponsor of theatrical events (derived from Italian)		Impresario
Italian word, originating in Latin and meaning 'unknown'; used in English to describe a person with a false or hidden identity		Incognito
Books published before 1501 – Latin for 'swaddling clothes' or 'cradle'		Incunabula
Title given in Spain and Portugal to princesses (female descendants of the king, and consorts of princes; male descendants who were not the heir apparent were given the same title in its masculine form, infante)		Infanta
Latin phrase, used in law to mean 'caught in the act (of committing a crime)' – literally 'in blazing crime' – closely analagous to 'caught red–handed'		In flagrante delicto
Literally Arabic for 'tremor' or 'shiver'; a key concept in contemporary Arabic usage referring to a legitimate uprising against oppression, often rendered into English as 'uprising', 'resistance', or 'rebellion'		Intifada
Russian equivalent of the name John		Ivan
Infantry units that formed the sultan's bodyguard and household troops in the Ottoman Empire – from the Turkish for 'new soldier'		Janissaries
Literally Arabic for 'struggle' or 'striving' – especially with a praiseworthy aim; in contemporary usage, often rendered into English as 'holy war'		Jihad
Anglicisation of the name of an incarnation of Vishnu, beneath whose car Hindus were believed by Europeans to immolate themselves		Juggernaut
Name is derived from the Greek for 'to look at beautiful forms'		Kaleidoscope
Name meaning 'Princess', taken by all Sikh women		Kaur (pronounced cor)
Imported probably from Malay, where it's used to mean 'seafood sauce'; this in turn comes from a Chinese word or phrase that translates into English as 'brine of pickled fish'		Ketchup
Word meaning 'dust–coloured': comes (via Pakistan) from a Persian word for dust or ashes		Khaki
Hebrew word meaning 'gathering' or 'clustering', used in Israel for a residential community based on agriculture; the first was Degantia Alef, established in 1909, in Ottoman Palestine, by a group of Russian Jewish emigrés		Kibbutz
Japanese word: literally translates into English as 'a thing to wear'		Kimono
Yiddish word for a chronically clumsy person		Klutz
Black powder, used in South Asia, the Middle East and north and west Africa for cosmetic purposes; Arabic word, also the origin of the English word 'alcohol'		Kohl
South Africa: a hill, especially one with a rounded top – made famous by a battle of the Second Boer War (1900)		Kop or kopje
Composed of two Chinese words, the first meaning 'work', 'achievement' or 'merit', the second possibly meaning 'man'; can be translated as 'achievement of man' or 'work', 'time' and 'effort'		Kung Fu
Dance whose name refers to the wave–like motion of a whip (obscure Brazilian Portuguese word)		Lambada
German word for 'living space'		Lebensraum
German word for a recurring theme in an opera		Leitmotiv
1958 Italian novel Il Gattopardo – filmed in 1963 with an international cast including Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale – English title		The Leopard
Common English translation of the remark 'Qu'ils mangent de la brioche' – attributed by the 18th–century Swiss–French philosopher Jean–Jacques Rousseau to 'a certain princess'. The quotation is widely believed to be from Marie Antoinette, consort of Louis XVI of France, but Rousseau was referring to Maria Theresa of Spain, consort of Louis XIV – who may or may not have actually said something similar (referring to 'the crust off the paté' rather than brioche)		Let them eat cake
Original meaning of éclair, in French (the link to the name of the pastry is obscure)		Lightning
Style of car that gets its name from a French word for a rough wollen great–coat		Limousine
Aotearoa – the Maori name for New Zealand		[The land of] the long white cloud
Disease whose name comes from the Italian for 'bad air'		Malaria (mala aria)
French term for Shrove Tuesday – literally 'fat Tuesday' – also used in various English–speaking locations, particularly in the USA, and in Rio de Janeiro		Mardi Gras
Man–made food product, named after the Greek for pearl		Margarine (from margarites)
British food product whose name is a French word for a large, covered earthenware cooking pot		Marmite
Cosmetic product: name is Italian for mask		Mascara
Spanish for 'killer'		Matador
Said to be derived from a French call for help (M'aidez)		Mayday
From the Latin for 'centre (or middle) of the Earth'		Mediterranean
Latin phrase, typically used in English to describe works of art, etc., meaning effectively "a reminder of death"		Memento mori
French phrase meaning 'household of three' – used to describe three people who share romantic or sexual relations with one another, and may live together		Ménage à trois
Word for a standing stone, from the Celtic words for 'stone' and 'long'		Menhir
(International organisation that took its name from the) Latin for 'table'		Mensa
From the Greek, meaning 'between two rivers'		Mesopotamia
Adopted from French: a person's specialist field, calling or forte		Metier
The most southern areas of France and Italy are known respectively as le Midi and il Mezzogiorno, which are the local terms for		Midday
The Ukrainian word shakhtar, used in the name of Shakhtar Donetsk football club, means		Miner
Fata morgana		Mirage
Title by which the Dauphin was addressed		Monseigneur
French term meaning 'exactly the right word'		Le mot juste
Known as an autoroute in France, autobahn in Germany, autopista in Spain, and autostrada in Italy		Motorway
Word for civilian dress, when worn by someone who normally wears a uniform: originally a Muslim legal expert (who was a civil rather than a religious official, and so didn't wear clerical dress)		Mufti
Term used in perfumery, believed to be ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word for a testicle		Musk
Condiment, known as Senf in German		Mustard
Inuit name for the polar bear		Nanook
Japanese art of carving delicate ornaments, hung from a sash, used to carry things in (instead of pockets) – traditionally, most often from ivory		Netsuke
Japanese company whose name can be translated as 'the shop where you leave things to heaven' or 'leave luck to heaven'		Nintendo
The word 'chaparral' originates from the Spanish word for (tree)		(Evergreen) oak
Musical instrument: name comes from French, meaning 'high wood' (haut bois)		Oboe
Simple musical instrument: name is Italian for 'little goose'		Ocarina
French word for work, used in English to denote an artist's total output		Oeuvre
Meaning of the Catalan word vella, used in the name of the capital city of Andorra		Old
Senex (from which the English word Senate is derived): Latin for		Old (man)
Spanish word meaning 'scented' – used for a type of sherry		Oloroso
Word indigenous to Danish, Norwegian and Swedish, derived from an Old Norse word that essentially meant 'representative' or 'trusted intermediary'		Ombudsman
The Mafia 'code of silence' (derived from the Italian for 'manliness', or possibly 'humility')		Omerta
Bus is short for (Latin word meaning 'for all')		Omnibus
Vegetable: known as cebolla in Spanish, cipolla in Italian, ui in Dutch, Zwiebel in German		Onion
Latin: singular of Opera (meaning work)		Opus
Type of pasta – Italian for 'little ears'		Orecchiette
Japanese art of folding paper without cutting		Origami
Bufano Bufano – the nickname of the South African national football team – is a Zulu term, meaning		Our Boys
Type of field where rice is grown – from the Malay name for the rice plant		Paddy (padi)
Word derived from the Latin for 'father', used in English to address a priest – particularly a chaplain in the armed forces		Padre
Italian word for an annual sporting or athletic contest – particularly the horse race in Siena		Palio
Word commonly used in journalism, ultimately derived from a made–up Italian word that's said to mean a large and bothersome mosquito		Paparazzi
Word, derived from the Latin for 'scattered', used in English to indicate that a reference will be found in several places throughout a text		Passim
In art: a mix of styles, or an imitation of another style – comes (via French) from the Italian word for a pie crust		Pastiche
Latin name for the Lord's Prayer, also an item of fishing tackle		Paternoster
Known to native Americans as the Calumet		Peace pipe
Fruit whose English name comes (via French) from the Latin for 'Persian apple', and whose scientific (Latin) name means 'Persian plum'		Peach
The word psephos, from which we get 'psephology', is Greek for a		Pebble
Group of flowering plants: name is literally Greek for a flame		Phlox
Word derived from the Spanish word for a 'rogue' or 'rascal': used in English since the early 19th century for a genre of fiction depicting the adventures of a roguish, but "appealing" hero, usually of low social class, who lives by his wits in a corrupt society – popular in the 16th century, and satirised by Cervantes in Don Quixote		Picaresque
French phrase, used in English for a small second home, usually in a city		Pied–a–terre
Term used in China for boy and girl twins		Pigeon pair
Name of Aberdeen FC's ground – means 'dunghill'		Pittodrie
Rose cultivar, named after the Greek for 'many–flowered' (cf. Floribunda)		Polyantha
Common name for a type of primula, as distinct from the primrose: from the Greek for 'many–flowered'		Polyanthus
Latin word for a priest (literally 'bridge builder') – adopted by the Christian churches, especially to refer to the Pope		Pontifex
Ceramic material: name comes from the Italian word for a cowrie shell, because it has a similar appearance (don't ask why the Italian word for a cowrie shell refers to a young female pig)		Porcelain
Administrator who made the use of dustbins compulsory in Paris in 1884, and after whom the dustbin came to be named in French		Eugène–René Poubelle
Word for a province or state, in several south Asian languages: appears in the names of five Indian states		Pradesh
Italian title of a famous painting by Botticelli – meaning 'Spring'		Primavera
Purplish–brown or reddish–brown colour – French for 'flea'		Puce
Latin name for a chariot drawn by four horses – also used for a statue of such		Quadriga
German term for a cyclist – also used for a drink made with equal quantities of beer and lemonade		Radler
Rajah's wife (the equivalent of 'queen')		Rani (Ranee)
In India, a dhaba is a		Roadside restaurant
The Greek word dromos (used in English words such as aerodrome, palindrome and dromedary) means		Running
Matryoshka		Russian doll
Jew born in Israel of immigrant parents		Sabra
The galápagos tortoise (which gave its name to the Galápagos Islands) was so named because the shape of its shell reminded early Spanish visitors of a galápego, which was the front part of a		Saddle
Word used in English: comes from a Swahili word for a journey		Safari
Traditional flat–bottomed boat, common in China and south–east Asia: name is derived from the Cantonese for 'three planks'		Sampan
Military nobility of pre–industrial Japan – meaning 'servant' – 'champions' of the Shoguns		Samurai
French term for self–control, or coolness under stress – literally 'cold blood'		Sang–froid
Japanese ritual of suicide by sword disembowelment		Sapuki
Two–word French phrase, literally translating as 'to know to do'		Savoir faire
German word for 'pleasure in the misfortunes of others'		Schadenfreude
Yiddish word for jewellery, used colloquially to refer to the male genitalia and hence as an insult		Schmuck
Disease: name derived from Latin, literally means 'little sow'		Scrofula
Mal de mer is the French term for		Seasickness
Light cotton or linen fabric, with a crinkled surface and often striped: name comes (via Hindustani) from the Persian for 39;milk and sugar'		Seersucker
Latin phrase (meaning 'always faithful'): used as a motto by the City of Exeter and the US Marine Corps, among many others; also the title of a march by Souza, composed in response to a request from President Chester Arthur for a new piece to be associated with the US President		Semper fidelis
Origin of the word 'denim'		Serge de Nimes
Hebrew word for 'peace', used as a greeting and a farewell		Shalom
Irish Gaelic word for an illicit drinking establishment – now used internationally, especially in South Africa where such places were set up during Apartheid to be used by indigenous Africans (and are now completely legal)		Shebeen
Title given to the military leaders who effectively ruled Japan from 1185 to 1867		Shogun
Swahili for 'lion'		Simba
Latin phrase, literally meaning 'without a day', used (for example in legal sentences) to mean 'indefinitely' or 'with no time limit'		Sine die (see–nay dee–ay)
Three–word Latin phrase, literally meaning 'without which nothing' (originally a legal term): used to describe an indispensable and essential action, condition, or ingredient		Sine qua non
Name meaning 'lion', taken by all Sikh men		Singh
Hat whose name is derived from the Spanish word for shade or shadow (ombre)		Sombrero
Aigre (as in vin aigre, anglicised as vinegar) is French for		Sour
The English word 'infant' is derived from a Latin word that literally means 'unable to ... '		Speak
Meaning of the German word 'gewurtz' – as in the grape variety Gewurtztraminer, commonly grown in the Alsace region of France		Spiced, or perfumed
Latin term meaning the current state of affairs		Status quo
Printer's instruction: Latin for 'let it [i.e. the original version] stand'		Stet
Fruit: known as the Erdbeere in German, fraise in French, fragola in Italian, and fresa or frutilla in Spanish		Strawberry
Two–word Latin phrase: literally 'of its own kind', hence 'in a class of its own' or 'unique'		Sui generis
Levante, Poniente – two districts of Benidorm, which give their names to the town's two main beaches: meaning		Sunrise, Sunset
French word for a corner shop – given to a curve on the Monaco Grand Prix circuit (where there used to be one)		Tabac
French term for a meal of several courses at a fixed price (cf. À la carte)		Table d'hôte
Latin phrase, often translated into English as 'a blank slate': refers to the idea that people are born without built–in mental content, and all knowledge comes from experience or perception		Tabula rasa
Prime Minister of the Republic of Ireland		Taoiseach (tee–shock)
Colour whose name (in English) is the French word for the mole – because it's the colour of its fur		Taupe
Type of pottery: name is Italian for 'baked earth'		Terracotta
Italian word for a sports fan – particularly those of the Ferrari motor racing team		Tifoso (pl. tifosi)
Tora (as in the 1970 film Tora! Tora! Tora!): Japanese for		Tiger
Comes from a Boer word for a journey		Trek
Word from the Greek for 'three legs', used for the symbol of the Isle of Man (Sicily uses a similar symbol)		Triskele (triss–keel) or triskelion (triss–kellion)
Musical instrument whose name is used in French for a paperclip		Trombone
French term for an optical illusion, particularly in art; literally 'deceive the eye'		Trompe l'oeil
French title of an early Brigitte Bardot film (known in English as Crazy for Love): a term used in France for a pause between courses, in a meal, in which diners (in order to improve the appetite and make room for the next course) partake of a glass of Calvados		Le Trou Normand
English words derived from the Ottoman Turkish word tulbend (muslin or gauze)		Tulip, turban
Hummum		Turkish bath
Made–up Japanese word for 'savouriness' – imported into English (2007) as the name of the fifth taste		Umami
Name comes from the French for 'velvet hook' (velours crochet)		Velcro
Italian for 'revenge'; used in English to mean a blood feud between families		Vendetta
Mediaeval Latin word meaning 'word for word' (basically an adverbial form of the noun verbum, 'a word')		Verbatim
Name for a type of wine containing aromatic herbs and other flavourings: comes (via French) from an old German word for the absinthe plant		Vermouth
Latin phrase: literally means "with position turned"		Vice versa
Menu term, from the Portuguese for 'wine and garlic'		Vindaloo
Comes from an Old French term for 'sour wine' (vin aigre)		Vinegar
Latin phrase for an oral examination		Viva voce
'I roll' in Latin		Volvo
'Planet' comes from the Greek for		Wanderer
'Armoire' is a word that came into English from French, in the 16th century, as another name for a		Wardrobe
In Venice, a vaporetto is a		Water bus
Type of Chinese dumpling, filled with spiced pork and usually served with soup: name literally means 'pastry' in Cantonese		Won ton
'Huang' is Chinese for (Huang Ho is the Yellow River, Huang Hai the Yellow Sea)		Yellow
Sanskrit for 'union'		Yoga
Peninsula whose name (according to Hernan Cortes) means 'I don't understand you' in the local native language		Yucatan
Word meaning a fanatical adherent to a cause; originally meant a member of an anti–Roman Jewish sect of the first century AD		Zealot
German word for 'spirit of the times'		Zeitgeist

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24