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.

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 (berukoko).
• adobe: from the Spanish adobe, derived from the Arabic al-ṭūb (الطوب) meaning a brick of dried earth.
• 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) الكحول
• alcôve (alcove)
• alembic (or 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 (ambix), meaning the top of a still had the definite article al- added onto it by the Arabs.
• alezan (horse: chestnut, sorrel)
• algèbre (algebra): from the Arabic al-jabr الجبر meaning amending or fixation, a root (linguistics) of the word Arabic word of 'splint' jabirah جبيرة
• algorithme (algorithm): from the name of mathematician al-Khwarizmi الخوارزمي
• alidade
• almanach (almanac) from the Arabic word almanakh المناخ meaning
• amalgame (mixture, blend, amalgam)
• ambre (amber) عنبر
• amiral (admiral) أمير البحر
• aniline
• arcane
• arrobe (at sign)
• arsenal دار الصناعة
• artichaut (artichoke) أرضي شوكي
• assassin حشاشين
• aubergine البادنحات - الباذنجان
• aval (downstream, downhill)^{[citation needed]}
• avarie (damage on a vehicle)
• azimut السمت meaning the high point
• 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") قائد
• calfeutrer (to draught-proof)
• calibre (standard for calibration, calibre, see also Caliper) قالب
• calife (caliph) 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
• chemise قميص
• 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
• drogoman ترجمان

E

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

F

• fakir فقير
• fanfare (brass band)
• fanfaron (boaster)
• fardeau (burden)
• fenec فنك
• felouque (felucca)
• flouze
• fondouk (claims)

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 [ʜamˈmaːm] حمّام bathroom
• harem
• hasard
• haschisch: from Arabic [ʜaˈʃiːʃ] حشسيش grass
• henné: from Arabic: [ˈʜanna] حنّة

J

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

K

• Kif-Kif
• kermès قرمز
• kohol كحول

L

• laiton
• laque
• lascar
• lilas
• limon ليمون
• limonade ليموناضة
• loukoum
• luth

M

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

N

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

O

• orange نارنج
• ouate

P

• poutin
• pastèque

Q

• quetsche (sweet purple plum [liquor])

R

• raïs رئيس
• ramdam
• raquette
• razzia
• récif
• risque
• riz
• roque

S

• saccharine
• safari سفاري
• safran
• salamalec
• santal
• saphir صفير
• sarbacane
• satin
• savate
• séné (نبات السنا)
• sirop
• smala
• sofa
• sorbet
• soude
• souk
• sucre
• sultan سلطان

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 French loanwords in Persian‎
• List of Portuguese words of Arabic origin
• List of Spanish words of Arabic origin

References

Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent French-language Wikipedia article, accessed June 13, 2006.