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Arabic influence on the Spanish language overwhelmingly dates from the Muslim era of the Iberian Peninsula between 711 and 1492. The influence results mainly from the large number of Arabic loanwords and derivations in Spanish, plus a few other less obvious effects.

History

The Spanish language, also called Castilian, is a Romance language that evolved from the dialects of Roman Vulgar Latin spoken in the Iberian Peninsula. The first examples of language with some features specific of modern Spanish are ascribed to documents from various monasteries in the area of Burgos and La Rioja in what is now northern Spain. However Toledo, in central Spain, which became the capital of the early Kingdom of Castile during its southward expansion, is where Spanish began to appear in a written form recognizable today. The preexisting Mozarabic dialect of this region (i.e. the Romance present during Muslim rule) is therefore likely to have also had an influence on modern Spanish.

The lexical influence of Arabic reached its greatest level during the Christian Reconquista, when the emerging Kingdom of Castile conquered large territories from Moorish rulers, particularly in the 11th, 12th and 13th centuries. These territories, which included the former Taifa of Toledo, had large numbers of Arabic speakers as well as many who spoke local Romance dialects (Mozarabic) heavily influenced by Arabic, both influencing Castilian. It is possible that Arabic words and their derivatives had also already been brought into Castilian by Mozarab Christians who emigrated northwards from Al Andalus in times of sectarian violence, particularly during the times of Almohad and Almoravid rule in the 12th and 13th centuries. As such, Arabic can be considered to have had a formative influence on the Spanish language.

The degree to which the Arabic language percolated through the Iberian Peninsula varied enormously from one period and area to another and is the subject of academic debate. However it is generally agreed that in much of the peninsula Arabic was used among the local elites, both Muslims and Christians, and that the prevalent vernacular in many areas was Mozarabic, a continuum of Arabic-influenced local Romance dialects. Only the southern third of the peninsula became totally Arabized as both Mozarabic and Christianity were extinguished following the Almoravid and Almohad periods.

Much of the Arabic influence upon Spanish came through the various Arabized Romance dialects spoken in areas under Moorish rule, known today by scholars as Mozarabic. This resulted in Spanish often having both Arabic- and Latin-derived words with the same meaning. For example, aceituna and oliva (olive), alacrán and escorpión (scorpion), jaqueca and migraña (migraine), alcancía and hucha (piggy bank), ajonjolí and sésamo (sesame) etc.

The influence of the Arabized Mozarabic and of Arabic itself is more noticeable in the Spanish dialects from regions with a longer history of Moorish domination than in those where it was shorter-lived. For this reason the dialects of the southern half of the country, known collectively as castellano meridional or Southern Castilian, seem collectively to show a higher degree of preference for Arabisms. Northern Spanish dialects tend to prefer Romance synonyms to terms of Arabic origin, such as the Romance calendario v. Arabic almanaque, hucha v. alcancía, espliego v. alhucema etc. Because Canarian and all Hispanic American dialects are mainly derived from Southern Castilian, Spanish words of Arabic origin are common in most varieties of Modern Spanish.

A number of words were also borrowed from Moroccan Arabic, principally as a result of Spain's protectorate over Spanish Morocco in the 19th and 20th centuries, although these are of minor significance.

The Spanish spoken in the Canary Islands has also adopted a small number of words from Hassaniya Arabic, principally from Canarian sailors who fish in proximity to the Saharan coast as well as by those Canarians who returned from Western Sahara after the Green March of 1975.

Lexical influence

The influence of Arabic on the Spanish language is fundamentally lexical but its other influences are also briefly examined in this article. It is estimated that there are about one thousand Arabic roots and approximately three thousand derived words, making a total of around four thousand words or 8% of the Spanish dictionary. See Influences on the Spanish language for more on how the number of Arabisms in Spanish has been estimated. The exact number of words of Arabic origin and their derivatives in Spanish is not known, and many words not included on this list are regionalisms: words that are used in certain parts of Spain and/or Hispanic America but are generally unknown elsewhere.

The high point of Arabic word use in Spanish was in late medieval times and has declined since then but hundreds are still used in normal conversation. The large majority of these words are nouns, with a number of verbs and adjectives derived direct from these nouns, e.g. alquilar (to rent) and alquilado (rented) from alquiler (rent), most of which are excluded from this list. There is also one preposition: hasta (until), and one adverb: he. There has been little influence on the basic grammatical structure of the language.

Many Arabic loanwords in Spanish start with a- or al-, where these sounds come from the Arabic article al- (giving just a- when the Arabic word begins with a solar letter). This initial a(l)- is an integral part of the word in Spanish; that is, it is not a morpheme.

List of words of Arabic origin

This is an open list of Spanish words acquired directly from Classical and Andalusi Arabic, listed in alphabetical order. This list includes the Spanish meaning of the word as well as the Arabic etymology. No fixed standard of Arabic transliteration is used.

Rationale for inclusion

Due to the large influence of Arabic on Spanish vocabulary, this list is relatively restrictive:

• This list has been edited to include only words considered to appertain to the Spanish language and the Hispanic culture and society. Arabic words that may be understood by Spanish speakers but remain foreign to the Hispanic civilisation such as Ayatolá, Yihad and Chiita are excluded from this list.
• Only words that have passed direct from Arabic are included. Arabic words that entered the Spanish language through other, non-Iberian, Indo-European languages (such as Ayatolá, Beduino, Sofá and sorbete) are not included. Included as exceptions to this rule are álcali and álgebra, words of Arabic origin thought to have entered Spanish through "Low Latin"—as suggested by their initial stress (the Arabic definite article al- is not normally borrowed as a stressed syllable).
• Generally, only Spanish root words are listed, derivations (including nouns, verbs or adjectives) not being included. For example, aceite (from az-zeit, oil) is included but not aceitería, aceitero, aceitón or aceitoso. On the other hand, aceituna (olive) is included since it derives not from az-zeit but from az-zeituna in Arabic, even though the root of the Arabic word is the same. Aceituno (olive tree), on the other hand, would not be included, since it shares the same root as aceituna. For this reason a significant number of verbs and adjectives are excluded from this list. An exception to this rule may be made when the derived word is much more commonly used than the root word, when the meaning of the derivative has no evident connection with the root word or when it is not clear that one is derived from the other (e.g. horro and ahorrar).
• Words derived from Mozarabic are not included (Mozarabic being fundamentally a Romance language) unless the Mozarabic word is itself derived from classical or Andalusi Arabic.
• Words acquired from Berber or Hebrew (or other Afro-Asiatic languages) are not included.

The etymology and meaning of most of these words can be verified on the site of the Real Academia de la Lengua Española, although a small minority are available only in other sources or past editions of this dictionary.

Many of these words will be unfamiliar to many Spanish speakers because their use is restricted to certain regions of Spain or Spanish-speaking countries or they are no longer in regular use. For example the Arabic-derived word for ‘jewel’, alhaja, is very common in Mexico whereas in Spain it is restricted to rural areas of the southern half of the country, the alternative Spanish term joya being much more common. On the other hand the Arabic derived term for fruit juice zumo is the standard term in Spain whereas in Hispanic America the Latin-derived jugo or agua are generally used. The Arabic term alberca in Spain refers to agricultural water deposits whereas in Mexico it is the common term used for swimming pool as opposed to piscina elsewhere or pileta in Argentina.

A (Ababol to Azumbre)

1. ababol: poppy, in Aragon, Navarre, Albacete and Murcia. From Andalusian Arabic Happapáwr, a fusion from the Arabic plural al-ḥabūb (الْحُبُوب) (listen), the generic term for "seeds, beans or grains", and the Latin papāver.
2. abacero: owner of an abacería, small food shop. From Andalusi Arabic *ṣaḥb uz-zād (صاحب الزاد) "owner of supplies." (listen)
3. abadí: descendant/lineage of Mohammed ben Abad, founder of the Taifa Kingdom of Seville in the 11th century AD. From Andalusi Arabic 'abbādī (عبّادي) (listen).
4. abalorio: cheap jewellery or jewellery beads. From Andalusi Arabic and Arabic al-ballūriy (بَلْورَة) (listen) " glass or clear as crystal". Ultimately from Greek βήρυλλος, "beryl" (listen)
5. abarraz: stavesacre (Delphinium staphisagria), a medicinal plant. From Andalusian Arabic ḥább arrás (حب الرأس) "head seeds" (listen).
6. abasí: pertaining to the Abbasid dynasty from Arabic عَبَّاسِيّ (listen), which overthrew the Umayyads in the 8th century.
7. abelmosco: musk seeds, an aromatic plant. From Andalusi Arabic ḥabb al musk (حب المسك) literally "musk seeds." Classical Arabic ḥabbu 'l musk (listen).
8. abencerraje: used in expression: "Zegríes y abencerrajes", "partisans of opposite interests". The Abencerrajes (in Arabic aban as-sarráǧ) was an Arabic family of the Kingdom of Granada, rivals of the Zegríes in the 15th century (listen).
9. abenuz: ebony. From Arabic abanūs (أَبَنُوس) of the same meaning but in Arabic referring to the "black wood" of the tropical tree. (listen)
10. abismal: screw in head of a spear. From Arabic al-mismar (الْمِسْمَر) "nail." (listen).
11. abitaque: a cut of wood used in construction of a certain shape and dimension. From Arabic aṭ-ṭabaqah (الطَّبَقَة) "layer" or "intermediate chamber" or "group, standard, type". (listen).
12. acebibe: raisin. From Arabic az-zabīb (الزَّبِيب) of the same meaning but also "dried grape" or "currant" . (listen).
13. acebuche: wild olive tree, or wood from such a tree. From Andalusi Arabic azzabbúǧ.
14. aceche: copper, iron or zinc sulphate. From Andalusi (Hispanic) Arabic *azzáj, < az-zāj, < . From Classical Arabic az-zāj (الزَّاج), meaning vitriol - sulphuric acid or a sulphate زاج (listen).
15. aceifa: Muslim summer military expedition. From Arabic aṣ-ṣayf (الصَّيْف), "summer" (listen).
16. aceite: oil. From Arabic az-zayt (الزَّيْت) "oil" (listen).
17. aceituna: olive. From Arabic az-zaytūn (الزَّيْتُون) (listen) "olive" (listen).
18. aceituní: precious cloth from the Orient. From Arabic az-zaytuni, a possible adaptation of the Chinese city Tsö-Thung .
19. acelga: Chard. From Arabic as-salq (السَّلْق) of the same meaning (listen).
20. acémila: beast of burden; tax formerly paid in Spain. From Arabic az-zamilah "beast of burden", most likely stemming the Arabic scientific term for "pack-animal", "aḍ-ḍābatu 'l-ḥaml (الذَّابَةُ الْحَمْل)" (listen)
21. acemite: wheat husk; a type of wheat porridge. From Arabic semolina, as-samid (السَّمِيد) (listen).
22. acenefa: see cenefa.
23. aceña: watermill. From Arabic as-saniyah (السانية) "the lifter."
24. acequia: irrigation canal. From Arabic as-saqiyah (الساقية) "the irrigator" (listen).
25. acerola: fruit of the trees Malpighia emarginata or M. glabra, generally found in the Americas, of the Malpighiaceae family. This should be differentiated from the European Service Rowan Tree (Sorbus domestica), family Rosaceae. From Arabic zu 'rūrah (زعرورة). Originally from Syriac za‘rārā.
26. acetre: bucket or cauldron used to extract water from a well; small cauldron used to spray holy water in Christian liturgy. From Arabic as-saṭl (السطل) (listen), from the latin word sitŭla.
27. aciar: (or acial): instrument used to keep farm-animals still by squeezing their ear or snout. From Arabic az-ziyār (الزِيَار) with the same meaning (listen).
28. acíbar: aloe (both the plant and its bitter juice); bitterness, grief, distaste. From Arabic aṣ-ṣabir (الصَّبِر) (listen).
29. acicalar: to clean or polish (Acicalarse in reflexive form); to make oneself look good by combing, shaving etc. From Arabic aṣ-ṣaql (الصَّقْل), an instrument used for polishing things (listen).
30. acicate: spurs or the spikes on spurs; incentive. From Arabic (Muzil) as-siqaT "what takes away weaknesses."
31. acidaque: Muslim dowry. From Arabic aṣ-ṣadāq (الصّداق), dowry in Islamic law. (listen)
32. acimut: azimuth, an astronomical concept - the angle with which the meridian forms a vertical circle which passes through a point in the globe. From Arabic as-sumut (السُّمُوت) plural of samt سَمْت.
33. ación: handle on the stirrup. From Arabic as-suyūr (السُّيُور), plural of sayr (سَيْر) "strap" or "belt" (listen).
34. acirate: line of soil used to separate different plots of land; path between two lines of trees. From Arabic aṣ-ṣirāṭ (الصِّرَاط) (listen) (listen).
35. acitara or citara: thin wall, normally on a bridge. From Arabic as-sitārah (السِّتَارَة), wall to avoid falls - possibly from the Arabic for curtain, drapes or "hangings" (listen).
36. achacar: to blame. From Arabic tashakkà (اشتكى): to complain or to blame (listen).
37. adafina: pot used by Jews to cook. It is buried in embers on Friday night, where it cooks until Saturday. From Arabic: dafina (دفينة) "buried", alternative meaning "hidden treasure" (listen).
38. adalid: leader; general of Spanish militia. From Arabic dalil (دليل). (listen).
39. adaraja: each of the gaps made by the bricks in a horizontally unfinished wall. From daraja (درجة) (listen).
40. adarga: leather shield. From Arabic daraqa(t) (درقة) "shield." (listen).
41. adárgama: flour, rarely used today. From Arabic darmaka دَرْمَك (listen).
42. adarme: small portion of something; type of measurement. From Arabic dirham (درهم) (listen).
43. adarvar: to shock. From Arabic dharb (ضرب) "blow." Replaced by pasmar and aturdir in current speech (listen).
44. adarve: wall of a fortress; protection, defense. From Arabic dharb (ضرب)
45. adefera: a small, square wall or floor tile. From Arabic add-ddafeera (listen).
46. adehala: that which is granted or taken as obligatory with the price in the leasing or sale of a property. From Mozarabic ad ihala and originally from Arabic ihala "offering credit.".
47. adelfa: oleander. From Arabic ad-difla (الدِّفْلَى) of the same meaning (listen).
48. ademán: gesticulation which expresses the will to do something. From Arabic adh-dhamān (الضَّمَان), literally meaning legal guarantees. The change of meaning is due to the exaggerated promises and gesticulations which were offered in such a plea (listen).
49. ademe: wooden structures used to strengthen tunnels in mines. From Arabic da'm (دَعم), meaning "buttress, support, fortify, pillar, hold up". (listen)
50. adiafa: present or refreshment given to sailors when back from a voyage. From Arabic Diyafa (adh-dhiyāfah الضِّيَافَة) "present of hospitality", the word for "accommodation, hospitality, housing" or "hospitable reception" (listen)
51. adivas: a disease provoking throat inflammation in animals. From Arabic aD-Dibbah "wolverine", which is the old Arabic name for this disease. Most likely the disease lupus, aḍ-ḍa'ab (الذَّأَب) (listen).
52. adive: a type of canid similar to a fox. From Arabic aḍ-ḍi'b (الذِّئْب) (listen).
53. adobe: brick made from clay. From Arabic aṭ-ṭūbah (الطُّوبَة, from Coptic tôbe) of the same meaning, and from ad-dabba.
54. adoquín: paving-stone, cobble; block. From Arabic Dukkan bench of rock or wood (listen) .
55. ador: in regions where water for irrigation is restricted and shared out by local authorities, irrigation-time for each farm/field. From Arabic dawr .
56. aduana: customs house; customs. From Arabic diwaan (ديوان) (listen).
57. aduar: semi-permanent rural settlement, normally used for Gypsies, Bedouins or Amerindians in South America. From Bedouin Arabic دُوَّار duwwar (listen).
58. adúcar: type of silk made from the outside of the silk-worm's cocoon. From Andalusi Arabic Haduqa (listen).
59. adufe: tambourine used by Spanish Muslims. Originally from Arabic ad-duff (الدُّفّ), the generic word for tambourine (listen).
60. adul: in Morocco, assessor of the Cadí (see under letter C, another Arabic loanword). From Arabic ‘adl (عَدْل), "honorable, trustworthy person" or "fair, impartial" (listen).
61. adula: see dula.
62. adunia: (adverb) lots. From Andalusi Arabic addunya, originally from classical Arabic ad-dunyā (الدُّنْيَا) "the (whole) world", "the material world" (listen)
63. adutaque: same meaning as adárgama. From Arabic ad-duqāq (الدُّقَاق) "fine flour" or "flour meal" (listen).
64. afán: effort; desire; zeal. From afanar.
65. afanar: to steal; to work with passion. From Arabic al-fanā‘ (فناء) "extinction, extinction, destruction, vanishing", the notion, emotion of "annihilation through passion", used in poetry or to describe a type of madness (listen)
66. aguajaque: the whitish resin of fennel. From Arabic aw-washaq "contaminated with water" (listen).
67. agüela: Income from interest on loans assigned in public documents; Renta de los derechos sobre préstamos consignados en documento público. From Arabic Hawalah (listen).
68. ajabeba: Moorish flute. From Classical Arabic ash-shabbābah (الشَّبَّابَة), the generic word for "flute, clarinet" (listen).
69. ajaquefa: Roof. Same origin as Azaquefa (see the word).
70. ajaraca: Ornamental loop in Andalusian and Arabic architecture. From Andalusi Arabic Ash-sharakah "loop".
71. ajarafe: terrace. From Classical Arabic saraf "commanding height (listen)
72. ajebe: Alum; Para rubber tree. From Arabic ash-Shabb (listen).
73. ajedrea: plant in the genus Satureja (family Lamiaceae), about 30 cm in height, with many branches and dark, narrow leaves. It is cultivated as an ornamental in gardens. From Arabic assariyya or assiriyya (listen), ultimately from Latin satureia.

    

74. ajedrez: chess. From Arabic ash shatranj (الشطرنج) which is from Persian Shatranj from the Sanskrit Chaturang (four armed) as was the shape of the original chess board in India (listen)
75. ajenuz: nutmeg flower or Roman Coriander (Nigella sativa). From Andalusi Arabic Shanuz and ultimately Classical Arabic Shuniz (listen).
76. ajimez: bifora (twin arched window); wooden salient balcony with lattice windows. From Arabic shamis (listen).
77. ajomate: pluricellular alga formed by very thin filaments, without knots, bright and of intense green color. It abounds in fresh waters of Spain. From Classical Arabic gumam, pl. of gumma, "luxurious hair".
78. ajonjolí: sesame; herbaceous, annual plant of the family of the Pedaliaceae, a meter high, straight stem, serrate and almost triangular leaves, white or rosy corolla, and fruit with four delicate, yellowish, oily and edible capsules and many seeds. From Classical Arabic gulgulān (listen)"sesame." (listen).
79. ajorca: bangle; type of gold hoop, silver or another metal, used by the women to adorn the wrists, arms or the feet. From Classical Arabic shuruk الشَرَكة (listen), ultimately from the word shirāk "strap."
80. ajorrar: To drag, to tow. See Jorro.
81. ajuagas: equine animal ulcers. From Classical Arabic shuqaq (listen).
82. ajuar: dowry, a collection of household and personal items (clothes, furniture, jewelry etc...) which women in Spain traditionally prepare from a young age for the day in which they marry and move in with their husband. From Arabic shawār, "household utensils".
83. alacena: cupboard. From Classical Arabic ẖizānah (خزانة) (listen).
84. alacet: foundation of a building. From Classical Arabic asas (أساس).

    

    (listen)
85. alacrán: scorpion. From Classical Arabic aqrab (عقرب) of same meaning (listen).
86. aladar: Tuft of hair which falls on either side of the head. From Arabic idar (listen).
87. aladroque: Anchovy. From Andalusi Arabic Al Hatruk (listen), "big mouthed".
88. alafa: wage; pay. From Classical Arabic alafah (listen) "subsistence allowance." The word was replaced by sueldo in modern Spanish.
89. alafia: grace; pardon; mercy. From Andalusian Arabic al afya ultimately from Classical Arabic afiyah (عافية) "health" (listen).
90. alahílca: tapestry to adorn the walls. Perhaps of alailaca from Andalusian Arabic ilaqa, and this of Classical Arabic ilāqah (علاقة) perhaps meaning "hanger" (listen).
91. alajor: Tax which was paid to owners of land where buildings were built. From Arabic Ashur, period of ten days before Easter when debts were paid and alms were given.
92. alajú: Andalusian cake made of almonds, nuts, pine nuts, bread, spices and cooked honey. From al Hashu "filling".
93. alamar: A type of decorative attachment which is buttoned on clothing. From Andalusi Arabic Alam, decoration (in clothes).
94. alambique: alembic, alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube, used for distilling chemicals. From Arabic al-anbiq "the cup/container holding water", in turn from Greek.
95. alambor: Two meanings in Spanish with two different etymologies. 1) Embankment, from Andalusi Arabic Harabul "rim", from classical Arabic verb Hawwala, "to alter". 2) Type of orange tree. From Catalan l'ambor, singular of els zambors, derived from Andalusi Arabic Azzambu.
96. alamín: Village judge who decided on irrigation distribution or official who measured weights. From Arabic al-amin (listen).
97. alamud: Steel bar used to close windows. From Arabic amud (listen).
98. alaqueca: A type of blood-coloured quartz. From Arabic 'aqiq. Currently replaced by the word cornalina (listen).
99. alárabe: Arab. From Andalusi Arabic, maintaining the definite article al arabi.العربي (listen).
100. alarde/alardear: To boast/to show off. From Arabic "show" (ala?ard العرض) (listen).
101. alarife: 1) Architect 2) Builder (in mining) 3) Astute or quick-witted person (in Argentina and Uruguay). From Arabic al 'arif: The expert (listen).
102. alarije (uva): A type of grape. From Arabic al'aris.
103. alaroz: Crossbar which divides a window or a door. From Arabic al'arud: Obstacle placed to block entry.
104. alaroza: Fiancée or newly wed wife. From Arabic Andalusi Arabic al-arusa (العروسة), (listen).
105. alatar: Drug, spice or perfume dealer. From Arabic al attar(العطّار), (listen). .
106. alatrón: Nitrate foam. From Arabic an-nattrun.
107. alazán/alazano: Reddish cinnamon coloured, used commonly to describe sorrel-coloured horses. From Arabic al-as·hab. From Andalusian Arabic الاسهاب, from Arabic اَصْهَب (aṣ·hab, (listen) "reddish, reddish-brown").
108. alazor: safflower. From Arabic al-usfur.
109. albacara: Wall around a fortress, within which cattle were normally kept. From Arabic bab al-baqqara "The cattle gate/door". baqara (بقرة) means "cow" in Arabic.
110. albacea: Executor (of a will). From Andalusi Arabic Sahb al Wassiya (صاحب الوصية); "The owner of the will".
111. albacora: Albacore. From Arabic al-bakura "premature" or al-bakrah "young camel."
112. albadena: Type of tunic or silk dress. From Arabic badan: Type of shirt which covers the torso.
113. albahaca: Basil. From Arabic al-habaqah (listen).
114. albahío: Pale yellowish colour, used commonly for cattle. From Arabic bahi: "Shining" (الباهية) (listen).
115. albalá: Official document. From Arabic al-bara'ah.
116. albaida: Anthyllis cystoides (Flowering plant). From Arabic al-baida: "The white one" (البيضاء) (listen)..
117. albanega: 1) Net used for hair. 2) Rabbit trap. From Arabic al-baniqa.
118. albañal: Sewer. From Andalusi Arabic al-ballá: "swallower".
119. albañil: Construction worker. From Andalusi Arabic al-banni. Originally from classical Arabic banna (listen).
120. albaquía: The remainder. From Arabic al-baqi (الباقي) of the same meaning (listen).
121. albarán: Invoice. From Arabic al-bara'ah (listen).
122. albarazo: Vitiligo. From Andalusi Arabic Al-Barash (listen).
123. albarda: Packsaddle. From Arabic al-barda'ah (listen).
124. albardán: Clown or fool. From Andalusi Arabic albardán: "insolent". Originally from Classical Arabic bardan: "Idiot (cold headed)" (listen).
125. albardín: Plant endemic to the Spanish steppes, similar in nature and use to Esparto. From Arabic "al-bardi": "papyrus" (listen).
126. albaricoque: Apricot. From Arabic al-barqouq (البرقوق) "plum" or "early-ripe."
127. albarrada: 1) Clay vase, see alcarraza. 2) Stone wall. From Arabic al-barradah: "the cooler".
128. albarrán: 1) Farm boy 2) Shepherd 3) Person with no fixed residence. From Andalusi Arabic al-barrani: "Outsider".
129. albatoza: Small, covered boat. From Arabic al-gattosha: grebe. Due to the Arabic custom of giving names of birds to vessels.
130. albayalde: Cerrusite. From Arabic al-bayad (listen).
131. albéitar: Vet. From Arabic al-baytar (listen).
132. albenda: Decorated white linen. From Arabic al-band.
133. alberca: Water deposit for irrigation. In Mexico and Honduras it is also the term of choice for swimming pool. From Arabic al-birka (البِركة) "pond" (listen).
134. albérchigo: Apricot tree. From Andalusi Arabic al-bershiq.
135. albihar: Mayweed. From Arabic al-bahar.
136. albitana: 1) Fence to protect plants in gardening. 2) Prolongation of the keel or stern post of a ship. From Arabic al-bitana.
137. alboaire: The craft of decorating churches and domes with "azulejos". From Andalusi Arabic al-buhaira: lagoon.
138. albogue: Single-reed clarinet used in Spain. From Arabic al-bûq (البوق): The horn or the trumpet (listen).
139. alboheza: Malva, from Andalusi Arabic al-hubayza (listen).
140. albohol: Morning glory, from Andalusi Arabic al-hubuul: "rope".
141. albollón: Drainage or sewage. From Mozarabic Ballaón and ultimately from Classical Arabic balla'ah.
142. albóndiga: Meatball; ball. From Arabic al-bunduqa (البندقة) "the ball," from Greek (κάρυον) ποντικόν (káryon) pontikón, "Pontic " (listen).
143. albórbola: Joy, celebratory noise. From Arabic walwalah.
144. alborga: Matweed sandal. From Arabic albúlḡa (listen).
145. albornía: A type of large vase. From Arabic barniya (listen).
146. albornoz: Bathrobe. From al-burnos (البرنس); "(bath)robe" (listen).
147. alboronía: A type of Andalusian vegetable stew. From Arabic al buranniya "Buran's (stew)." Buran was the wife of Caliph Ma'moun.
148. alboroque: 1) A present or gratuity given in exchange for a service. 2) The kind treatment and lavish attention offered and received in anticipation of a commercial transaction. From Andalusi Arabic al-borok, possibly ultimately from Classical Arabic arbun.
149. alboroto: Riot, joy. Comes from arabism alborozo (joy), from andalusí Arabic al-burúz derived from Classical Arabic al-burūz, "military parade previous to a campaign"; or related to Latin volutāre.
150. alborozo: Extreme chaos or happiness. From Andalusi Arabic al-buruz: "Military parade prior to an expedition".
151. albotín: Turpentine Tree. From Arabic butm of the same meaning (listen).
152. albricias: 1) Term used to congratulate someone. 2) Present or gift provided to a bringer of good news. From Arabic bushra (listen).
153. albudeca: A bad watermelon. From Andalusi Arabic al batiha (listen).
154. albufera: Lagoon. From Arabic al buhaira(البُحيرَة) (listen)..
155. albur: This term has a wide range of meanings: 1) Flathead mullet (Spain and Cuba), 2) A card combination in a card game known as Banca, 3) A chance occurrence on which an enterprise hedges its bets, 4) An expression which has a double or hidden meaning (Mexico and Dominican Republic) 4) An amorous affair (Nicaragua), 5) A lie, slander or rumour (Puerto Rico and Honduras). From Arabic al-boori (listen).
156. alcabala: 1) A tax on commercial transactions. 2) Police checkpoint outside cities and on main roads (Colombia and Venezuela). From Andalusi Arabic al qabala (listen).
157. alcabor: Hollow interior of a chimney or oven. From Arabic al qabw (listen).
158. alcabtea: A type of linen. From Arabic al qubtiya, meaning "Egyptian" or "Coptic" (listen).
159. alcacel or alcacer: 1) Green barley 2) A barley field. From Arabic al qasil (listen).
160. alcachofa: Artichoke. From Arabic al-ẖarshoof of the same meaning.
161. alcaduz: Water pipe. From Arabic Qâdûs (قادوس) meaning "water-wheel scoop" (listen).
162. alcafar: Limbs of a cuadruped (normally a horse). From Arabic al kafal (listen).
163. alcahaz: Birdcage. From Arabic qafaṣ (قفص) (listen) of the same meaning.
164. alcahuete: Accomplice, pimp, a person who helps another in a love affair, specially an illicit one; gossipy person. Alcahuete comes from Hispanic Arabic alqawwad (the messenger), and this from Classical Arabic qawwad (القوَّاد) (listen). This "messenger" carried messages to a married woman's lover. By extension it became commonly known as any person who sets up a love affair, generally illicit.
165. alcaicería: an establishment where silk farmers presented their produce, under the rights reserved to the Muslim rulers in Granada and other towns of the Nasrid Kingdom. From Andalusi Arabic Al-Qaysariya, originally from the Latin Caesarea (listen).
166. alcaide: a term historically referred to various positions of government authority. In modern Spanish commonly refers to a prison warden. From Arabic al qa'id(القائد) (listen), "military commander".
167. alcalde: Mayor. From Arabic al-qadi (the judge). Qadi comes from the verb qada (to judge) (listen).
168. álcali: Alkali. From Arabic qalawi (قلوي) of the same meaning thru Medieval Latin.
169. alcaller: Clay artisan or his helper. From Andalusi Arabic al qallal (listen).
170. alcamiz: An obsolete term referring to a list of soldiers. Its etymology is an erroneous transmission of at-taymiz, "Military inspection" in Andalusi Arabic and "Distinction" in Classical Arabic.
171. alcamonías: Seeds used in spice mixes such as anisseed or cumin. It is also a now obsolete expression referring to the act of hiding things. From Arabic kammuniya(الكَمّون) (listen), a cumin-based concoction.
172. alcana: Henna or Henna tree. From Arabic, hinna (listen).
173. alcaná: Commercial street or neighbourhood. From Arabic القناة qanaah: "Drains or water pipes" (listen).
174. alcancía: Clay money box, penny or piggy bank. From Andalusi Arabic alkanzíyya, derived from classical Arabic kanz: "treasure" (listen).
175. alcándara: Hook used to hang clothes or fowl. From Arabic Kandarah.
176. alcandía: Sorghum. From Andalusi Arabic qatniyya.
177. alcandora: A type of shirt. From Arabic qandura.
178. alcanería: A rural term for a type of artichoke. From Andalusi Arabic al-qannariya, an Arabic rendering of the Latin cannaria.
179. alcanfor: Camphor. From Andalusi Arabic Al-Kafur.
180. alcántara/alcantarilla: Drain. From Arabic al-qantarah meaning "bridge" (listen).
181. alcaparra: Caper. From Andalusian Arabic al-kaparra. Via Latin and Greek.
182. alcaraván: Stone-Curlew. From Andalusian Arabic al-karawan.
183. alcaravea: Caraway. From Andalusi Arabic al-Karawiya.
184. alcarceña: Name given to the Ervil and the Carob. From Andalusi Arabic al-kershana, meaning "the big bellied", due to the plants causing a swelled stomach when consumed in large quantities.
185. alcarraza: A type of clay container similar to a Spanish Botijo. From Andalusi Arabic al-karraza. Ultimately from Persian Koraz.
186. alcarria: Of uncertain Arabic etymology. Refers to a flat highland with little vegetation.
187. alcatenes: A type of medicine which is mixed with copper sulfate to treat ulcers. From Arabic al-qutn.
188. alcatara (or alquitara): Alembic. From Arabic root for the verb "to distill" qattara (listen).
189. alcatifa: An obsolete term for a thin carpet or underlay for carpet. From Arabic al-qatifa (listen).
190. alcatraz: Cormorant. From Arabic القطرس al-qaṭrās, meaning "sea eagle".
191. alcaucil: Artichoke. From Spanish Andalusi Arabic alqabsíl, that comes from Mozarab diminutive kapićéḻa, and this from Spanish Latin capĭtia, "head". Standard Latin, caput-itis.
192. alcaudon: Shrike. From Andalusi Arabic al-kaptan.
193. alcavela/alcavera: Mob, herd, family, tribe. From Arabic al-qabila.
194. alcayata: Metallic hanger or hook. From Andalusi Arabic al-kayata, originally from Latin Caia
195. alcazaba: Palace. From Arabic al-qasbah, (قصبة), "the quarter" (listen).
196. alcázar: Citadel; palace. From Arabic al-qasr (القصر) "the citadel," from Latin castrum, "castle," same etymology with Spanish term castro (listen).
197. alcazuz (or orozuz): Liquorice. From Arabic ‘urúq sús or ‘írq sús, and from classic Arabic irqu sús.
198. alcoba: Alcove. From Arabic al-qubba (القُبَّة) (listen) "the vault" or "the arch".
199. alcohela: Endive. From the Andalusi Arabic alkuḥáyla, and this one from the Arabic kuḥaylā'.
200. alcohol: From Arabic al-kuhul (الكحول), fine powder of antimony sulfide used as eye makeup. Derivate word: alcoholar.
201. alcolla: Large glass bulb or a Decanter. From Hispanic Arabic alqúlla, and this one from the Arabic qullah.
202. alcor: Hill. From Hispanic Arabic alqúll, and this one from the Latin collis.
203. alcora
204. alcorcí
205. alcorque
206. alcorza
207. alcotán
208. alcotana
209. alcrebite
210. alcuacil
211. alcubilla
212. alcuña
213. alcuza
214. alcuzcuz
215. alchub
216. aldaba
217. aldea/aldeano: Village / Villager.
218. aldiza
219. alefriz
220. aleja
221. alejija
222. alema
223. alerce
224. aletría
225. aleve/alevoso/alevosía: from Hispanic Arabic al'áyb and the latter from Classical Arabic áyb, "defect, blemish, or smudge of infamy" (listen)
226. aleya
227. alfaba
228. alfábega
229. alfadía
230. alfaguara: Geyser. From Arabic fawwâra (فوارة): "spout, fountain, water jet" (listen).
231. alfahar/alfaharería
232. alfaida
233. alfajeme
234. alfajor: Sweet almond shortbread. From Spanish Arabic fašúr, and this from Persian afšor (juice).
235. alfalfa: alfalfa hay. From Hispanic Arabic alfáṣfaṣ, from Classical Arabic fiṣfiṣah, and this from Pelvi aspast.
236. alfaneque: 1) A type of bird, from Arabic al-fanak (listen) 2) A tent, from Berber afarag.
237. alfanje: A type of sword. From Arabic al-janyar "dagger".
238. alfaque
239. alfaqueque
240. alfaquí
241. alfaquín
242. alfaraz
243. alfarda: Two meanings; from Arabic al-farda and from Arabic al-fardda.
244. alfarero: potter.
245. alfardón
246. alfareme
247. alfarje
248. alfarrazar
249. alfaya
250. alfayate
251. alfazaque
252. alféizar: Window ledge. From Arabic al-hayzar, "The one which takes possession".
253. alfeñique: 1) Weakling. 2) A type of sweet consumed in Spain and Mexico. From Andalusi Arabic Al-Fanid. Ultimately from Persian and Sanskrit.
254. alferecía
255. alferez
256. alferraz
257. alferza: Piece, known as Vizir in other languages, corresponding to the modern chess "queen" (though far weaker), from which modern chess developed in medieval Spain. From Andalusi Arabic Al Farza, ultimately from Persian Farzan, "the guardian".
258. alficoz
259. alfil: Bishop, in chess. From Arabic al-fiyl (الفيل) (listen) "The elephant."
260. alfilel/alfiler
261. alfinge
262. alfitete
263. alfiz
264. alfolí
265. alfombra: Carpet. Two meanings; from Arabic al-jumra and from Arabic al-humra.
266. alfóncigo: Pistachio. From Arabic al-fustuq (listen).
267. alfóndiga
268. alforfón
269. alforja: Saddlebag. From Arabic al-khurj ( الخرج ) "saddle-bag", portmanteau (listen).
270. alforre
271. alforrocho
272. alforza
273. alfóstiga
274. alfoz: Neighborhood, district. From Arabic hauz (حوز) meaning "Precinct" or "City limits" (listen).
275. algaba
276. algadara
277. algaida
278. algalaba
279. algalia
280. algalife
281. algar
282. algara
283. algarada
284. algarabía: Incomprehensible talk; gabble; gibberish. From Arabic al-'arabiya: "Arabic" (listen).
285. algarivo
286. algarazo: Short rainstorm. From Arabic al 'ard: "cloud".
287. algarrada
288. algarrobo: Carob. From Arabic al-kharouba "the carob" (listen).
289. algavaro
290. algazafán
291. algazara
292. algazul
293. álgebra: Algebra. From Latin algebræ from Arabic al-jabr, meaning "completion, rejoining", from the name of al-Khwarizmi's book Hisab al-jabr w’al-muqabala "The Calculus of Completion and Equality."
294. algodón: Cotton. From Arabic "al-qúţun (قطن)", meaning "The cotton", "Egyptian", "Coptic".
295. algorfa
296. algoritmo: algorithm, comes from the Latin word algobarismus, influenced by the Greek word arithmos "number". The persian name of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, محمد بن موسى الخوارزمي, famous mathematician, through its Latinized prounuciation Algorithmi.
297. algorza:
298. alguacil: Sheriff. From Arabic "al-wazîr (الوزير)", meaning "Minister".
299. alguaquida: fuel for a fire. From Arabic waqîda (وقيدة) meaning "Fuel" (listen)
300. alguaza: Window or door hinge.From Arabic wasl "juncture".
301. alhadida: From Arabic "al-hadida" (الحديدة) (listen), meaning Copper sulfate.
302. alhaite: Jewel. From Arabic al hayt "string". الخيط (listen)
303. alhaja: Jewel. From Arabic al-hajah "the valuable thing." الحاجة (listen)
304. alhamar: Red mattress or bed cover. From Arabic hanbal, "fur bedcover". Also from Arabic Alhamar (listen)/ Al-Ahmar "red".
305. alhamel: Beast of burden or human porter, in Andalusian Spanish. From Arabic hammal. الحامل، حمّال (listen)
306. alhamí: Stone bench normally covered with azulejos. Refers to the Grenadine town of Alhama.
307. alhandal: Colocynth. From Arabic Alhandhal. الحنظل (listen)
308. alhanía: 1) Bedroom 2) Cupboard 3) A type of small mattress. From Andalusi Arabic al haniyya, "alcove".
309. alhaquín: Weaver. From Arabic plural Al Hayikeen, "weavers". الحيّاكين (listen)
310. alharaca: Violent reaction to a small issue. From Arabic haraka. حركة (listen)
311. alhavara: Flour. From Arabic huwara.
312. alhelí: Aegean Wallflower. From Arabic hiri.
313. alheña: Spanish word for Henna and the plant from which it is derived.
314. alholva: Fenugreek. From Arabic hulbah. (listen)
315. alhorí: Same meaning and etymology as more commonly used term alfolí.
316. alhorre: 1) Feaces of a newborn child. From Arabic hur, "feaces". 2) Common skin rash in babies, nappy rash. Commonly used in expression "Yo te curaré el alhorre!" when threatening to beat a child. From Arabic shakatu el hurr, "skin infection".
317. alhorría: (or ahorría): Expression used for when a slave is freed. From Arabic al-hurriya, "freedom".
318. alhucema: Lavender. From Arabic huzama (listen).
319. alhuceña: Woodruff. From Arabic uhshina.
320. aliara: Drinking horn. From Andalusian Arabic al fiyara.
321. alicante: Vernacular name of two different types of poisonous snakes present in Spain and Northern Mexico respectively. From Arabic al aqrab, "scorpion".
322. alicatar: To till. From Arabic qat, "to cut".
323. alicate: Pliers. From Arabic laqaat, "tongs".
324. alidada: Alidade. From Andalusian Arabic al'idada (listen).
325. alifa: Sugar cane, two years old, in Andalusian and Mexican Spanish. From Arabic halifa (listen) "successor".
326. alifafe: 1) Light indisposition. 2) Type of tumor which develops on the legs of horses from excessive work. From Arabic ifash "sowing bag".
327. alifara
328. alijar
329. alimara
330. alioj
331. alirón
332. alizace
333. alizar
334. aljaba
335. aljabibe
336. aljama
337. aljamía/aljamiado: Medieval Romance Spanish or Mozarabic written in Arabic script.
338. aljaraz
339. aljarfa
340. aljébana
341. aljerife from arabic شريف (listen)
342. aljez
343. aljibe from Andalusian Arabic اَلْجُبّ (al-júbb), from Classical Arabic جُبّ (jubb, “cistern, well”)
344. aljófar/aljofarar
345. aljofifa
346. aljor (or aljez)
347. aljuba
348. aljuma
349. añagaza
350. almacabra
351. almacén: Deposit, dry goods store. From Arabic al-majzan of makhzan (المخزن) (listen) "the storage" or "the depot."
352. almacería
353. almáciga
354. almadén
355. almádena: sledgehammer. From Andalusian Arabic al-māṭana (الْمَاطَنَة) "sledgehammer."
356. almadía
357. almadraba: Tuna fishing in Andalusia and particularly in Cadiz province. From Andalusi Arabic Al-madraba (listen), "place where to hit", in reference to the fishing technique.
358. almadraque
359. almagazén
360. almagra
361. almahala
362. almaizar
363. almaja
364. almajaneque
365. almajar
366. almajara
367. almalafa
368. almanaque: almanac (see etymology section in the article for further discussion). From Andalusian Arabic almanáẖ "calendar", from Arabic munāẖ "caravan stop", or from Greek almenichiakon "calendar."
369. almancebe: type of river fishing net, from Spanish Arabic al-manṣába, bank.
370. almarada
371. almarbate
372. almarcha
373. almarjo
374. almarrá
375. almarraja or almarraza
376. almártaga: two meanings, from al-marta'a and al martak.
377. almástica
378. almatroque
379. almazara: Olive press. From Arabic "al-ma'sarah" (المعصرة) (listen), "juicer".
380. almazarrón
381. almea: two meanings, from almay'a عالمية (listen) and alima. الميعة (listen)
382. almejía
383. almenara: two meanings, from al-manara (listen) and al-minhara.
384. almez
385. almíbar: sugar syrup, juice concentrate.
386. almicantarat
387. almijar
388. almijara
389. almijarra
390. almimbar
391. alminar
392. almiraj/almiraje/almiral
393. almirez
394. almirón: Dandelion. From Andalusian Arabic al mirun.
395. almizate
396. almizcle/almizque
397. almocadén
398. almocafre
399. almocárabe
400. almocela
401. almocrebe
402. almocrí
403. almodón
404. almófar
405. almofariz
406. almofía
407. almofrej/almofrez
408. almogama
409. almogávar
410. almohada: Pillow, from Arabic al-makhada (المخده) with the same meaning.
411. almoharrefa
412. almohaza
413. almojábana
414. almojama: see mojama
415. almojarife
416. almojaya
417. almona
418. almoneda: Sale or auction. From Arabic munadah (listen).
419. almoraduj/almoradux
420. almorávide
421. almorí
422. almoronía: see alboronía.
423. almotacén
424. almotalafe
425. almotazaf/almotazán
426. almozala/almozalla
427. almud
428. almuédano
429. almuerzo: Lunch. Arabic al- + Latin morsus (bite).
430. almunia: an agricultural settlement, from المُنية (listen) meaning desire. (see Article in Spanish).
431. alpargata
432. alpechín
433. alpiste
434. alquería: Farmhouse. From Arabic القرية listen) "the village."
435. aloque
436. aloquín
437. alpargata
438. alquequenje
439. alquermes
440. alquerque: Two meanings, from al-qirq and al-qariq. القرق (listen)
441. alquez
442. alquezar
443. alquibla
444. alquicel
445. alquiler: Rent. From Arabic Al kira' (الكراء) (listen)
446. alquimia: alchemy, from Arabic al-kīmiyā' (الكيمياء or الخيمياء) via Medieval Latin alchemia, from the Late Greek term khēmeía (χημεία), also spelled khumeia (χυμεία) and khēmía (χημία), meaning 'the process of transmutation by which to fuse or reunite with the divine or original form'.
447. alquinal
448. alquitira
449. alquitrán: tar, from Arabic اَلْقِطْرَان al-qitran. (listen)
450. alrota
451. altabaca
452. altamía
453. altramuz: Lupin bean. From Arabic at-turmus (listen).
454. alubia: Pea, bean. From Arabic lubiya (listen).
455. aludel
456. aluquete/luquete
457. alloza
458. amán
459. ámbar: amber, from Arabic ʿanbar عنبر, meaning "anything that floats in the sea", via Middle Latin ambar.
460. ámel
461. amín
462. amirí
463. anacalo
464. anacora
465. anafaga
466. anafalla/anafaya
467. anafe
468. anaquel
469. andorra
470. andrajo
471. anea
472. anejir
473. anúteba
474. añacal
475. añacea/añacear
476. añafea
477. añafil
478. añagaza
479. añascar
480. añazme
481. añil: Ultimately from Sanskrit nilah, "dark blue".
482. arabí
483. arancel
484. arbellón/arbollón
485. archí
486. argadillo
487. argamandel
488. argamula
489. argán
490. argel
491. argolla
492. arguello/arguellarse
493. arije
494. arimez
495. arjorán
496. arnadí
497. arrabá
498. arrabal
499. arracada
500. arráez
501. arrayán
502. arrecife
503. arrejaque/arrejacar
504. arrelde
505. arrequife
506. arrequive
507. arriate
508. arricés
509. arroba
510. arrobda
511. arrocabe
512. arrope
513. arroz: Rice (listen).
514. áscar/áscari
515. asequi
516. asesino: Assassin. From Arabic hashshashin "someone who is addicted to hashish (marijuana)." Originally used to refer to the followers of the Persian Hassan-i-Sabah (حسن صباح), the Hashshashin.
517. atabaca
518. atabal
519. atabe
520. atacar: To tie, to button up. From Andalusi Arabic tákka, originally from classical Arabic tikkah (listen), ribbon used to fasten clothes.
521. atacir
522. atafarra/ataharre
523. atafea
524. atahona
525. atahorma
526. ataifor
527. ataire
528. atalaya
529. atalvina
530. atambor
531. atanor
532. atanquía
533. ataracea
534. atarazana
535. atarfe
536. atarjea
537. atarraga
538. atarraya
539. ataúd: Coffin.
540. ataujía
541. ataurique
542. atifle
543. atijara
544. atíncar
545. atoba
546. atocha
547. atracar: To assault, to burgle, to dock a boat, to get stuck, to gorge oneself with food, to cheat, to get stuck. From Arabic Taraqa, "To rise".
548. atríaca/atriaca: Obsolete word.
549. atún: Tuna fish. From the Arabic word al-tuna (التونه).
550. atutía
551. auge: surge, rise, boom.
552. aulaga
553. avería
554. azabache
555. azabara
556. azacán
557. azacaya
558. azache
559. azafate/azafata
560. azafrán: Saffron. From Arabic اَلزَّعْفَرَان az-za`farān (listen), from Persian زعفران zaferān or زرپران zarparān gold strung.
561. azahar: White flower, especially from the orange tree. From Spanish Arabic azzahár, and this from Classic Arabic zahr (listen), flowers.
562. azalá
563. azamboa
564. azándar
565. azaque: Alms-giving or religious tax in Islam. From Arabic zakāt (Arabic: زكاة (listen), "that which purifies"). See article zakat.
566. azaquefa: Covered portico or patio. From Andalusi Arabic assaqifa, "portico", originally from Arabic as-saqf (السَّقْف), (listen) meaning "roof" or "upper covering of a building".
567. azar: Luck; chance. From Arabic az-zahr "the dice" or North African Arabic az-zhar (listen) "luck".
568. azarbe
569. azarcón
570. azarja
571. azarnefe
572. azarote
573. azófar
574. azofra/azofrar
575. azogue: Two meanings, from az-za'uq (listen) and from as-suq.
576. azolvar
577. azorafa
578. azote: Smacking, beating, scourge. From Arabic sawṭ (listen).
579. azotea: Flat roof or terrace. From Andalusi Arabic assutáyha, diminutive of sath, "terrace" in Classical Arabic.السطيحة (listen)

1. azoya
2. azúcar: Sugar. From Arabic (سكر) sukkar of the same meaning (listen), from Persian shekar.
3. azucarí
4. azucena
5. azuche
6. azud
7. azufaifa/azufaifo
8. azul: Blue. From Arabic lāzaward, ultimately from Sanskrit.
9. azulaque (or zulaque)
10. azulejo: Handpainted glazed floor and wall tiles, from Arabic az-zellīj (الزليج), a style of mosaic tilework made from individually hand-chiseled tile pieces set into a plaster base, from zalaja (زَلَجَ) meaning "to slide". See also alboaire and alhamí.
11. azúmbar
12. azumbre: Measurement for liquids equivalent to around two litres. From Del Andalusi Arabic aTTúmn, and this from Classical Arabic: Tumn, "an eighth" (listen).

B

1. babucha: Slippers. From French babouche, derived from Persian "papoosh" (پاپوش) literally meaning "foot covering" via Arabic baboush (بابوش). The transition from Persian "p" to Arabic "b" occurs due to lack of the letter p in the Arabic alphabet. "Pa-" in Persian means foot and "poosh" means covering. Persian "pa" or foot shares the same root with other Indo-European languages, i.e. Latin pede, French "pied", Spanish "pie" and "pata", etc (listen).
2. badal: Cut of meat from the back and ribs of cattle, close to the neck. From Andalusi Arabic bad'a "Calf muscle" derived from classical Arabic bad'ah (listen) "piece".
3. badán: Trunk of an animal. From Arabic badan, (بدن) (listen).
4. badana: 1) Sheepskin, 2) Hat lining, 3) Lazy person. From Arabic bitana, "lining", (بِطانة) (listen).
5. badea: 1) Watermelon or melon of bad quality. 2) Insipid cucumber, 3) Weak person, 4) Unimportant thing. From Arabic battiha "bad melon".
6. badén: Dip in land, road, sidewalk or ford. From Arabic bāṭin (بطين) "sunken" (land) (listen).
7. bagarino: Free or hired sailor, as opposed to a press-ganged or enslaven one. Same origin as baharí (listen).
8. bagre: a freshwater fish that has no scales and has a chin. From Arabic baghir or baghar.
9. baharí: Bird of prey. From Arabic bahri: "from the sea".
10. baja: Pasha, Turkish officer or governor of high rank. From Arabic basha (باشا) (listen). Ultimately from Turkish pasha of the same meaning.
11. baladí: 1) Unimportant thing or matter. 2) Something of the land our country. From Arabic baladiy "From the country" (listen).
12. balaj/balaje: Purple ruby. From Arabic Balahshi: From Balahshan (region in central Asia where these stones are found).
13. balate
14. balda (and baldío)
15. baldar
16. balde: 1) Free. 2) Without cause. 3) In vain. From Arabic batil "false" or "useless" (listen).
17. bancal
18. baño
19. baraka: Heavenly providence or unusual luck. From Moroccan Arabic. Recently introduced word. (بركة) (listen).
20. barbacana
21. barcino
22. bardaje
23. bardoma/bardomera
24. barragán
25. barrio/barriada: Area, district or neighbourhood in a town. From Arabic barri "outside" (listen).
26. bata: either from Arabic batt or French ouate.
27. batán
28. batea
29. baurac
30. bayal
31. belez
32. bellota: Acorn, the fruit or seed of the oak tree. From Arabic ball-luta (بلوط) of the same meaning (listen).
33. ben
34. benimerín
35. benjui
36. berberí
37. berberís
38. bereber
39. berenjena/berenjenal: eggplant, aubergine, from Arabic بَاذِنْجَان (bāḏenjān), from Persian بادنجان (bâdenjân) of the same meaning.
40. bezaar/bezoar
41. biznaga
42. bocací
43. bodoque/bodocal
44. bófeta
45. bórax: Borax, from Arabic word bawraq (بورق), from Persian bure of the same meaning.
46. borní
47. boronía
48. botor
49. bujía
50. bulbul
51. burche
52. buz
53. buzaque

C

1. cabila: Tribe of Berbers or Bedouins. From Arabic qabila (قبيلة) (listen) "tribe."
2. cachera
3. cadí: From Arabic qādiy / qādī (قَاضِي), a "judge", type of public officer appointed to hear and try causes in a court of justice; same etymology with alcalde (listen).
4. cadira
5. café: Coffee. From Italian caffe, from Turkish kahve via Arabic qahwa (قهوة) of the same meaning, from the Kaffa region of Ethiopia.
6. cáfila
7. cafiz (or cahiz)
8. cafre
9. caftán
10. cáid (same origin as alcaide)
11. caimacán
12. calabaza: Pumpkin or squash. From Arabic qerabat (قربات), plural of qerbah (قربة), meaning wineskin (listen).
13. calafate/calafatear
14. calahorra
15. calí: same root as álcali.
16. cálibo/calibre
17. cambuj
18. camocán
19. canana: Cartridge belt.
20. cáncana/cancanilla
21. cáncano
22. cande: in azúcar cande.
23. canfor
24. caraba
25. cárabe
26. cárabo: Owl; dog. Taken from Arabic qaraab and kalb "dog" (kalaab "dogs"), respectively (listen).
27. caracoa
28. caramida
29. caramuzal
30. caravasar
31. carcax
32. carmen/carme: From Spanish Arabic kárm, and this from Classical Arabic karm, vine (listen).
33. carmesí: Crimson, bluish deep red. From Arabic quirmizi.
34. carrafa
35. cártama/cártamo
36. catán
37. catifa
38. cazurro
39. cebiche
40. cebtí
41. ceca
42. cedoaria
43. cegatero
44. cegrí
45. ceje
46. celemí/celemín/celeminero
47. cenacho
48. cendolilla
49. cenefa
50. ceneque
51. cení
52. cenia
53. cenit: zenith, from Arabic samt سَمْت, same etymology with acimut.
54. cequí
55. cerbatana
56. cero: Zero. From Arabic sifr of the same meaning.
57. cetís
58. ceutí
59. chafariz
60. chafarote
61. chaleco
62. charrán
63. chifla
64. chilabai: From Moroccan Arabic.
65. chirivía
66. chivo
67. choz
68. chupa
69. chuzo
70. cianí
71. cibica
72. cica
73. cicalar
74. cicatear
75. cicatero: different root to cicatear.
76. ciclán
77. ciclar
78. ciclatón
79. cid
80. cifaque
81. cifra/cifrar
82. címbara
83. cimboga
84. cimitarra
85. circón
86. citara
87. civeta/civeto
88. coba/cobista
89. cofa
90. coima
91. coime
92. colcótar
93. cora
94. corán: from qur'aan (قرآن), the Muslim Holy Book.
95. corbacho
96. corma
97. cotonía
98. cubeba
99. cúrcuma
100. curdo
101. cuscuta

D, E

1. dado: Dice, cube or stamp. From Classical Arabic a'dad "numbers" (listen).
2. daga - dagger
3. dahír
4. daifa
5. dante
6. darga (adarga): Shield.
7. dársena: Dock / basin.
8. daza
9. descafilar
10. destartalado
11. dey
12. dirham
13. diván: Divan / couch. From Arabic from Persian دیوان dēvān (="place of assembly", "roster"), from Old Persian دیپی dipi (="writing, document") + واهانم vahanam (="house"). This is a recent loanword and directly entered Spanish via Persian, as sound in دیوان dēvān is a modern Persian pronunciation. (listen)
14. druso
15. dula/dular
16. edrisí
17. ejarbe
18. elche
19. elemí
20. elixir: from al-ʾiksīr (الإكسير) through Medieval Latin, which in turn is the Arabization of Greek xērion (ξήριον) "powder for drying wounds" (from ξηρός xēros "dry") (listen).
21. embelecar/embeleco
22. emir (or amir)
23. encaramar
24. enchufar/enchufe: 1) To plug in/plug; 2) To connect, 3) To offer an unmerited job or a post through personal connections. From Andalusi Arabic Juf derived from Classical Arabic jawf "stomach; internal cavity" (listen).
25. engarzar: To set/thread.
26. enjalma
27. enjarje
28. enjeco
29. escabeche: Pickle or marinade. From Arabic as-sukbaj. Originally from Persian Sekba (listen).
30. escafilar (see descafilar)
31. escaque/escaquear
32. espinaca: Spinach.
33. exarico

F, G

1. faca
2. falagar
3. falca
4. falleba
5. faltriquer: Pocket.
6. falúa/faluca
7. fanega/hanega
8. fanfarrón
9. faranga (or haragán): Lazy, idler, loafer (listen).
10. farda
11. fardacho
12. farfán
13. fárfara
14. farnaca
15. farota
16. farruco: Insolent or "cocky". From Andalusian Arabic Farrouj, "Cock" (listen).
17. felús
18. fetua
19. fez
20. fideo
21. filelí
22. foceifiza
23. fondolí
24. fondac/fonda
25. fulano: "any one" without naming, X of people. From Arabic Fulan (listen).
26. fustal
27. fustete
28. gabán
29. gabela
30. gacel/gacela
31. gafetí
32. galacho
33. galanga
34. galbana
35. gálibo
36. galima
37. gandula/gandula
38. gañan
39. garbi: Sirocco wind.
40. garama
41. garbino
42. gardacho
43. garfa
44. gárgol
45. garra
46. garrafa
47. garrama
48. garroba
49. gazpacho
50. gilí
51. gomer
52. granadí
53. grisgrís
54. guadamací
55. guájara
56. guájete
57. guala
58. guarismo: figure, character. From the name of Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, محمد بن موسى الخوارزمي, famous mathematician, through its Latinized prounuciation Algorithmi, same etymology with algoritmo (listen).
59. guifa
60. guilla
61. gumía
62. gurapas

H, I

1. habiz: Donation of real estate under certain conditions to muslim religious institutions. From Classical Arabic: ḥabīs: amortized.
2. habús: Same meaning as habiz has in Morocco. From Arabic ḥubūs, "property belonging to the deceased used for charity".
3. hachís: Hashish. From Classical Arabic Hashish (listen), "grass". This is a recent loanword influenced by written form , wherein hachís is pronounced , since <h> is always silent in the beginning of Spanish, and (voicless velar fricative) which is closer to did not exist yet in Old Spanish; the sound in Arabic like in the word hashish existed in Old Spanish, that evolved to in Modern Spanish ( in other dialects of Modern Spanish) and in loanwords in Spanish is pronounced either or .
4. hacino: Miser or from Andalusian Arabic ḥazīn (listen).
5. hadruba: Hump (on someone's back): From Andalusian Arabic ḥadúbba.
6. hafiz: Guard or minder. From Andalusian Arabic ḥāfiẓ (listen).
7. hálara: Same meaning and etymology as fárfara. 1) Interior lining of egg. 2) Coldsfoot. From Andalusian Arabic falḡalála.
8. hallulla: 1)A type of bread or bun consumed in Spain and parts of Hispanic America. 2) Nausea (Eastern Andalusia only) From Andalusian Arabic ḥallún.
9. hamudí: Descendants of Ali Ben Hamud, founders of the Málaga and Algeciras Taifas during the 11th century.
10. haragán: 1) Someone who refuses to work. 2) In Cuba and Venezuela, a type of mop. From Andalusian Arabic: khra kan: "Was shit".
11. harambel: See "arambel".
12. harbar
13. harén
14. harma
15. harón
16. Hasaní
17. hasta: "Until". From Arabic hatta (same meaning). Influenced by Latin phrase 'ad ista' (listen)
18. hataca
19. hazaña
20. he: Adverb used in following manner: "he aquí/ahí/allí": Here it is/there it is. From Arabic haa.
21. hégira
22. hobacho/hobacha
23. holgazán: Lazy person. From Arabic Kaslan. Influenced by Holgar (listen).
24. holgar
25. hoque/oque
26. horro/horra
27. imam, imán
28. imela
29. islam

J, K

1. jabalí : Wild Boar. From Arabic jebeli: From the mountains. Perhaps originally from Khanzeer Jebelí: Mountain Pig (listen).
2. jabalón
3. jábega
4. jabeca
5. jabeque
6. jabí : A type of apple and type of grape. From Andalusi Arabic sha‘bí, a type of apple.
7. jácara
8. jácena
9. jacerino
10. jadraque
11. jaez
12. jaguarzo
13. jaharí
14. jaharral
15. jaharrar
16. jaima
17. jaique
18. jalear
19. jalma (or enjalma)
20. jaloque
21. jamacuco
22. jametería
23. jámila
24. japuta
25. jaque
26. jaqueca: Migraine. From Arabic Shaqiqa, with same meaning (listen).
27. jáquima
28. jara
29. jarabe: Syrup. From Arabic Sharab. Usually in the context of cough syrup or linctus.
30. jaraíz
31. jarcha
32. jareta
33. jaricar
34. jarifo/jarifa
35. jarquía
36. jarra: Pitcher or other pot with handle(s). From ǧarrah, same as English jar.
37. jatib
38. jazarino/jazarina
39. jazmín: jasmine. From Arabic yasmin (يسمين) then from the Persian word (same word).
40. jebe
41. jeliz
42. jemesía
43. jeque: From Arabic shaikh or sheikh, older
44. jerife: From Arabic sharif, noble, respected.
45. jeta: Snout, face, cheek (in both literal and figurative sense). From Arabic khatm: "snout" (listen).
46. jifa
47. jinete
48. jirafa: giraffe. From ziraffa of the same meaning (زرافة) (listen)..
49. jirel
50. jofaina: a wide and shallow basin for domestic use. From ǧufaynah.
51. jofor
52. jorfe
53. joroba
54. jorro
55. juba/aljuba/jubón
56. julepe
57. jurdía
58. jurel
59. kermes

L, M

1. laca: resinous substance tapped from the lacquer tree. From Arabic lak, taken from Persian lak, ultimately from Sanskrit laksha literally meaning "one hundred thousand" referring to the large number of insects that gather and sap out all the resin from the trees.
2. lacre
3. lapislázuli: lapis lazuli, a deep blue mineral. From Arabic lazaward (لازورد) from Persian lagvard or lazward, ultimately from Sanskrit rajavarta literally meaning "ringlet of the king."
4. latón: brass. From Arabic latun from Turkish altın "gold."
5. laúd: lute. From Arabic al 'ud (العود) "the lute."
6. lebeche: Southeasterly wind on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. From Andalusi Arabic Labash.
7. lebení: a Moorish beverage prepared from soured milk. From Arabic labani (لباني) "dairy" (listen).
8. leila: from Arabic layla (ليلة) "night" (listen).
9. lelilí: Shouts and noise made by moors when going into combat or when celebrating parties. From Arabic lā ʾilāha ʾillā-llāh (لا إله إلا الله): There is no god but Allah; Ya leilí (ياليلي) : Night of mine; ya ʿayouni (يا عيوني) : My eyes.
10. lima: lime. From Arabic limah of the same meaning (listen).
11. limón: lemon. From laymoon (ليمون), derived from the Chinese word limung.
12. loco: crazy. From Arabic lawqa "fool."
13. macabro
14. macsura
15. madraza
16. magacén
17. magarza/magarzuela
18. maglaca
19. maharon/maharona
20. maharrana/marrana/marrano
21. mahozmedín
22. maimón
23. majareta
24. majzén
25. mamarracho
26. mameluco
27. mamola
28. mandeísmo
29. mandil
30. maquila
31. marabú
32. maravedí
33. marcasita
34. marchamo
35. márfega
36. marfil
37. marfuz/a
38. margomar
39. marjal
40. marlota
41. marojo
42. maroma
43. marrano pig; cf. Arabic muharram "forbidden" (listen).
44. marras
45. márraga
46. masamuda: (adj) Individual from the Berber Masmuda tribe, from which originate the Almohades, a movement which ruled Spain and North Africa in the 12th century. From Arabic: Masamuda.
47. matafalúa
48. matalahúga/matalahúva: Aniseed, from Andalusi Arabic habbat halwa, "sweet seed" (listen).
49. mártaga
50. máscara
51. matarife
52. mate
53. matraca
54. matula
55. mauraca
56. mazamorra: Word to designate a number of bread or cereal based dishes typical of Southern Spain and parts of Hispanic America. From Andalusi Arabic Pishmat (listen).
57. mazapán
58. mazarí
59. mazarrón
60. mazmodina
61. mazmorra: Dungeon. From Arabic matmura "silo".
62. mazorca: corn cob; roll of wool or cotton. From Andalusi Arabic: Masurqa, derived from classical Arabic Masura (ماسورة) : a tube used as a bobbin (sewing) (listen) .
63. meca: Place which is attractive because of a particular activity. From Arabic Makkah (مكة).
64. mechinal
65. mejala
66. mejunje
67. mendrugo: Piece of dry or unwanted bread, often reserved to give to beggars. From Andalusi Arabic Matruq "Marked/Touched" (listen).
68. mengano/mengana: Expression of similar meaning as fulano or zutano, used always after the former but after the latter, meaning "whoever". From Arabic man kan meaning "whoever".
69. mequetrefe: Nosy or useless person. From Andalusi Arabi qatras meaning person of boastful demeanor.
70. mercal
71. metical
72. mezquino
73. mía: A military term, formerly designating a regular native unit composed of 100 men in the Spanish protectorate of northern Morocco; by analogy, any colonial army. From Arabic Miʿah: one hundred (مئة) (listen).
74. mihrab (listen):
75. miramamolín
76. moaxaja
77. mogataz
78. mogate
79. moharra: tip of the sword. From muharraf, meaning "beached" (listen).
80. moharracho
81. mohatra
82. mohedal
83. mohino
84. mojarra: Refers to fish in the Gerreidae order. From Arabic muharraf.
85. mojama (originally almojama): Delicacy of phoenician origin from the region of Cadiz. It consists of filleted salt-cured tuna. From the Arabic al mushama: "momified or waxed" (listen).
86. mojí
87. momia
88. mona
89. monfí
90. morabito
91. moraga
92. morapio
93. mozárabe
94. mudéjar
95. muftí
96. mujalata
97. mulato: Perhaps from Muwallad, as with the Muladi. Walad (ولد) means, "descendant, offspring, scion; child; son; boy; young animal, young one". According to DRAE, from latin mulus mulo (mule), in the sense of hybrid. (listen)
98. mulquía: Owned/Property. From "Mulkiyya" (listen)
99. muslim / muslime: (Adjective) Muslim. A rare alternative to musulmán. From Arabic Muslim (مسلم) (listen).

N, O, P, Q

1. nabí: Prophet among arabs. From Arabic nabiy (listen).
2. nácar: Innermost of the three layers of a seashell. From Catalan nacre, derived from Arabic naqra (listen), small drum.
3. nácara: Type of small metallic drum used historically by the Spanish cavalry. Same etymology as nacar.
4. nacarar: The process of browning rice in oil in a pan prior to boiling it. Same etymology as nacar.
5. nadir: Nadir, the point on the celestial sphere opposite the zenith directly below the observer. From nadheer.
6. nádir: In Morocco, administrator of a religious foundation.
7. nagüela: Small hut for human habitation. From Andalusi Arabic nawalla: hut.
8. naife: High quality diamond. From Andalusi Arabic nayif. Originally from classical Arabic na'if: excellent.
9. naipe: Playing card. From Catalan naíp. Originally from Arabic ma'ib.
10. naranja: Orange. from Arabic nāranja (listen), fr Persian nārang, fr Sanskrit nāranga, fr a Dravidian language akin to Tamil naŗu "fragrant".
11. narguile
12. natrón
13. nazarí: Related to the Nasrid kingdom or dynasty of Granada.
14. neblí: Subspecies of the peregrine falcon, valued in the art of falconry. Possibly from Andalusi Arabic burni.
15. nenúfar: Water-lily. From Arabic naylufar from Persian nilofer, niloofar, niloufar.
16. nesga:
17. noria: Watermill, Ferris wheel. From Arabic na'urah (listen).
18. nuca: Nape of the neck. From Arabic nuḵāʿ منخع, نخاع (listen).
19. ojalá: "I hope"; "I wish that...". From law šhaʾ allāh "If God wills."
20. ¡ole! (or olé): The most famous expression of approval, support or encouragement, said to have come from wa-llah و الله, "by Allah!". However, its proposed Arabic origin is disputed and it is described as "falsos arabismos" (false Arabisms) by the Spanish Arabist Federico Corriente in his Diccionario de Arabismos y Voces Afines en Iberorromance.
21. omeya: adj. Related to the Umayyad.
22. orozuz
23. ox: Expression to scare away wild and domesticated birds. From Andalusi Arabic Oosh.
24. papagayo
25. quermes
26. quilate/quirate: Carat or Karat. From Andalusi Arabic Qirat (listen).
27. quilma
28. quintal: weight unit of about 46 kg. In its current use under the metric system, it represents 100 kg. From Arabic Qintar قنطار (listen) "referring to a large number similar objects or an object which is large in its size (listen).

R, S, T

1. rabadán: A rural position. One who oversees the training of shepherds on a farm. From Andalusian Arabic rab aḍ-ḍān (رب الضأن) "lord/master of the lambs."
2. rabal
3. rabazuz
4. rabel
5. rábida
6. rafal
7. rafe
8. ragua
9. rahez
10. ramadán
11. rambla: A ravine; a tree-lined avenue. From Arabic ramlah (رملة) "sand." (listen)
12. rauda
13. rauta
14. real: Military encampment; plot where a fair is organized; (in Murcia region) small plot or garden. From Arabic rahl: camping (listen).
15. rebato
16. rebite
17. recamar
18. recua
19. redoma
20. rehala
21. rehalí
22. rehén: Hostage or captive. From Arabic رَهِين, captive, ransom. (listen)
23. rejalgar: realgar. From Andalusi Arabic reheg al-ghar (listen): "powder of the cave"
24. requive
25. resma
26. retama
27. rincón: Corner. From Andalusi Arabic rukan, derived from classical Arabic Rukn, or perhaps related to French recoin (listen).
28. robda
29. robo (or arroba)
30. roda
31. romí/rumí
32. ronzal
33. roque: rook (chess piece), from Arabic روخ rukh (listen), from Persian رخ rukh.
34. sajelar
35. salema
36. sandía: Watermelon. From Arabic Sindiya "from Sindh (province of Pakistan)".
37. sarasa: Homosexual or effeminate man. From "Zaraza".
38. sarraceno
39. sebestén
40. secácul
41. serafín
42. siroco
43. sofí
44. sófora
45. soldán
46. soltaní
47. sufí
48. sura
49. tabal (or atabal)
50. tabaque
51. tabefe
52. tabica
53. tabique
54. taca
55. tafurea
56. tagarino/tagarina
57. tagarnina
58. taha
59. tahalí
60. tahona
61. tahúr
62. taifa: Refers to an independent Muslim-ruled principality, an emirate or petty kingdom, of which a number formed in the Al-Andalus (Moorish Iberia) after the final collapse of the Umayyad Caliphate of Córdoba in 1031. Used in numerous expressions. Can also mean 1) a faction 2) a group of people of ill judgement. 3) un reino de Taifas (a kingdom of Taifas) can also refer to a chaotic or disorderly state of affairs. From classical Arabic Ta'ifah: faction (listen).
63. tajea
64. talco
65. talega
66. talvina
67. támara
68. tamarindo
69. tambor
70. tara
71. taracea
72. taraje: Salt Cedar. From Arabic Tarfah.
73. tarasí
74. tarbea
75. tarea: Task. From Arabic ṭaríḥaand root طرح (listen), "to throw".
76. tareco
77. tarida
78. tarifa
79. tarima
80. tarquín
81. tarraya
82. taza: cup. From Tasa. (listen).
83. tértil
84. tíbar
85. tochibí
86. tomín
87. toronja
88. toronjil
89. trafalmejas
90. truchimán/na
91. trujamán/na
92. tuera
93. tumbaga
94. Tunecí
95. turbit
96. turquí (in Azul Turquí)
97. tutía (or atutía)

V, X, Y, Z

1. vacarí: from Arabic baqari (بقري) "bovine" (listen).
2. valencí: Uva Valencia. A type of grape from Murcia region in South East Spain.
3. velmez: from Arabic malbas (listen) .
4. verdín: Spontaneous growth of grass or sprouting. From Arabic bardi (Same etymology as albardín). Influenced by Spanish word "Verde" (listen).
5. visir: vizier. From Arabic wazir (وزير) "minister," recent loanword. Same etymology with alguacil (listen).
6. yébel: from Arabic jabal (جبل) "mountain"; same etymology as jabalí (listen).
7. zabalmedina: in the Middle Ages, judge with civil and criminal jurisdiction in a city. From Arabic ṣāḥib al-madīna (صاحب المدينه) "Chief of the City" (listen).
8. zabarcera: women who sells fruits and other food. Same origin as abacero
9. zabazala: imam who leads Islamic prayer. From Arabic ṣāḥib aṣ-ṣalāh (صاحب الصلاه) "leader of prayer" (listen).
10. zabazoque: same meaning as almotacén. From Arabic ṣāḥib as-sūq (صاحب السوق) "leader of the market" (listen).
11. zábila: aloe vera (used mainly in Hispanic America) From Andalusi Arabic sabíra, originally from classical Arabic Sibar,ʔlsˤːabr (listen) same etymology with acíbar.
12. zabra: type of vessel used in the Bay of Biscay in the Middle Ages and the beginning of the Modern Age. From Arabic zauraq (listen).
13. zacatín: in some villages, a square where clothes are sold. From saqqatin, plural of saqqat: seller of clothes.
14. zafar: a number of meanings in Spain and Hispanic American countries: To free, to untie, to ignore, to unknit among others. From Arabic azaHa: to take away.
15. zafarí: Granada zafarí: a type of pomegranate. Higo zafarí: a type of fig. From Arabic Safr.
16. zafariche: Structure used for placing clay urns. Same etymology as jaraíz (see above).
17. zafio: Uncouth. From Andalusi Arabic Fellah safi: "Mere peasant".
18. zafrán: See Azafran.
19. zaga: Backside of something. Cargo on the back of a truck. From Arabic Saqah: Rear, rearguard (listen).
20. zagal: A boy. From Andalusian Arabic zaḡāl (زغال), traditional Arabic zuḡlūl (زغلول) (listen) with the same meaning.
21. zagaya (or azagaya)
22. zagua
23. zaguán: Vestibule, foyer, entryway. From Andalusian Arabic ʾisṭiwān (إِسْطِوَان), traditional Arabic ʾusṭuwāna (أسطوانة) (listen) "pillar."
24. zagüía: A zawiya. From Arabic zāwiyah (زاوية) (listen) "corner."
25. zaharrón
26. zahén
27. zahón
28. zahora: (Mainly used in Spanish region of La Mancha): Large meal accompanied by dancing or partying. From Arabic Islamic term suhoor (listen).
29. zahorí
30. zaida
31. zaino
32. zala
33. zalamelé
34. zalea/zalear
35. zalema/zalama
36. zalmedina: Same meaning and origin as zabalmedina.
37. zalona
38. zamacuco
39. zambra: Traditional festivity of the Moriscos in Spain which is maintained by the Gypsy community of Sacromonte, Granada. From Andalusi Arabic Zamra, originally from classical Arabic Zamr زَمْر (listen).
40. zanahoria: carrot, presumably from Andalusi Arabic safunariyya (سَفُنَّارْيَة) (listen), via Classical Arabic: isfanariyya (إِسْفَنَارِيَّة), ultimately from Ancient Greek σταφυλίνη.
41. zaque: Leather recipient for wine or extracting water from a well. Drunken person. From Andalusi Arabic zaqq. Originally from classical Arabic ziqq (listen).
42. zaquizamí
43. zaragüelles
44. zaranda/zarandillo/zarandaja
45. zarandear: To shake vigorously / push around / toss about. From Zaranda.
46. zaratán: Breast cancer. From the Arabic saratan (listen): crab.
47. zarazán:
48. zarco
49. zarracatín
50. zarzahán: Astrakhan, a type of fleece used in making outerwear. From Arabic zardakhān (زردخان).
51. zatara
52. zéjel: a form of Arabic poetry. From arabic zajal (زجل) (listen)

.

1. zoco: market in an Arab country. From Arabic sūq (سوق) (listen) "market." Not to be confused with other meanings of zoco.
2. zofra
3. zorzal: An intelligent person. From Andalusi Arabic zurzāl (زورزال), originally from classical Arabic zurzūr (زرزور) (listen) "thrush".
4. zubia: Place where a large amount of water flows. From Arabic Zubya (listen).
5. zulaque
6. zulla
7. zumaque: sumac. From Arabic summāq (سماق) (listen) of the same meaning.
8. zumo: fruit juice. From Arabic zum.
9. zuna: Sunnah, from Arabic Sunnah (listen)
10. zurriaga or zurriago: Refers to a type of whip and to a lark. From Andalusi Arabic surriyaqa

Words with a coincidental similarity to Arabic and false arabisms

• el: The Spanish definite articles el / la / lo / los / las, like most definite articles in the Romance languages, derive from the Latin demonstratives ille / illa / illud. The similarity to the Arabic article al is a mere coincidence. The exact Spanish article al is a contraction of a el, translated as "to the."
• usted: The formal second-person pronoun usted is derived from a shortening of the old form of address Vuestra merced, as seen in dialectal Spanish vosted, Catalan vostè, etc. Usted is the remaining form from a number of variants used in Renaissance Spanish, such as Usté, Uced, Vuesa Merced, Vuesarced, Vusted, Su Merced, Vuesasted or Voaced. The possibility of a link with the Arabic word ustādh ('mister'/'professor'/'doctor') seems very remote.
• paella: It is commonly believed in certain Arabic countries that the rice dish paella comes from the Arabic baqiya (meaning leftovers). The Spanish pronunciation of paella is similar to the Arabic "baqiya", particularly where the latter is pronounced with a silent qaaf as in a number of eastern Arabic dialects. Nevertheless, the word paella is a Catalan word of Latin origin and refers to the pan in which it is cooked, with Spanish, Italian, French and Portuguese cognates Padilla, Padella, Poêle and Panela.

Other influences

Hypothesis of the Verb–subject–object (VSO) sentence structure

As in most Romance languages, word order in Spanish is primarily governed by topicalization and focalization. This means that in practice the main syntactic constituents of a Spanish sentence can be in any order. In addition, certain types of sentence tend to favour specific orders. However, as with all Romance languages, modern Spanish is classified in linguistic typology as an SVO language, because this order of constituents is considered the most unmarked one.

In 1981, Spanish philologist Rafael Lapesa hypothesized that VSO sentence orders being more frequent in Spanish and Portuguese than other Romance languages was likely due to a Semitic (presumably Arabic) input in the language. Lapesa at the time considered that the topic had not been sufficiently investigated and required a more rigorous comparative study of Spanish with other Romance and Semitic languages.

A 2008 study concludes that, although the earliest documentation written in Spanish (13th century) can be analysed as having a VSO order, this does not affect documents written after that time. It has also been hypothesized that VSO was still the unmarked order for literary works as late as the 17th century.

A 2012 comparative study of Spanish, Italian and French showed French to be the most strictly Subject–verb–object (SVO) language of the three followed by Italian. In terms of constituent order, Spanish is the least restricted among the three languages, French is the most restricted, and Italian is intermediate. In the case of French, this is the result of a historical process, as old French was less restricted in word order. As for the VSO order, it is absent from both French and Italian, but not from Spanish.

The suffix í

Arabic has a very common type of adjective, known as the nisba or relationship adjective, which is formed by adding the suffix -ī (masc.) or ية -iyya (fem.) to a noun. This has given Spanish the suffix -í (both masc. and fem.), creating adjectives from nouns which indicate relationship or belonging, mostly for items related to medieval history, or demonyms in Arab. Examples are marbellí, ceutí, maghrebí, zaragocí, andalusí or alfonsí.

Expressions

A number of expressions such as "¡Ole!" (sometimes spelled "olé" ), possibly from wa'llah, or ojalá, from law sha'a Allah, have been borrowed directly from Arabic. Furthermore, many expressions in Spanish might have been calqued from their Arabic equivalent. Examples would be si Dios quiere, que Dios guarde or bendito sea Dios.

Idafa

The Idafa was a feature of the Mozarabic dialects which had a major formative influence on modern Spanish. Although this morphological structure is no longer in use, it is still widely present in toponyms throughout Spain including names of recent origin such as the suburban colonies of Ciudalcampo and Guadalmar in Madrid and Malaga respectively.

Toponyms (place names) in Spain of Arabic origin

There are thousands of place names derived from Arabic in the Iberian Peninsula including provinces and regions, cities, towns, villages and even neighborhoods and streets. They also include geographical features such as mountains, mountain ranges, valleys and rivers. Toponyms derived from Arabic are common in Spain except for those regions which never came under Muslim rule or where it was particularly short-lived. These regions include Galicia and the Northern coast (Asturias, Cantabria and the Basque country) as well as much of Catalonia, Navarre and northern Aragon. Regions where place names of Arabic origin are particularly common are Balearics, Eastern Coast (Valencia and Murcia) and Andalusia. Those toponyms which maintained their pre-Islamic name during the Muslim period were generally Arabized, and the mark of either the old Arabic pronunciation or the popular pronunciation from which it derived is sometimes noticeable in their modern names: e.g. Latin Hispalis = Arabic Ishbiliya = modern Sevilla.

Major towns, cities and regions

• Albarracín City of Aragón. Derived from Al Banū Razin, name of the Berber family of the town.
• Alcalá de Henares City in the Community of Madrid. Derived from al-qal'a (القلعة), meaning citadel or fortress. Henares may also come from the Arabic name for river: nahar.
• Alcántara (several places) from Arabic al qantara (القنطرة), meaning "the bridge".
• Alcarria Large plateau region east of Madrid covering much of Guadalajara as well as part of eastern Madrid and northern Cuenca. From Arabic al-qaryat.
• Axarquía Eastern region of Málaga province, From Arabic Ash-sharquía(الشرقية): The eastern/oriental (region).
• Andalucía Most populated and 2nd largest autonomous community in Spain. Derived from الأندلس, Al Andalus, the Arabic name for Muslim Iberia, traditionally thought to come in turn from the name of the Vandals.
• Albacete city and province of Castilla-La Mancha. Derived from Arabic Al-Basit (البسيط) (the plain).
• Algarve Region of southern Portugal. From Arabic Al-Gharb (الغرب), the west.
• Algeciras City and port in Cadiz province. Derived from Al Jazeera Al Khadra (الجزيرة الخضراء) meaning the green island.
• Almería City and province of Andalucía. From Al-Meraya, the watchtower.
• Alpujarras (originally Alpuxarras) Region extending South of Granada into Almería. From Arabic al-basharāt: The grasslands.
• Calatayud City of Aragón. Derived from Qal'at Ayyūb (Arabic قلعة أيوب) meaning "(Ayyūb's) Job's Fortress".
• Gibraltar British overseas territory and name given to surrounding area in Southern Spain (Campo de Gibraltar). From Arabic (جبل طارق pronounced Jebel Tariq), "Mountain of Tariq", or Gibr al-Tariq meaning "Rock of Tariq".
• Granada City in Andalusia. Originally Garnata in Andalusi Arabic. From Gar-a-nat, Hill of pilgrims.
• Guadalajara City and province of Castilla la Mancha. From Wādī al-Ḥijārah (Arabic وادي الحجارة), River or canyon of Stones.
• Jaén City and province of Andalusia From Arabic Jayyan, crossroads of caravans.
• Medina-Sidonia: Town and municipality in Cadiz province, from Madina, city.
• Tarifa town in Cadiz province, Andalusia. Originally Jazeera Tarif (جزيرة طريف): the island of Tarif. Derived from the first name of the Berber conqueror Tarif ibn Malik.
• La Sagra, an arid region between Toledo and Madrid. Name derived from Arabic ṣaḥrāʾ (صحراء) "desert".
• Úbeda, a town in Jaén province, Andalusia. From the Arabic Ubadat el Arab.
• Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a city in the northwest of Cádiz province, Andalusia. "Sanlúcar" may have derived from the Arabic shaluqa (شلوقة), the Arabic name for the Levant wind called sirocco or jaloque; "Barrameda" was derived from bar-am-ma'ida, an Arabic phrase for "water well of the plateau".

Geographical features

• River Almanzora. Derived from Arabic: Al-Mansura.
• River Guadiana. Meaning "River Anae" (from the original Latin name Fluminus Anae, "River of Ducks").
• River Guadalquivir. Derived from Arabic: Al-Wādĩ Al-Kabir الوادي الكبير, "the big river".
• Javalambre. Mountain in southern Aragon, Jabal 'Amr, meaning "Mountain of 'Amr".
• Mulhacén. Highest mountain in peninsular Spain. Named after 15th century Sultan of Granada Ali Muley Hacén Abu al-Hasan.
• Pico Almanzor. Mountain in the Gredos Mountains of Central Spain. Named after "Almanzor" Al-Mansur Ibn Abi Aamir, de facto ruler of Al Andalus in late 10th - early 11th centuries.
• Cape Trafalgar. From Andalusi Arabic Taraf-al-gharb ('Western Cape' or 'Cape of the West').

Given names and surnames

Given names

Almudena (from the Virgin of Almudena, patroness of Madrid, Spain) and Fátima (derived from Our Lady of Fátima) are common Spanish names rooted in the country's Roman Catholic tradition, but share Arabic etymologies originating in place names of religious significance. Guadalupe, a name present throughout the Spanish-speaking world, particularly in Mexico, also shares this feature.

A few given names of Arab origin have become present in the Spanish-speaking world. In Spain, this coincided with a more flexible attitude to non-Catholic names, which were highly discouraged during the first decades of the Francoist dictatorship. Arabic names that have been present in Spain for many decades include Omar and Soraya. Zaida is also present in Spain, perhaps after Zaida of Seville, the mistress or wife of King Alfonso VI of Castile in the 11th century. A number of streets throughout Spain bear the name of this Muslim princess. Zahira and Zaira are also popular girls' names of Muslim origin. It is in the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla in the African continent where Arabic given names are common.

Surnames

Surnames of indirect Arabic origin, such as Medina, Almunia, Guadarrama or Alcaide, are common and often refer to toponyms or professions, but they are not of Arabic origin, properly speaking. Few Arabic surnames explicitly denote Arabic origin since in the 15th and the 16th centuries, religious minorities were required to change their surnames upon baptism to escape persecution. The Muslim minority was specifically compelled to convert and adopt Christian surnames by a series of royal decrees in the 16th century, when Morisco leader Muhammad Ibn Ummaya, for example, was born to the Christian name Fernando de Córdoba y Valor.

Exceptions to the general rule are rare, but one is the surname "Benjumea" or "Benjumeda", which denotes ancestry from the Ummayad nobility. Currently, fewer than 6,000 Spaniards have this surname. Another, even less common, surname denoting Muslim lineage is "Muley", which is still present in the Spanish Southeast, and was maintained for its noble lineage.

See also

• Influences on the Spanish language
• Influence of Arabic on other languages
• List of Arabic loanwords in English
• List of French words of Arabic origin
• Spanish terms derived from Arabic (wiktionary)

References

1. newspaper El Mundo, 7-nov-2010: La RAE avala que Burgos acoge las primeras palabras escritas en castellano (in Spanish)
2. "Mozarabs: Resistance and Accommodation". Retrieved 7 March 2021.
3. ^ Dworkin, Steven N. (2012). A History of the Spanish Lexicon: A Linguistic Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-0199541140.
4. Martínez Egido, José Joaquín (2007). Constitución del léxico español. Liceus, Servicios de Gestió. p. 15. ISBN 9788498226539.
5. Versteegh, Kees (2003). The Arabic language (Repr. ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. p. 228. ISBN 0748614362.
6. Lapesa, Raphael (1960). Historia de la lengua española. Madrid. p. 97. ISBN 9780520054691.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
7. Quintana, Lucía; Mora, Juan Pablo (2002). "Enseñanza del acervo léxico árabe de la lengua española" (PDF). ASELE. Actas XIII: 705.: "El léxico español de procedencia árabe es muy abundante: se ha señalado que constituye, aproximadamente, un 8% del vocabulario total"
8. Macpherson, I. R. (1980). Spanish phonology. Manchester: Manchester University Press. p. 93. ISBN 0719007887.
9. La extraordinaria riqueza de nuestros arabismos
10. Corominas, Joan (1973). Breve diccionario etimológico de la lengua castellana (Madrid: Gredos)
11. "Abenuz | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española".
12. "📌 abismal". Los diccionarios y las enciclopedias sobre el Académico (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 September 2019.
13. "Abitaque | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española".
14. "Acebibe | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española".
15. "Acidaque | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española".
16. "Adehala | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española".
17. ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "orozuz | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 June 2022.
18. ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "alcohela | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 June 2022.
19. ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "alcolla | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 June 2022.
20. ASALE, RAE-; RAE. "alcor | Diccionario de la lengua española". «Diccionario de la lengua española» - Edición del Tricentenario (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 June 2022.
21. DRAE: 'alfalfa'
22. RAE; RAE. "alhadida | Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española". «Tesoro de los diccionarios históricos de la lengua española» (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 June 2022.
23. "El español hablado en Andalucía". grupo.us.es. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
24. DRAE: 'hasta'
25. DRAE: 'he'
26. DRAE: 'mulo'
27. DRAE: 'muslime'
28. http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=ojalá DRAE entry
29. Kaye, Alan S. (2005). "Two Alleged Arabic Etymologies". Journal of Near Eastern Studies. 64 (2): 109–111. doi:10.1086/431686. S2CID 161666814.
30. Corriente, Federico (1999). Diccionario de Arabismos y Voces Afines en Iberorromance (Dictionary of Arabisms and Related Words in Ibero-Romance). Gredo. pp. 485–596.
31. Victoria B. TORRES: 'VUESTRA MERCED Y SUS ALOMORFOS EN EL TEATRO DE CALDERÓN' (In Spanish)
32. ^ The Linguistics of Spanish: Basic word order in Spanish
33. Historia de la lengua española, Madrid, Gredos (8.ª reimp. de la 9.ª de corr. y aum. 1981; 1.ª ed. 1942), Lapesa, R. (1995), § 36.6. El orden de palabras normal en la frase árabe y hebrea situa en primer lugar el verbo, en segundo el sujeto y a continuación los complementos. Como en español y portugués el verbo precede al sujeto con mas frecuencia que en otras lenguas romances, se ha apuntado la probabilidad de influjo semítico. La hipótesis necesitaría comprobarse con un estudio riguroso del orden de palabras español en sus distintas épocas y niveles, parangonado con el de las demás lenguas románicas, el árabe y el hebreo. Tal estudio no existe aún; las comparaciones parciales que hasta ahora se han hecho no son suficientes
34. Sobre el orden de constituyentes en la lengua medieval: la posición del sujeto y el orden básico en el castellano alfonsí, Cahiers d'Études Hispaniques Médiévales , p 208, (2008).
35. Karen Lahousse & Béatrice Lamiroy: Word order in French, Spanish and Italian: A grammaticalization account
36. Rejdugova, Maria. "La influencia de la lengua árabe en la lengua española" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2018. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
37. Jairo Javier García Sánchez: La etimología y la motivación de las palabras, y su proyección cultural (in Spanish)
38. entry for بشرات in almaany.com
39. "De dónde vienen los nombres de los ríos de España". Verne (in Spanish). 25 September 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
40. Mundo, Beatriz Díez BBC (20 November 2015). "España: "Cómo Franco influyó, entre otras cosas, en el nombre de mi madre"". BBC News Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 September 2019.
41. M.ª Jesús Rubiera Mata: "La familia morisca de los Muley-Fez, príncipes meriníes" (In Spanish)

Selected reference works and other academic literature

These works have not necessarily been consulted in the preparation of this article.

• Abu-Haidar, J. A. 1985. Review of Felipe Maíllo Salgado, Los arabismos del castellano en la baja edad media (consideraciones históricas y filológicas). Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 48(2): 353-354. University of London. JSTOR 617561
• Cabo Pan, José Luis. El legado del arabe. Mosaico 8:7-10. Revista para la Promoción y Apoyo a la Enseñanza del Español. Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia del Reino de España, Consejería de Educación y Ciencia en Bélgica, Países Bajos y Luxemburgo.
• Corominas, Joan. 1980-1991. Diccionario crítico etimológico castellano e hispánico. Madrid: Gredos. The first edition, with the title Diccionario crítico etimológico de la lengua castellana (1954–1957) includes an appendix that groups words according to language of origin.
• Corriente, Federico. 2003. Diccionario de arabismos y voces afines en iberorromance. (2nd expanded ed.; 1st ed. 1999) Madrid: Gredos. 607 p.
• Real Academia Española (Royal Spanish Academy). Diccionario de la lengua española (DRAE), online.
• Maíllo Salgado, Felipe. 1991/1998. Los arabismos del castellano en la Baja Edad Media : consideraciones históricas y filológicas. Salamanca: Universidad de Salamanca. 554 p.
• Ibid. 1996. Vocabulario de historia árabe e islámica. Madrid: Akal. 330 p.
• Marcos Marín, Francisco 1998 Romance andalusí y mozárabe: dos términos no sinónimos. Estudios de Lingüística y Filología Españolas. Homenaje a Germán Colón. Madrid: Gredos, 335-341.
• Ibid. 1998 Toledo: su nombre árabe y sus consecuencias lingüísticas hispánicas. Revista del Instituto Egipcio de Estudios Islámicos en Madrid, XXX, 1998, 93-108.
• Sola-Solé, Josep María. 1983. Sobre árabes, judíos y marranos y su impacto en la lengua y literatura españolas. Barcelona: Puvill. 279 p.
• Spaulding, Robert K. 1942/1971. How Spanish Grew. Berkeley: University of California Press. Chapter 5: "Arabic Spain", pp. 53–62.
• Toro Lillo, Elena. La invasión árabe. Los árabes y el elemento árabe en español. In the Cervantes Virtual Library. Includes a brief list of historical sound changes. Useful bibliography.

Selected resource pages of universities and research institutes

• Instituto de Estudios Islámicos y del Oriente Próximo. Search results consisting of Institute publications whose entries contain the word "arabismos"
• Universidad de Granada. Holdings under the subject "arabismos"

External links

• La invasión árabe. Los árabes y el elemento árabe en español, by Elena Toro Lillo; Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes
• Arabic Influences in Various Languages
• Size and nature of the Spanish vocabulary Archived 30 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine

• Spanish etymology
• Lists of Spanish words of foreign origin
• Spanish language
• History of the Spanish language
• Arabic words and phrases
• Arabic language
• Islam in Spain
• Language contact