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At a deep cultural level, many Persian and English words are cognates that derive from their shared Proto-Indo-European roots. These cognates are too numerous to list here.

Many words of Persian origin have made their way into English through different circuitous routes. Some of them, like "paradise" date to the cultural contacts between the Persians and Greeks in the Hellenistic culture of Antiquity, and through Greek and then Latin found their way to English. Persian as the second important language of Islam has influenced many languages in the Muslim world, and its words have found their way beyond the Muslim world.

Persia, which was never colonised by outsiders, remained largely impenetrable to English-speaking travellers, well into the 19th century. Persia was protected from Europe by overland trade routes that passed through territory inhospitable to non-Muslims, while trade at Persian ports in the Persian Gulf was in the hands of locals. In contrast, intrepid English traders operated in Mediterranean seaports of the Levant from the 1570s, and some vocabulary describing features of Ottoman culture found their way into the English language. Thus many in the following list of English borrowings, though they were originally from Persian, arrived in English through Turkish mediaries. Compare List of English words of Etruscan origin for a similar situation.

Other words of Persian origin found their way into European languages— and eventually reached English at second-hand— through the Moorish-Christian cultural interface in the Iberian peninsula during the Middle Ages thus being transmitted through Arabic or, much later, through Hindi during the British Raj.

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

A

absinthe

from Persian Spand.

Afghanistan

Persian name for that country

Ahriman

from Persian Ahriman.

Ahura Mazda

from Old. Pers.

algorithm

from the name of the Persian scientist Khwarazmi

Angra Mainyu

older version of Ahriman

Armenia

from Persian Arman.

arsenic

from zarnig

Asmodeus

evil spirit, prince of demons, from L. Asmodaeus, from Gk. Asmodaios, from Talmudic Heb. Ashmeday, from Avestan (Old-Iranian) Aesh-ma-dæva, lit. "Aeshma the deceitful."

Arya

from Ariya

aubergine

from Persian بادنجان Bâdinjân itself maybe originally from Sanskrit.

azure

from Medieval Latin azura, from Arabic al-lāzaward, from Persian lājaward

B

babouche

via Ar. babush, from Pers. papush, from pa "foot" + posh "covering."

Bactrian

from Pers. bâkhtar "the west."

baksheesh

from Pers. bakhshish, lit. "gift," from verb bakhshidan "to give."

ban

"governor of Croatia," from Serbo-Croat. ban "lord, master, ruler," from Pers. ban "prince, lord, chief, governor,"

barbican

from Ar. bāb "gate/door" + Pers. (khāneh "house").

bazaar

from Persian بازار bāzār (="market"), from Middle-Persian bahâ-zâr ("The Place of Prices").

bezoar

from pād-zahr

bombast

from pambak "cotton".

borax

from burah

bronze

Perhaps ultimately from Pers. birinj "copper."

bulbul

from bulbul (=type of migratory songbird native to Kenya)

buzkashi

from Pers. buz "goat" + kashi "drawing."

C

calabash

from Pers. kharabuz, Kharbuzeh

cameo

from Pers. chumahan "agate."

cannabis

via Greek kannabis "hemp," probably from a north-eastern Iranian (Scythian) word.

carafe

probably from Pers. qarabah "a large flagon." or Ar. ghurruf "drinking cup"

caravan

from kārawān =("to go")

Casper

from Persian Jasper

cassock

probably ult. from Pers. kazhagand "padded coat," from kazh "raw silk" + agana "stuffed."

caviar

from Khâg-âvar ("bringer of eggs")

chador

from châdor "tent"

check

check (n.) from O.Fr. eschequier "a check at chess," from eschec, from V.L. *scaccus, from Ar. shah, from Pers. shah "king," the principal piece in a chess game (see shah). When the king is in check a player's choices are limited. Meaning widened from chess to general sense of "adverse event, sudden stoppage" and by c.1700 to "a token used to check against loss or theft" (surviving in hat check) and "a check against forgery or alteration," which gave the modern financial use of "bank check, money draft" (first recorded 1798), probably influenced by exchequeur. Check-up "careful examination" is 1921, Amer.Eng., on notion of a checklist of things to be examined.

checkmate

from Middle French eschec mat, from Arabic shah mat, from Persian shâh mât (="the King cannot escape/is dead")

chess

from Russian Shach, from Persian shah ("the King"), an abbreviation of Shâh-mât (Checkmate).

cinnabar

probably from Pers. zanjifrah

Cumin

from Kerman

cummerbund

from Hindi kamarband, from Persian, from kamar (="waist") + band (="band")

Cyrus

from Persian Kurosh, diminutive: Cy

D

Darius Daryoosh

demi-tasse

from Fr., lit. "half-cup," from demi- + tasse, an O.Fr. borrowing from Arabic tassah, from Pers. tasht "cup, saucer".

dervish

from Darvish

divan

via Turkish divan, from Persian dēvān (="place of assembly", "roster"), from Old Persian dipi (="writing, document") + vahanam (="house")

E

Esther

from Persian setareh, its diminutives are: Ess, Essie, Tess, Tessie.

Euphrates

Euphrates

O.E. Eufrate, from Gk., from Avestan (Old-Iranian) huperethuua "good to cross over," from hu- "good" + peretu- "ford."

F

Farsi

the local name for Persian in Persian.

Feringhee

from Pers. Farangi: from the word French: a person from France: the first foreigners that significantly influenced the goverment under the Ghajar dynasty in Iran.

firman

from Persian فرمان farmân ("decree", "order").

G

galingale

from Persian خلنجان khalanjan, a plant.

Georgia

from Persian Gurjistan.

gherkin

possibly ult. from Medieval Gk. angourion "a kind of cucumber," said to be from Pers. angarah

giaour

from Pers. gaur, variant of gabr "fire-worshipper,"

guitar

from Persian sitaar "Three snares".

H

henna

Zie.

Hindu

from Pers. Hindu "Indian"

I

India

from Persian Hind.

J

jackal

from Persian shaghāl, Any of several doglike mammals of the genus Canis of Africa and southern Asia that are mainly foragers feeding on plants, small animals, and occasionally carrion.

jasmine

from yasmin, the name of a climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Variant Jasmin.

Jasper (boy's name)

from Persian meaning "treasure master".

Jasper (stone)

from Persian Yashp

jujube

from Pers. zayzafun meaning "soft candy with date-like flavor"

julep

from gulab (rose-water).

K

kabob

possibly from Persian kabab, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

Kaftan

from Persian خفتان khaftân.

Kazakhstan

Uses Persian suffix -stan

khaki

from khaki (="made from soil", "dusty" or "of the colour of soil"), from khak (= "soil"),

Khedive

via Turkish from Pers. khidiv "prince," derivative of khuda "master, prince," from Old-Persian khvadata- "lord,"

kiosk

from kushk (="palace, portico, pavilion") or Middle Persian gōšak "corner"

Koh-i-Noor

from Pers. koh "mountain" + Ar. nur "light."

Kyrgyzstan

With Persian suffix -stan

L

lacquer

through Ar. lakk, from Pers. lak from Prakrit lakkhā from Sanskrit lākşā "red dye"

lemon

possibly from Persian limon, also possibly from Urdu, Arabic, and Turkish

lilac

from Pers. lilak, variant of nilak "bluish," from nil "indigo"

M

magic

from magus from Old Persian maguš "mighty one"

• magus

  from Old Persian maguš "mighty one"

  • magi

    from magus from Old Persian maguš "mighty one"

manticore

from O. Pers. word for "man eater," cf. martiya- "man" + root of khvar- "to eat."

Mausoleum

from the name of a Persian satrap

Mihrab

from Persian Mihr (the God Mithra)

Mithra

from the name of the Persian God Mithra.

Mithraeum

from Persian Mithra

Mithraism

mogul

from mughul (="Mongolian")

Mosque

through Arabic masjid from Middle-Persian mazgat (House of worship)

Mother

from maadar

mummy

from Pers. mumiya "asphalt," from mum "wax."

musk

ultimately from Middle Persian musk, from Sanskrit muska (="testicle") from diminutive of mus (="mouse")

Mussulman

from Pers. musulman (adj.), from Arabic muslim (q.v.) + Persian adj. suffix -an.

must (n)

via Urdu mast "intoxicated, in rut," from Pers. mast, lit. "intoxicated"

N

naphtha

via L., from Gk. naphtha "bitumen," perhaps from Pers. naft "oil", "pitch,"

narcissus

from Persian nargis

O

orange

from Milanese narans, from Arabic nāranj, from Persian nārang, from Sanskrit nāraṅga, from some Dravidian language, possibly Tamil or Malayalam

P

pagoda

via Portugeese pagode, from a corruption of Pers. butkada, from but "idol" + kada "dwelling."

pajamas

from Hindi paajaama, from Persian pāë (pāÿ) jāmah, from pAy (="leg") + jAma (="garment")

Pahlavi

from Pahlavi.

paradise

from Greek paradeisos (=enclosed park"), from Old Persian pairidaeza (="enclosure, park"), from pairi (="around") + diz (="mold, form")

parasang

from Old-Persian parasang

pard

Zie

Parsee

from Pârsi

Pasha

from Pâdshâh

Pashmina

from Pashmineh, made from pashm; pashm (= "wool")

peach

a corruption of the Latin word "Persicum." Peaches are called in Latin malum Persicum (Persian apple) prunum persicum (Persian plum), or simply persicum (pl. persici). This should not be confused with the more modern Linnaean classification Prunus persica, a neologism describing the peach tree itself (from the Latin prunus, -i which signifies "plum tree").

Peri

from pari

Persepolis

from Pârsa+ Greek polis.

Persis

from Pârs

pilaf

from pilav (modern Persian speakers say pillaw or polo)

pistachio

from Latin pistācium, from Greek πιστάκιον, from Persian pistah

popinjay

from O.Fr. papegai (12c.), from Sp. papagayo, from Ar. babagha', from Pers. babgha "parrot,"

Punjab

via Hindi Panjab, from Pers. panj "five" + ab "water."

R

roc

from Persian rukh (name of a legendary bird)

rook

from Middle English rok, from Middle French roc, from Arabic rukhkh, from Persian رخ rukh (=chess piece)

Rose

from Latin rosa, possibly ult. from Pers. *varda-. Zie

Roxana

from Persian: روشنك Roshanak, meaning "little star" its variants in English are meaning "dawn." Variants include, Roxane and Roxanne. Diminutives are Roxie and Roxy.

S

saffron

Zaferoon

Satrap

from Persian Shatrap and Shahrab.

scarlet

from Pers. saqirlat "a type of red cloth"

scimitar

from Pers. shimshir (Shamshir)

seersucker

from Hindi sirsakar, E. Indian corruption of Pers. shir o shakkar "striped cloth," lit. "milk and sugar".

Sepoy

from Persian Sipahi via Urdu

seraglio

from sarây "inn"

serendipity

from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, from Persian Sarandip (="Sri Lanka"),

shah

from shāh, from Old Persian χšāyaþiya (="king"), from an Old Persian verb meaning "to rule"

Shamshir

from shamshir

shawl

from shāl

simurgh

from simurgh

Sipahis

from Persian Sipahi via Turkish

sitar

via Hindi sitar, from Pers. sitar "three-stringed," from si "three" (O.Pers. thri-) + tar "string"

sowar

from Persian Savâr.

spinach

from French espinache, from Arabic isfānākh, from Persian from isfānāj, ispānāk, or aspanākh

-stan

from -istân "place" or "where one stands"

sugar

from Middle French sucre, from Latin zuccarum, from Arabic sukkar', from Persian shakar, from Sanskrit sakara (="pebble")

Sumac

possibly from Persian Sumak.

T

tabor

probably from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"

taffeta

from Pers. taftah "silk or linen cloth,"

Tajikistan

With Persian suffix -stan

Taj Mahal

from Pers., lit. "the best of buildings;" or "the Crown's Place", second element related to Arabic halla "to lodge."

talc

from Pers. talk "talc."

tambourine

from Middle French tambour (="drum"), possibly from Middle Pers. tambūr "lute"

tandoori

from Pers. tannur "oven, portable furnace,"

tapestry

from tâfteh

Tartar

from M.L. Tartarus, from Pers. Tatar

tiger

via Greek tigris from an Iranian source

toque

from O. Pers. taq "veil, shawl."

tulip

from French tulipe, from Turkish tülbend, from Persian dulband

Turan

from Persian توران

turban

via Turkish tülbend, from Persian dulband

Turkmenistan

With Persian suffix -stan

Turkoman

from M.L. Turcomannus, from Pers. Turkman, lit. "Turk-like," from Turk + Persian suffix -man "like."

typhoon

طوفان from Persian Tufân or Greek Typhon; also affected by Cantonese taai-fung

U

Uzbekistan

With Persian suffix -stan

V

vizier

وزير from persian Vizier "minister" from Middle-Persian Vichir.

X

Xerxes

Gk. form of O. Pers. Kshayarshan-, lit. "male (i.e. 'hero') among kings," from Kshaya- "king" (cf. shah) + arshan "male, man."

Z

Zarathushtra or Zarathustra

the Persian prophet

Zena

girl's name from Persian Zan (woman).

zircon

from zargûn (="gold colour")

zirconium

from zargûn (="gold colour")

Zoroaster

from Persian Zarathushtra

Zoroastrianism

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.

Sources

Online etymology dictionary

• Etymology