Spanish Loan Words

Spanish Loan Words Spanish Loan Words Spanish Loan Words By Sharon The English language is a thief. What we call English isnt really English at all. Instead, its a collection of borrowings from other languages. Latin is the main one, but theres also a good bit of French and a healthy serving of Spanish. There are thousands of Spanish loan words in English some claim as many as 10,000 and they all entered the language from three main sources. Trade in the Caribbean region brought a number of local Spanish words into the language: barbecue cannibal llama hammock hurricane potato tobacco yucca Many words were brought into English by cowboys working in the Southwest USA, such as: bronco buckaroo (from vaquero, Spanish for cowboy) desperado rodeo vigilante Then there are several words for food and drink that you just cant describe in English: avocado banana burrito chili dorado guacamole maize margarita paella papaya pimento tequila tortilla vanilla yam And then there are others, where we know the Spanish words, but were just not sure exactly how they got here. adobe albino alcove alfalfa algebra alligator (from the Spanish for lizard el lagarto) armadillo barracuda cafeteria canyon chihuahua cigar/cigarette cockroach embargo guerilla guitar iguana incommunicado jaguar macho mosquito renegade savvy siesta tornado This is just a selection of the Spanish loan words we use in English. Have you got any favorite ones to add to the list? Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the General category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Passed vs PastThe Writing ProcessTreatment of Words That Include â€Å"Self†