58 English Words of Spanish Origin
A
Albatross – from alcatraz, see below.
Alcatraz – (meaning “gannet”) from Arabic غطاس al-ġaţţās (“the diver”)
Alligator – from el lagarto, “the lizard”
Armadillo – from armadillo, “little armored one”
Avocado – alteration of Spanish aguacate, from Nahuatl ahuacatl which also means “testicle” in that language.
B
Barbecue – from the Chibcha word barbacoa
Barracuda – from barracuda May have come from barraco, meaning overlapping tooth
Bonanza – from bonanza meaning “prosperity”
Breeze – from brisa “cold northeast wind” or from Frisian briesen – to blow (wind)
Bronco – from bronco meaning “coarse”
Buckaroo – from vaquero meaning “cowboy”
C
Cafeteria – from cafetería, “coffee store”
Cannibal – from Spanish caníbal, alteration of caríbal, from Caribe
Canoe – from Spanish canoa
Canyon – from cañón meaning “a pipe, tube, gorge” from cano, “tube;”
Cargo – from the verb cargar meaning “to load”
Chaps – from Mexican Spanish chaparreras, leg protectors for riding through chaparral
Cigar – from Spanish cigarro meaning “fag, stogie, stogy”, from Mayan sicar or sic, “tobacco”
Cockroach – from Spanish cucaracha
Cocoa – from Spanish cacao, from Nahuatl cacáhuatl
Comrade – from French camarade meaning “friend”, from Spanish camarada, “pal, mate”
Condor – from Spanish, from Quechua cuntur
Coyote – from Spanish coyote, from Nahuatl coyotl
E
Embargo – from Spanish embargar, to “seize” or “impound”
G
Guerrilla – from Spanish “small war”
H
Hurricane – from Spanish huracán, from Taino hurákan; akin to Arawak kulakani, thunder
I
Incommunicado – from incomunicado, “in solitary confinement”
Iguana – from Spanish iguana from Arawak iwana.
J
Jade – from Spanish piedra de ijada, “stone of flank.”
Jerky – from Spanish charqui, from Quechua ch’arki, “dried flesh”
K
Key – from Spanish cayo, from Taino cayo (this is English ‘key’/’cay’/’quay’ as in an island, reef or a linked series of them)
L
Lasso – via American English from Spanish lazo meaning “tie;” ultimately from Latin laqueum, “noose, snare.”
M
Macho – from macho, male, brave, the property of being overtly masculine.
Mosquito – from mosquito, literally “little fly”
Mustang – from mestengo or mesteño, “without known master or owner” (archaic)
O
Oregano – from orégano, “marjoram”
P
Papaya – from japaya, akin to Arawak papáia
Patio – from patio, inner courtyard, “an open paved area adjacent to a home”
Platinum – from platina, “little silver” (now “Platino”)
Plaza – from plaza, “public square, spot or place”
Potato – from European Spanish patata, itself from batata, “sweet potato”, from Taino and papa, “potato” from Quechua
Pronto – from Spanish “soon, prompt”
Puma – from Spanish “cougar, panther”, from Quechua
R
Ranch – from rancho, a very small rural community, smaller than a town
Renegade – from renegado, “turncoat, heretic, disowned”
Rodeo – from rodeo and verb rodear (to go around)
S
Savanna – from sabana, “veld”, from Taino zabana
Savvy – from Spanish or Portuguese sabe, “knows”; sabio, wise, learned.
Sherry – from Old Spanish Xerés, modern Spanish Jerez
Silo – from silo
Stampede – from estampida
Stockade – from a French derivation of the Spanish estocada, “stab”
T
Tobacco – from Spanish (Nahuatl influenced) tabaco, “snuff”, .
Tomato – from Spanish tomate, from Nahuatl xitomatl
Tornado – from Spanish tronada, “thunderstorm”, influenced by tornar, “to turn”
V
Vamoose – from vamos, meaning “let’s go”
Vanilla – from Spanish vainilla, diminutive of Latin vaina, from vagina meaning “pod”
Vertigo – from the Spanish word Vertigo
