Words that connect us
A different language. A familiar word.
Spanish and Portuguese are full of words with Arabic connections, from the kitchen to the chessboard. Compare the words, open their stories, then try spotting the connection yourself.
A new random selection every visit. Open a pair to read its story.
- quintalقنطارqinṭār
hundredweight (a weight)
Explore the connection
Quintal, the weight measure, connects with Arabic qinṭār. Brazilian quintal, a back yard, is a different word with its own history.
- ajedrezشطرنجshaṭranj
chess
Explore the connection
The name of chess travelled through Arabic, with earlier Persian and Indic connections. The game and its name crossed cultures.
- alfalfaالفصفصةal-fiṣfiṣa
alfalfa / lucerne
Explore the connection
Spanish alfalfa connects with this Arabic plant name. Similar Portuguese forms need their transmission route checked separately.
- elixirالإكسيرal-iksīr
elixir
Explore the connection
This word travelled through Arabic and has an earlier Greek history. Its associations with alchemy helped it travel.
- alfarالفخارal-fakhkhār
pottery workshop
Explore the connection
Spanish alfar, a potter’s workshop, connects with Arabic al-fakhkhār, pottery.
- cenitسمتsamt
zenith
Explore the connection
Cenit and zênite come from Arabic samt, a direction, changed by copying mistakes over centuries. Same family as azimut.
- alarifeالعريفal-ʿarīf
master builder
Explore the connection
Alarife connects with Arabic al-ʿarīf, an expert. It is a specialised, historical word for a master builder.
- aldabaالضبةaḍ-ḍabba
door knocker
Explore the connection
Aldaba and aldraba connect with Arabic aḍ-ḍabba, a fastening. Its exact historical sense is still being checked.
- arrobaالربعar-rubʿ
arroba (weight); the @ sign
Explore the connection
Arroba connects with Arabic ar-rubʿ, a quarter: an old weight. Calling @ an arroba came much later.
- almacénالمخازنal-makhāzin
warehouse, store
Explore the connection
Almacén and armazém connect with Arabic al-makhāzin, storehouses. In parts of Latin America, almacén is also a grocery shop.
Every word here is still being checked, one by one, by our reviewers. A historical connection is not always a modern translation: some words also have older Persian, Greek or Indian roots, and some changed meaning on the way. The quizzes use only the best-known connections.