English words borrowed from Hindi
Hindi is an Indo-European
language spoken in Northern India.
It has given to English many clothing
terms ("bangle", "sari"), food words ("samosa", "basmati") and words to do with
crime ("loot", "thug"). There are many other words.
(Please note that Hindi is the name of the language while
Hindu is the name of a religion.)
| Word | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| bandanna | dyed cloth | One of many cloth and clothing terms from Hindi. |
| bangle | Glass bracelets. | |
| basmati | A type of rice. One of many food terms from Hindi. | |
| Blighty | foreign | UK soldiers' slang for the homeland. |
| cheetah | ||
| chintz | Painted cotton cloth. | |
| chutney | A side dish for food. | |
| coolie | Someone who does the hard work. | |
| cot | Place to sleep. | |
| cummerbund | close waist | |
| dungaree | A type of coarse cloth. | |
| goolies | balls / bullets | UK slang for "testicles". |
| Himalaya | abode of snow | Mountain range in India, Nepal and Tibet. |
| jodhpurs | Riding breeches named after their town of origin. | |
| juggernaut | UK word for a large lorry. From "Juganath", the name of an Indian god whose image gets carried around the town in a huge cart once a year. | |
| jungle | Now used as another term for a thick forest. | |
| loot | Stolen goods. | |
| mahout | elephant driver | |
| punch | five | As in the drink - from the five ingredients used. |
| pukka | ripe | Used in the UK to mean "good" or "right". |
| pundit | learned | As in a "sporting pundit". Used in the UK. |
| samosa | A spicy snack popular in the UK. | |
| sari | The distinctive wrap-around cloth worn by many women in India. | |
| shampoo | massage | |
| thug | From a Hindu sect ("Thugees") that would kill people for the goddess, Kali. | |
| toddy |