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Russian Loan Words: 9 Words We Get from Russian

2023-02-03T12:11:43+01:00

When I was a little kid, the animated (cartoon) movie version of Anastasia came out in theaters and it quickly became one of my favorite movies. (To this day, I can still sing along to (sing with) all of the songs.) Ever since Anastasia came out, St. Petersburg, Russia has been (Present perfect tense!) on my bucket list of places to go. So, you can say that I've always had an affinity for Russian loan words in English. Loan words are an important part of the English language, since English is a language that has grown and changed over the years by taking words from other languages. English has taken [...]

Russian Loan Words: 9 Words We Get from Russian2023-02-03T12:11:43+01:00

English Words Used in German – Eingedeutscht!

2023-01-31T16:30:13+01:00

One of the wonderful things about language, in my opinion, is how flexible it is. Languages borrow words from other languages all the time, making the way we speak and write a beautiful hodge-podge (mixture) of different slang, verbs, and nouns. While English definitely borrows (takes, uses) some words from German, there are quite a few English words used in German, too. A lot of them keep the same meaning, like when my friends ask me if I'll joinen (join) them for something, but sometimes the meaning changes somewhat. Naturally, the Germans have a word for this phenomenon, too: eingedeutscht. [...]

English Words Used in German – Eingedeutscht!2023-01-31T16:30:13+01:00

Foreign Loanwords-German, French, Latin, Yiddish, Spanish, & Scandinavian

2023-01-29T18:36:03+01:00

What exactly is a loanword? We've written a lot about foreign loanwords, but do you know what they really are? As always, Bespeaking is here to break it down for you! Read on to find out exactly what foreign loanwords in English are, and how you can use them in your everyday life. What is a loanword? According to the Cambridge Dictionary, a loanword is "a word taken from one language and used in another." This word is not translated, and so takes on a very similar meaning to its meaning in the original language. For example, some loanwords in [...]

Foreign Loanwords-German, French, Latin, Yiddish, Spanish, & Scandinavian2023-01-29T18:36:03+01:00

Scandinavian Loanwords in English – Easy English Blog

2023-01-29T18:09:38+01:00

Origin words are a lot of fun! We've talked about words from Yiddish, Latin, French, German, and Spanish here on the Bespeaking blog. Now is a good time to write about words that come from Scandinavia, or Scandinavian loanwords. Scandinavia didn't just give us the Vikings. It gave us all sorts of (many different) common words, as well! Here are just a few: Cog From the word: kugge (Swedish) Have you ever looked at a clock or wristwatch where you could see the gears (moving parts) inside? Those little toothed wheels are called cogs, and we get the word from [...]

Scandinavian Loanwords in English – Easy English Blog2023-01-29T18:09:38+01:00

Spanish Loan Words – Easy English Blog

2022-10-30T21:53:08+01:00

We've talked about all sorts (many kinds) of different languages that influence (affect, have impact on) English on the Bespeaking blog (such as German, Latin, Yiddish, and French), but since Spanish loan words are such a huge contributor (giver), we've decided to cover it (write about it) twice! Here are ten more Spanish loan words that you can use in your day-to-day life that come from Spanish. ¡Ándele! Ten-Gallon Hat Original: tan galán, meaning "so gallant" Believe it or not, the name for the famous ten-gallon cowboy hat does not have anything to do with their ability (if you can [...]

Spanish Loan Words – Easy English Blog2022-10-30T21:53:08+01:00

7 Spanish Words Used in English

2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

We've said it before, but English is truly a wonderful language because it has taken on words from many other languages. It's one of my favorite things about English, and can make it a bit easier for new learners, since they recognize some words from their mother tongues. This week we’ll tackle (work out, handle) Spanish words used in English. On the Bespeaking blog, we've covered loan words from German (here and here), as well as loan words from  French, Latin, US vs. UK words, and even Yiddish. So we figured it was about time we rolled around to (finally did something) [...]

7 Spanish Words Used in English2022-10-30T21:36:26+01:00

10 Common Latin Words in English

2022-10-30T21:23:19+01:00

Last week, we covered ten Latin words used in English and their English derivatives (words that come from other words). Because it was such a success (popular), because Latin is such an important source for English, and because we promised a part two…here are ten more Latin words in English! If you are the type that loves word etymology (where words come from) and word borrowings, check out our past blogs with words that come from French, Yiddish, and German here and here! So, get a bit ancient with your vocabulary and check out the list below: Gravis Latin meaning: heavy [...]

10 Common Latin Words in English2022-10-30T21:23:19+01:00

Latin Words Used in English

2022-10-30T21:22:00+01:00

I was the worst Latin student of all time (ever). I took one year of Latin when I was in 7th grade, hoping it would help me later in college when I studied English. It might have benefited (helped) me more, however, if I had decided to go into the medical field, but I still think it's fun to find Latin words used in English and try to remember what they mean. As with our borrowings from French, Yiddish, and German here and here, we've gained a lot as a culture from the Ancient Romans and their language, Latin, such as [...]

Latin Words Used in English2022-10-30T21:22:00+01:00

9 French Words Used in English

2023-07-09T17:48:41+01:00

As we all know, English is a great "catch all" language in that it is one big mish-mash of other languages, and boy oh boy, does English love taking words from French! We've already written about German loan words here and here, and last week about Yiddish.  But what about French words used in English? About 45% of English words have a French origin. 29% of those words are directly stolen from French. (This is the same percentage of words in English with Latin origin). Suffice it to say (it is sure that), French is one of the biggest influencers [...]

9 French Words Used in English2023-07-09T17:48:41+01:00

10 Yiddish Words Used in English

2022-10-30T20:58:12+01:00

English is a wonderful language because it can be a bit of a "catch-all" from other languages. We've written before about German loan words, and the next language we steal directly from is Yiddish. Yiddish is the language spoken by Central and Eastern European Jews and derives (comes) from Hebrew, Slavic languages, and other Germanic influences. I love Yiddish words, partly because they're so much fun to say. English borrows a bunch of words from Yiddish, so here are 10 of our favorite Yiddish words used in English: Bagel Bagels (Yiddish: beygel) are one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods. [...]

10 Yiddish Words Used in English2022-10-30T20:58:12+01:00

German Loan Words Part 2

2022-09-30T03:40:03+01:00

Last week here on the Bespeaking blog, we started our exploration into German loan words in English. And while we won't finish that this week (a teacher's work is never done!), we'll dive a bit deeper still. Here are five more German loan words in English. Are there any that you find surprising? Gestalt Did you ever hear the term gestalt mentioned in your psychology (the science of the mind) class in college? If you did, you have the Germans to thank for it. In German, Gestalt is a shape or a form, and this is part of what's behind [...]

German Loan Words Part 22022-09-30T03:40:03+01:00
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