The spread of the British Empire around the globe has meant that many words of foreign origin have crept into common daily use.
Some common ones, which you might already know include:
1. Bungalow
A bungalow is a single storey house with a low profile, no stairs and perhaps a veranda. It sometimes has upper rooms set in the roof. Dormer windows are a big giveaway. The first acknowledged bungalow in England was built in 1869.
The word bungalow is derived from the Gujerati word Bangalo, meaning a "house in the Bengal style".
2. Chutney
Chutney is a portmanteau term for a cold sauce made of fruit, spices, sugar and vinegar. The name is derived from the Hindi word Chatni, meaning "to eat with an appetite". While the usage in Britain outside restaurants and specialised shops seems to be mainly restricted to pickled preparations, in India it refers to both fresh and pickled preparations. It is not to be confused with achar, which is growing in popularity. Chutneys are usually sweet and rarely sour, and an Atchar can contain oils and is rarely sweet.
3. Bangle
Tell me you didn’t know that bangles are an Indian invention. Simply put, a bangle is a rigid ornamental bracelet. It can be worn around the wrist or ankle. In Hindi, they are known as Choodi.
4. Jungle
It’ll surprise most people that the word jungle originated in the Sanskrit Jangala, meaning rough. The exact history, and whether it referred to dry or wetlands is unclear. A similar word in Urdu is Jangal. In India and the Iranian Plateau, it refers to the unkempt plant growth taking over abandoned areas.
5. Guru
Guru is the Sanskrit term for a master, mentor or guide. In the original Sanskrit, it also means a dispeller of darkness.
Many, particularly dialect words, come into English from closer to home, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. This is particularly true of the Lowland Scottish dialect, in which many words are taken from French and Scottish Gaelic.
Scottish
6. Ashet
For many years, Scotland and France had a common enemy, England, and many French words have passed into Scots English. An Ashet is a large shallow oval dish, used to serve or eat food.
It comes from the French Assiette, meaning plate.
7. Canny
Over the years, canny has acquired several meanings. In Scotland, it means shrewdness and good judgement. In Northern England, it means pleasant or nice. It depends on the context and the speaker for its exact meaning. Its etymology, like so many dialect words, is unknown.
8. Sleekit
To be described as sleekit is not complimentary. Originally meaning shiny or smooth, it now means a person who is oily and ingratiating. Applied to some people, often lawyers and politicians, it also means sly, cunning and weasel-like. It is thought to come from Sleek.
9. Kerfuffle
Sometimes spelt Carfuffle, meaning a disturbance or fuss.
10. Skulduggery
Skulduggery came into common usage in English in the mid-nineteenth century. It means unscrupulous or underhanded behaviour. It comes from the Scots skuldudrie which has the slightly stronger meaning of adultery, obscenity or fornication.
