Spanish is a highly rich and diverse language that, over several years, has borrowed multiple words from several other languages. Several Arabic words made its way into everyday Spanish when Moorish rulers ruled the Iberian Peninsula, and these days, plenty of English words are finding their way into daily life Spanish discourse. Continue to read to find some of the common Spanish words that originally came from the English language.
Panfleto – Pamphlet
Panfleto is a Spanish form of the English word that has been borrowed from ‘pamphlet’, which first was seen in the Middle English during the late 14th century as panflet or pamphilet. The word hails from the comic poem Pamphilus, Seu de Amore.
Drenaje – Drainage
This is in fact a triple-borrowed word, Spanish borrowed this word from English and English borrowed this from the French word drainage. The word became commonly used in English with the beginning of agricultural technology.
Bistec – Beef Steak
Britain’s good old roast beef lends its name to this cut of meat in Spain, which is also sometimes referred to as a filete (filet). Several Spanish borrowings from English spell the word in the manner it is pronounced by Spaniards, so ‘beef steak’ becomes bistec.
Mitin – Meeting
Several anglicisms to do with business have made their way into foreign languages, and Spanish is not an exception. But instead of a formal business meeting, mitin in Spanish means a public meeting or a conference by a political party.
Fútbol – Football
Fútbol is amongst Spain’s one of the most popular sport, but the Spanish word for this beautiful game hails straightaway from the English, ‘football’. Intriguingly, Spanish has its own word for this sport, balompié, but it is never used. It can be seen in the full title of some of the football club names, though, like the Seville-based one Real Betis Balompié.
Beicon – Bacon
There are a few things that are more satisfying than a hearty bacon sandwich, and when you are in Spain, you will be certain to know the right word for it, because it comes from the English. In most of South America, however, they say the term tocineta or tocino.
Cóctel – Cocktail
Nothing to worry about learning the word for ‘cocktail’ when you are traveling through Spanish-speaking regions; it is literally, the same as in English, with simply a slight difference in spelling. The origin of the word thought is disputed, but the Oxford English Dictionary claims it originates from the USA, with the first recorded usage way back in the year 1803.