English Words That Come from Spanish
Can you believe that loanwords make up more than three-quarters of the English language? Studies of the etymology of English words have made it clear that the vast majority of English vocabulary has been taken from, or highly influenced by, other languages. It is clear that English has been borrowing words from other languages for centuries, many of which come from Spanish!
What Loanwords from Spanish Tell Us
Loanwords from Spanish offer us a glimpse into the history of colonialism, westward expansion, immigration, and trade. For centuries, there has been significant interaction between native English and Spanish speakers. As a result, thousands of Spanish words have become part of the English language.
Many of the earliest loanwords on record were a result of secondary borrowing. The Spanish colonization of the Americas brought about frequent interactions between the first Spanish explorers and the indigenous people of the region. Native terms for plants, animals, and other indigenous concepts were absorbed into the Spanish language, then later passed on to English.
Other loanwords from Spanish can be attributed to westward expansion in the 19th century. As English-speaking settlers moved from the East Coast to the North American Southwest, contact increased between Spanish-speaking and English-speaking communities. Many of the loanwords that were adopted at this time were related to mining, cattle farming, cooking, and cowboy culture. The California Gold Rush led to a rapid increase in the number of immigrants, many from Latin America. This resulted in more loanwords, many of which were slang.
Other factors that have contributed to the increase in Spanish loanwords in English include Puerto Rico becoming a part of the United States, trade with Caribbean countries, and the proximity of Mexico to the United States.
Indigenous Words
Below are some common words that have made their way into English from various indigenous languages of the Americas. Spanish adopted them first, and English adopted them from Spanish!
Click here to learn about Spanish words of Nahuatl origin!
Cowboy Words
Here are some of the words that were adopted into English by Anglo-American cowboys working in the southwestern United States.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| estampida | stampede |
| cañón | canyon |
| chaparreras | chaps |
| corral | corral |
| hacienda | hacienda |
| lazo | lasso |
| rancho | ranch |
| rodear(to round up) | rodeo |
| sombrero | sombrero |
| vaquero | buckaroo/cowboy |
Foods
Thanks to the popularity of Mexican cuisine in the United States, many adopted Spanish words are food terms, such as taco, burrito, tortilla, and jalapeño. Many borrowed food terms have no English equivalent, and we sometimes forget that we are using Spanish words because they are so deeply embedded in the English language!
Other borrowed food words have been changed slightly, such as maize from the Spanish word maízand vanilla from the Spanish word vainilla.
Animals
A number of animal words are borrowed words. Alligator comes from lagarto, the Spanish term for lizard. Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning little armored one and mosquito means little fly. Cockroach comes from the Spanish cucaracha.
Cities and States
In the United States hundreds of city names derive from Spanish. Buena Vista means good view, El Paso means the pass, Fresno means ash tree, and Las Vegas translates as the meadows.
There are also many state names of Spanish origin. New Mexico is an anglicization of Nuevo México, Florida means flowery, Nevada means snowy, and Montana comes from the Spanish word montaña(mountain).
Additional Loanwords
There are many other words in English that derive from Spanish. The word cargo comes from the Spanish verb cargar, meaning to load. Tornado comes from tronada, which means thunderstorm. And vamoose comes from vamos, which means let’s go.
Here’s a list of more loanwords from Spanish that are common in the English language!
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| brisa | breeze |
| bobo | booby (stupid person) |
| cabaña | cabana |
| cafetería | cafeteria |
| caldera | cauldron |
| camarada | comrade |
| machete | machete |
| patio | patio |
| plaza | plaza |
| renegado | renegade |
| siesta | siesta |
Loanwords are not the same as cognates. Click here to learn more!
Get to know more loanwords and regional varieties of Spanish with these articles:
