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Quiz about We Stole That from the Arabs
Quiz about We Stole That from the Arabs

We Stole That from the Arabs Trivia Quiz


English has borrowed quite a number of words from different languages. Here is a quiz on ten English words that originally came from Arabic.

A matching quiz by Joepetz. Estimated time: 3 mins.
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Author
Joepetz
Time
3 mins
Type
Match Quiz
Quiz #
390,298
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
9 / 10
Plays
905
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 198 (4/10), Guest 188 (10/10), wjames (10/10).
(a) Drag-and-drop from the right to the left, or (b) click on a right side answer box and then on a left side box to move it.
QuestionsChoices
1. From the Arabic for house of manufacturing - also good for destruction  
  Safari
2. From the Arabic word for travel or journey - not the surfing kind  
  Julep
3. From the Arabic word for blemish - I don't mean to be mean but it's nothing special  
  Arsenal
4. From the Arabic for rose water - I like mine minty  
  Harem
5. From the Arabic for a minting die - they're not worth much  
  Coffee
6. From the Arabic word for forbidden - it's the men who are forbidden  
  Sequin
7. From the Arabic word for notify - some won't be happy to be notified they're under one  
  Mummy
8. From the Arabic for wine - I need both to get through a bad day  
  Average
9. From the Arabic word for wax - it helps prevent wrinkles   
  Assassin
10. From the Arabic word for the Nizari People - they went on a crusade or two  
  Tariff





Select each answer

1. From the Arabic for house of manufacturing - also good for destruction
2. From the Arabic word for travel or journey - not the surfing kind
3. From the Arabic word for blemish - I don't mean to be mean but it's nothing special
4. From the Arabic for rose water - I like mine minty
5. From the Arabic for a minting die - they're not worth much
6. From the Arabic word for forbidden - it's the men who are forbidden
7. From the Arabic word for notify - some won't be happy to be notified they're under one
8. From the Arabic for wine - I need both to get through a bad day
9. From the Arabic word for wax - it helps prevent wrinkles
10. From the Arabic word for the Nizari People - they went on a crusade or two

Most Recent Scores
Mar 20 2024 : Guest 198: 4/10
Mar 04 2024 : Guest 188: 10/10
Feb 29 2024 : wjames: 10/10
Feb 28 2024 : bigwoo: 10/10
Feb 11 2024 : bocrow000: 7/10
Feb 08 2024 : Cougar2024: 8/10
Jan 31 2024 : Guest 165: 10/10
Jan 31 2024 : Guest 199: 10/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. From the Arabic for house of manufacturing - also good for destruction

Answer: Arsenal

The Arabic word "dar sina'a", from which we get the word arsenal, once referred to a government-run factory, usually for military purposes. In Italy, the word meant harbor, which explains why the Venetian Arsenal is a series of shipyards.
2. From the Arabic word for travel or journey - not the surfing kind

Answer: Safari

The word safari is commonly attributed as coming from the Swahili word "safari" which also means travel. However, the Swahili word came from the Arabic "safara". Typically speaking, a safari is a trip where tourists and others see wildlife, usually in Africa. However, in both Arabic and Swahili, it can mean any journey.
3. From the Arabic word for blemish - I don't mean to be mean but it's nothing special

Answer: Average

The word average comes from the Arabic word "awar" which means a blemish or a flaw. The word average originally meant something ordinary and came to mean the mathematical average over time. Average may also come from the Arabic word "awira" which means to lose an eye.
4. From the Arabic for rose water - I like mine minty

Answer: Julep

The Arabic word "julab" originally referred to any syrup-like concoction. Over time it gradually expanded to include sugary drinks and cocktails when sugar became more popular in Europe.
5. From the Arabic for a minting die - they're not worth much

Answer: Sequin

The word sequin comes from the Arabic word "sikka" which was a die used to make coins. Sequin might also come from the Italian word "zecchino", which was an ancient coin. Nowadays, sequins are tiny, shiny dots typically seen on women's clothing.
6. From the Arabic word for forbidden - it's the men who are forbidden

Answer: Harem

The etymology of the word harem is complicated. It comes from the Arabic word for "haram" which means forbidden. It pertained to a part of the home that was considered a woman's room where men were not allowed. "Harim" means womankind.
7. From the Arabic word for notify - some won't be happy to be notified they're under one

Answer: Tariff

The Arabic word for tariff is "ta'rifa" which means notify or rate. A tariff is used in trade relations. Typically, it is a tax on imported goods from a foreign location as a way to promote domestic goods. Exports can also be under a tariff.
8. From the Arabic for wine - I need both to get through a bad day

Answer: Coffee

The Arabic word for coffee, "qahwa", means brew because it is said to be brewed like wine. Wine was also commonly served warm when coffee first started to be cultivated in the 15th century. The word "qahwa" is also where the word "cafe" comes from.
9. From the Arabic word for wax - it helps prevent wrinkles

Answer: Mummy

Mummy comes from the Arabic word "mumiya" which refers to the process of drying out a corpse for embalming. It also refers to the ointment and other items used to embalm a corpse before wrapping the mummy.
10. From the Arabic word for the Nizari People - they went on a crusade or two

Answer: Assassin

The Nizari People are also sometimes called Assassins from their Arabic name of "al-hashishiya". The word assassin became synonymous with someone who kills an important person during the Crusades, when the Nizari would target an incoming crusade's strongest members to prevent the oncoming raids.
Source: Author Joepetz

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.
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Related Quizzes
This quiz is part of series Stolen Words:

A series of matching quizzes about English words borrowed from other languages.

  1. We Stole That from the Dutch Average
  2. We Stole That from the Native Americans Average
  3. We Stole That From the Portuguese Average
  4. We Stole That from the French Very Easy
  5. We Stole That from the Arabs Easier
  6. We Stole That from the Italians Easier
  7. We Stole That from the Chinese Very Easy
  8. We Stole That from the Irish Very Easy
  9. We Stole That from the Indians Easier
  10. We Stole That from the Scandinavians Very Easy
  11. We Stole That from the Germans Very Easy
  12. We Stole That from the Africans Easier

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