English Terms
|
Meaning
|
Root Words/ Script / Language
|
Adda
|
Gathering
of friends and relatives for mere gossiping.
|
আড্ডা
Bengali
|
Ahimsa
|
Non-violence
|
अहिंसा ahimsā (Sanskrit)Gandhiji popularised this word.
|
Ambarella
|
A
kind of tree
|
Sinhalese:
ඇඹරැල්ලා æmbarællā
|
Amrita
|
Nectar
of everlasting life
|
Sanskrit
अमृतम् amṛtam
|
Aniline
|
A
toxic organic compound
|
Sanskrit
नीली nili
Portugese
Anil
|
Apadravya
|
A male
genital piercing where a barbell passes through the penis
|
Sanskrit
|
Aryan
|
Noble
or honourable
|
Sanskrit
आर्य Arya-s/
Greek Ἀρεία Areia/ Latin Ariana
|
Asana
|
Yoga
postures
|
Sanskrit
आसन āsana
(seat)
|
Ashram
|
A
religious heritage
|
Sanskrit
आश्रम āśrama
|
Atoll
|
Coral
reef enclosing a lagoon
|
|
Aubergine
|
Eggplant
|
Sanskrit
वातिगगम vātigagama
|
Avatar
|
The
incarnation of a Hindu deity
|
Avtar
अवतार
|
Ayurveda
|
Organic
medicine from herb
|
Sanskrit
आयुर्वेद āyurveda
(knowledge of life)
|
Bahuvrihi
|
Much
rice
|
Sanskrit
बहुव्रीहि bahuvrīhih
|
Bamboo
|
A
tropical giant woody grass
|
ಬಂಬು baṃbu (Kannada)
|
Bandanna
|
A
large and brightly coloured handkerchief; often used as a neckerchief.
|
Bandhna
बांधना (Hindi)
|
Bandicoot
|
Pig
rat
|
పందికొక్కు pandi-kokka (Telegu)
|
Bangle
|
A type of
bracelet
|
bāngṛī बांगड़ी
(hindi)
|
Banyan
|
A
merchant
|
Sanskrit
वणिज् vaṇij/
Hindi baniya
|
Basmati
|
A kind
of slender aromatic rice
|
Sanskrit
वास vāsa/
Hindi बासमती
|
Beryl
|
Most
alluring and popular mineral
|
Prakrit
वेलुरिय (veluriya)
|
Betel
|
A leaf
of a vine belonging to the Piperaceae family
|
Betel
Tamil or Malaylam
|
Bhakti
|
Passionate
religious devotion
|
Sanskrit
भक्ति bhakti
|
Bhang
|
hemp
|
Sanskrit
भङ्ग bhaṅga
|
Bidi
|
A thin
Indian cigarette wrapped in kendu leaf.
|
Sanskrit
वितिक vitika
|
Blighty
|
"Britain"
(as a term of endearment among British troops stationed in Colonial India) /
foreigner
|
Vilāyatī
विलायती,
ولايتى
|
Bridal
Piri
|
Seat
for newly married bride-groom as per hindu custom.
|
বিয়ের পিড়ি
Bengali
|
Brinjal
|
Eggplant
vegetable
|
Sanskrit
भण्टाकी bhaṇṭākī/
Persian بادنجان badingān
|
Buddha
|
Enlightened
or awakened
|
Sanskrit
बुद्ध Buddha/
from the name of Siddhartha Gautam Buddha
|
Bungalow
|
House
in Bengal style
|
Bangle
بنگلہ,
बंगला
|
Candy
|
crystallized
sugar or confection made from sugar
|
Qand
(Persian)
‘khanda’
(Sanskrit)
|
Catamaran
|
Tied
wood
|
கட்டுமரம்
Kattumaram
in Tamil
|
Cheroot
|
A
cylindrical cigar
|
சுருட்டு
suruṭṭu
in Tamil
|
Cheetah
|
Variegated
|
Cītā चीता
|
Chit
|
a
letter or note
|
Chitthi
चिट्ठी
|
Chuddar
|
A large
piece of cloth for wrapping upper part of the body
|
Sanskrit
छत्रम् chatram
|
Chukar
|
Partridge
|
Urdu
چکور chukar/ Hindi चकोर / Sanskrit चकोर cakorah
|
Chukkar
|
A
circle or wheel
|
Sanskrit
चक्र cakra/
Urdu چکرchakkar
|
Chutney
|
A
sauce in the cuisines of the Indian sub-continent.
|
Chatni चटनी
(Tamil)
|
Coir
|
cord/rope,
fibre from husk of coconut
|
Malayalam
kayar (കയർ)
Or
Tamil kayiru (கயிறு)
|
Congee
|
porridge,
water with rice
|
Khanji
(Tamil)
|
Coolie
|
A
labourer or slave
|
Tamil cooli
(கூலி)
Or
Gujrati
|
Corundum
|
குருந்தம்/ குருவிந்தம்
kuruntham/
kuruvintham
|
|
Cot
|
A
portable bed
|
Khāt खाट
|
Chowkat
|
A
door frame
|
Chokaath
|
Cowry
|
the
shells of certain sea snails
|
Sanskrit
kaparda (कपर्द)
|
Crimson
|
Reddish
colour
|
Sanskrit
कृमिज krmi-ja
literally: "red dye produced by a worm”/ Spanish cremesin
|
Crocus
|
A
flowering plant of iris family.
|
कुङ्कुमं kunkumam (Sanskrit)/ Hebrew כרכום karkōm/
Greek κρόκος crocus
|
Cummerbund
|
A
waist-binding
|
Kamarband
कमरबन्द - Urdu کمربند
|
Curry
|
a
variety of dishes flavored with a spicy sauce
|
Dravidian
Language
|
Cushy
|
Easy,
happy, exalted
|
Khushi ख़ुशी
خوشی
|
Dacoit
|
Robbers,
Bandit
|
Dakait डकैत्
|
Das
|
Servant
or slave
|
Sanskrit
दासा daasa
|
Datura
|
A
kind of flowering plant
|
Sanskrit
धत्तुरह dhattūrāh
|
Deodar
|
A
kind of tree found in mountain region
|
Sanskrit
देवदारु devadāru
|
Dekko
|
Look
at or study something
|
Dekho देखो
|
Deva
|
God
|
Sanskrit
देवी deva/
Latin deus
|
Devi
|
Goddess
|
Sanskrit
देवी devi
|
Dhal
|
A
kind of Indian food of dried pulse.
|
Hindi दल dāl
|
Dharma
|
Conformity
to one’s nature
|
Pali: धम्म dhamma
/ Sanskrit: धर्म
|
Dhole
|
Wolf
or dog species animal
|
ತೋಳ tōḷa (kannada)
|
Dinghy
|
A
small boat
|
Dinghi
|
Ganja
|
Marijuana
|
Sanskrit
गांजा gāñjā
|
Garam
masala
|
A
hot (spicy) mixture
|
garam
masālā
गरम मसाला گرم مصالح
|
Gayal
|
A
large bovine found in Northern India
|
Sanskrit
गौह gauh
via Bengali গযল্
|
Gharry
|
Vehicle
|
Sanskrit
गर्त gartah
via Hindi: गाड़ी,
|
Gharial
|
A
kind of crocodile
|
Sanskrit
घंतिक ghantikah
|
Ghee
|
A
kind of clarified butter
|
Sanskrit:
घृतं ghritam
|
Ginger
|
a
fragrant spice
|
Tamil inchi
(இஞ்சி) or Malayalam inchi (ഇഞ്ചി)
|
Godown
|
Warehouse
|
Telugu giḍangi
or Tamil kiṭanku
|
Gour
|
White
skinned
|
Sanskrit
गौरह gaurah
|
Guar
|
an
annual legume
|
Sanskrit
गॊपलि gopālī,
|
Gunny
|
Sack
|
Sanskrit
गोणी goni
|
Gurkha
|
A
cowherd
|
via
Nepalese गोर्खा / Sanskrit गोरक्ष goraksa,
|
Guru
|
An
honourable teacher or priest. / heavy
|
Guruh गुरुः
(Sanskrit)
|
Gymkhana
|
A
sporting ground where different contests are arranged to test skill.
|
|
Hanuman
|
Mythological
Monkey God (Hindu)
|
Sanskrit
hanuman (हनुमान्)
|
Hare
Krishna
|
Praising
God Krishna
|
Sanskrit
Hare (हरि) and Krishna (कृष्ण
|
Himalaya
|
Adobe
of snow
|
Sanskrit
हिमालय himalayah
|
Hijra
|
Impotent
men
|
ಹಿಜಡಾ Hijaḍā (Kannada)
|
Hindi
|
The
national language of India
|
Sanskrit
सिन्धु sindhu
(river name)
|
Interim
|
Intermediate
|
Sanskrit
अन्तरीम antarim
|
Jackle
|
A
kind of fox
|
Turkish
çakal, / Persian شغال shaghal/ Sanskrit शृगालः srgalah
|
Jaconet
|
A
lightweight cotton cloth with a smooth and slightly stiff finish.
|
Jagannaath
(Puri,
India)
Where
this kind of textile is originally made of.
|
Jaggery
|
coarse
brown sugar made from palm and sugarcane
|
Malayalam
sharkara (ശർക്കര)
Or
Tamil sakkarai (சக்கரை)
|
Jinnah
Cap
|
A hat
shaped like a fez but made of real or imitation karakul and worn by Pakistani
Muslims on occasion
|
Karakulli
topi (Name changed as Muhmmad
Ali
Jinnah wore this hat)
|
Jodhpurs
|
Full-length
trousers, worn for horseback riding, that are close-fitting below the knee
and have reinforced patches on the inside of the leg.
|
Named
after Jodhpur, an important place of Rajasthan, India.
|
Juggernaut
|
A
metaphor for something immense and unstoppable because of institutional or
physical inertia; or impending catastrophe that is foreseeable yet virtually
unavoidable because of such inertia.
|
Jagannath जगन्नाथ
|
Jungal
|
Woods
or forest
|
Jangal जङल्
|
Jute
|
A
kind of fibre used to make thread, sack etc.
|
Bengali
পাট jhuto / Sanskrit जुतास juta-s (twisted hair)
|
Kala
|
Black/
evil
|
Hindi/
Sanskrit
|
Kedgeree
|
Spicy
rice
|
Sanskrit
कृशर krśara
|
Kermes
|
Worm-
made
|
Persian
قرمز qermez / Sanskrit: कृमिज kṛmija
|
Khaki
|
A
dusty or grey colour/ police uniform
|
Khākī खकि
خاکی
|
Karma
|
Action/
deed/ cycle of cause and effect
|
Sanskrit
|
Kos
|
A
shout
|
Sanskrit
रोस krosah
|
Krait
|
A
kind of snake
|
Sanskrit:
काराइट
|
Lac
|
100
thousand
|
Hindi लाख
lakh from Prakrit लक्ख lakkha / Sanskrit लाक्षम्
|
Lacquer
|
A
liquid
|
Sanskrit
लक्षं laksha
|
Langur
|
An
animal of monkey family
|
Sanskrit
लंगुलम langūlam
|
Lilac
|
Dark
blue coloured flower
|
Persian
نیلک nilak
|
Loot
|
Robbery
|
LooT , लूट
|
Multan
|
A kind
of rug prevalent there
|
A
place in Pakistan named “Multan”
|
Mogul
|
Ancient
Mughal Dynasty ruled set up by Babara
|
Mughal
|
Maharaja
|
A
king
|
Sanskrit
महा राजन् maha-rājān
|
Maharani
|
A
queen
|
Sanskrit
महा रानी mahārājnī
|
Maharishi
|
A
great sage
|
Sanskrit
महर्षि maha-rishi
|
Mahatma
|
A
great soul
|
Sanskrit
महात्मा mahatman
|
Mahayana
|
A
great vehicle
|
Sanskrit
महायान maha-yana
|
Mahout
|
Elephant
driver
|
Sanskrit
महमत्रह् mahāmātrah
|
Mandala
|
A
circle
|
Sanskrit
मण्डल mandala
|
Mandarin
|
Advisor
|
Sanskrit
मन्त्रिन् mantri
|
Mango
|
A
very popular tropical fruit found in summer season.
|
Malayalam
or Tamil
|
Mantra
|
A word
or phrase or psalm used in meditation
|
Sanskrit
|
Maya
|
Illusion
|
Sanskrit
माया māyā
|
Mithras
|
Friend
|
Sanskrit
मित्र Mitrah
|
Moksha
|
Salvation
or purification of soul
|
Sanskrit
मोक्ष moksha
|
Mongoose
|
A small
carnivorous mammal from southern Eurasia or Africa, known for killing snakes
|
Dravidian
Language, spelling influenced by English ‘goose’.
|
Mulligatawny
|
Pepper
water
|
Milaguthanni
(Tamil)
|
Mung
|
One
type of bean
|
Sanskrit
mudga (मुद्ग) or Tamil mūngu (முங்கு)
|
Musk
|
a
testicle
|
Sanskrit
मुस्कस् muska-s
|
Mynah
|
A kind
of speaking bird
|
Sanskrit
मदन madana-s (love)
|
Nainsook
|
Pleasing
to the eye
|
from
Sanskrit नयनम्सुख् nayanam-sukh
|
Namaste
|
I bow
to you
|
Sanskrit
नमस्ते namaha-te
|
Nard
|
A round
fat annoying person
|
French narde
and Latin nardus / Sanskrit नलदम् naladam
|
Narghile
|
Hookah
|
Sanskrit
नारिकेलः nārikelah
|
Nark
|
A
police informer
|
Sanskrit
नक्र nakra
|
Navigation
|
Voyage
|
Sanskrit
नौयान nauyaan
|
Neem
|
A kind
of very useful medical tree
|
Sanskrit
निम्बः nimbah
|
Nilgai
|
A kind
of cow
|
Sanskrit
नीलगौः nīla-gauh
|
Nirvana
|
The
highest state of peace and enlightenment when individual desires and
sufferings go away.
|
Sanskrit or Prakrit
|
Nehru
Jacket
|
a kind
of sleeveless jacket that worn buttoned up to neck - formal and often worn by
the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru
|
|
Opal
|
A kind
of gem
|
Sanskrit
औपल upalah
|
Orange
|
A
citrus fruit, or a colour named for the fruit
|
Sanskrit
‘naranga’ or Arabic ‘naranj’
|
Pagoda
|
A
religious building
|
Tamil pagavadi
(பகாவடி)
|
Pandal
|
Temporary
shelter
|
பந்தல்
Pandhal (Tamil)
|
Panther
|
A tiger
species animal
|
Sanskrit
पाण्डर pāṇḍara (Pale)
|
Pariah
|
A
social outcaste
|
Tamil paṟaiyar
(பறையர்)
|
Patchouli
|
A kind
of spice plant like mint.
|
pachchai
ilai (Tamil)
|
Path
|
way
|
Sanskrit
|
Peacock
|
A
beautiful bird known for its dance in the monsoon.
|
Tamil tokei
(தோகை)
Or may
be O.E. ‘pawa’
|
Pitta
|
Young
bird
|
Pitta
పిట్ట (Telegu)
|
Poori
|
A
kind of cake
|
Poori पुर
|
Punch
|
Mixture
of five ingredients
|
panch ,
also
there was a drink named paantsch پانچ
|
Pundit
|
A
learned scholar or priest.
|
पण्डित Pandit
|
Pukka
|
UK
slang: “genuine” or “solid”
|
Pakkā पक्का,پکا
|
Purana
|
Ancient
time/ Hindu religious texts that are part of the Vedas.
|
Sanskrit
|
Pyjamas
|
A
kind of leg garment
|
पैजामा
paijaamaa
پاى
|
Raga
|
Indian
Classical music
|
Sanskrit
राग rāgah,
|
Raita
|
A
kind of India dish made especially for accompaniment of roti.
|
रायता
ریتا
Rayta
|
Raj
|
Kingdom
|
Sanskrit
राज्य rājya
|
Rajah
|
King
|
Sanskrit
राजन् rājān
|
Ramtil
|
a dark
sesame
|
Sanskrit
रामतिलः rāmatilah
|
Rani
|
Queen
|
Sanskrit
राज्ञी rājnī
|
Rice
|
Seed of
paddy
|
Sanskrit
व्रीहिस् vrihi-s
|
Roti
|
Kind
of Indian bread
|
रॊटी
روٹی roti
|
Rupee
|
Indian
currency
|
Sanskrit
रूप्यकम् rūpyakam
|
Rye
|
A
kind of crop
|
Sanskrit
राजा rājā
|
Saccharo
|
Sugar
|
Pali
सक्खर sakkharā / Sanskrit शर्करा sarkarā
|
Sadhu
|
Honest
man
|
Sanskrit
साधु sādhu
|
Sahib
|
European
people
|
Hindi
‘saheb’
|
Samadhi
|
A
spiritual state of consciousness
|
Sanskrit
समाधि samadhi
|
Sambal
|
A spicy
condiment
|
Tamil
or Telegu
|
Sambar
|
Asian
deer
|
Sanskrit
संभारह् śambarah
|
Samsara
|
Passing
through
|
Sanskrit
संसार saṃ-sāra
|
Sandal
|
wood
for burning incense
|
Sanskrit
चन्दनम् candanam / Greek σανδάλιον sandalion
|
Sangha
|
A
community for Buddhist monk
|
Sanskrit
संघ saṅgha
|
Sanskrita
|
Put
together
|
Sanskrit
संस्कृतम् samskrtam
|
Sapphire
|
A
precious stone sacred to Saturn (Sani)
|
Latin sapphirus and Greek σάπφειρος sappheiros / Sanskrit शनिप्रिय
|
Sari
|
A kind
of ladies garment
|
Prakrit सदि sadi/ Sanskrit षाटी
sati
|
Satyagraha
|
insisting
on truth
|
Sanskrit
सत्याग्रह satyagraha
|
Sattva
|
truth
|
Sanskrit
सत्त्व sattvah
|
Shamana
|
a
Buddhist monk
|
Sanskrit
श्रमण sramana-s
|
Shampoo
|
A
liquid preparation for washing the hair.
|
chāmpo
चाँपो
|
Shanti
|
Peace
of mind
|
Sanskrit,
T.S. Eliot made the term entry in his The Waste Land.
|
Shawl
|
A
strip of cloth
|
Sanskrit
सत्ल् satI
|
Siddha
|
Achieved
|
Sanskrit
सिद्ध siddhah
|
Sikh
|
Studies
|
Hindi
सिख sikh
|
Singh
|
A
lion
|
Sanskrit
सिंहः simhah
|
Stupa
|
Crown
of the head
|
Sanskrit
स्तूपः stūpah
|
Sulfur
|
Copper’s
enemy
|
Sanskrit
शुल्बारी shulbari
|
Sugar
|
ground
or candied sugar
|
Sanskrit
शर्करा sharkara
|
Sunn
|
A kind
of fibre plant
|
Sanskrit:
सन sāna
|
Sutra
|
rule
|
Sanskrit
सूत्र sutram
|
Suttee
|
Virgin
woman
|
Sanskrit
सती sati
|
Swami
|
Lord or
master
|
Sanskrit
स्वामी svami
|
Swastika
|
A lucky
charm
|
Sanskrit
स्वस्तिक svastika
|
Taka
|
Money
|
Bengali: টাকা
|
Tantra
|
weave
|
Sanskrit
तन्त्र tantram
|
Teak
|
A
tropical hardwood tree
|
tekku (தேக்கு) in Tamil
|
Teapoy
|
Three-legged
table
|
Sanskrit
compound: त्रि
|
Thug
|
A
cheater or con man
|
Thagi
ठग
|
Til
|
A
kind of plant
|
Sanskrit
तिल tilah
|
Toddy
|
A
kind of juice from palm tree
|
Tārī
ताड़ी
|
Tola
|
A
traditional unit of mass
|
Sanskrit
तुला tulā
|
Tutty
|
Blue
vitriol
|
Sanskrit
तुत्थं tuttham
|
Typhoon
|
A
cyclonic storm
|
طوفان toofaan
|
Veranda
|
Porch
or corridor
|
baramdaa
बरामदा
|
Vimana
|
Aeroplane
|
Sanskrit
विमान vimana
|
Vina
|
A
kind of musical instrument
|
Sanskrit
वीणा vīṇā
|
Vinyasa
|
To
place
|
Sanskrit
|
Wanderoo
|
A
kind of monkey
|
Sanskrit
वानर vānarah
|
Wat
|
An
enclosure
|
Sanskrit
वात vātah
|
Yoga
|
An
ancient Hindu spiritual
practices common in India that have become internationally popular
|
योग
|
Yogi
|
One
who practises yoga
|
Sanskrit
योगिन् yogin
|
Yugas
|
Age/
Period
|
Sanskrit
|
Zen
|
A
meditation
|
|
Zamindar
|
A
landholder of British colonial India for collecting taxes.
|
If you know any other words of Indian origin please don't forget to mention it in the comment box.
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