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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