|
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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