List of Indian Words Enter into English Dictionary

List of Indian Words Enter into English Dictionary

 

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
Sanskrit
अन्तला antala/
Maldivean:އަތޮޅު
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
वणिज्vaṇij/
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 मसाल 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 spiri
tual
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
Japanese and Chinese Chán
/
Sanskrit ध्यान
dhyana
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.
Share if you really care this article. 
~~~~~*~~~~~

Leave a Comment

x