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Hindi words of Arabic origin

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By Khalid on 2013/04/10 - 22:11, last updated 2020/07/03 - 19:32

Having worked with many people from India and Pakistan in the 1990s, I was often fascinated by words that sounded Arabic in origin. When asking about the meaning, they were indeed Arabic. And I could detect more words in the few Hindi Bollywood movies that I have seen as well.

Arabic influence on Hindi may have been via several avenues. One was via Farsi (Persian) as an intermediate, having been the language of the court for the Mughal emperors. Another was through Muslim scholars using these words from Arabic texts and they made their way into the vernacular.

Whatever the avenues are, here are some words that I did recognize, with the Arabic spelling and Arabic meaning, which the Hindi derives from, but may deviate somewhat from.

waqt = وقت = time
admi = آدمي = human being
insaan = انسان = human being
takriban = تقريبا = approximately, almost
leken = لكن = but
shaitan = شيطان = devil, satan
mabhoom = مبهوم = hidden, unknown future event
shukriya = شكر = thank you, not an exact copy, "ya" is added
khabar = خبر = news item
akhbar = اخبار = plural of above
ajab = عجب = wonder, strange occurrence
ajib = عجيب = strange, derived from above root
ajaib = عجايب = plural of ajab, same root. Punjabi/Sikh name
aql = عقل = mind, intellect
dimag = دماغ = intellect in Hindi, though the Arabic word could mean "head", "skull", and "brain" as well
azam = عظم = great
azmat = عظمة = greatness, derived from above root
silsila = سلسلة = chain, Hindi = series of events
mushkil = مشكل = problem, unclear
hal = حال = condition, state
mahabat = محبة = love
kharab = خراب = destruction
bilkol = بالكل = "all of it", derives from كل
ya3ni = يعني = which means, meaning, also a "conversation filler"
intezar = انتظار = waiting for
mohtaram = محترم = respected
mukarram = مكرم = from كرم karam, generosity
sahib = صاحب = companion, friend, used as Mister in Hindi
adab = آداب = good manners
adat = عادات = customs
aynak = عين = from eye (ain), means spectacles in Hindi
akhir = آخر = the end
alam = عالم = universe
alim = عالم = scholar, scientist, learned person
asal = أصل = origin
asali = أصلي = original
ashiq = عاشق = lover
aziz = عزيز = dear
filhal = فى الحال = currently, at the moment
marhoom = مرحوم = is often used when referring to people who have passed on not unlike allah yarhamuh. Same usage as in rural Egypt
kalam = كلام = speech, especially the words of a poet
qalam = قلم = pen
kursi = كرسي = chair
ijazat = اجازة = permission
hayat = حياة = life
Ishq = عشق = deep love, extreme passion
saltanat = سلطنة = kingdom
qubul = قبول = agree
matlab = مطلب = concern, meaning
mashhoor = مشهور = famous, known
hirasat = حراسة = guarding
khass = خاص = special, distinct
takleef = تكليف = orders given, mission
dunya = دنيا = world
Maut = موت = death
Dukaan = دكان = store
Jeeb = جيب = pocket
sahee = صحيح = correct/right
murabba = مربى = jam, fruit preserve

There are also words that are what language teachers call "false friends" :

gharib (غريب), for example, usually means poor and not "strange, foreign" though it can also mean the latter in certain contexts, e.g. عجيب و غريب.

This is not unlike in the Middle East where gharib also means "stranger, foreigner, wanderer, someone with unknown origin/domicile".

There is also a Hindi/Urdu to English dictionary which allows input in Arabic characters.

Thanks to Junaid Quadri and Prathibha Juturu for additional words (now included above).

If you know some more words in Hindi that are Arabic, please post them below in the comments ...

Contents: 
Linguistics
Tags: 
Arabic
Hindi
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Comments

Mariam (not verified)

Other words

Sat, 2016/09/10 - 03:51

Thanks for the wonderful list. But I noticed other words like:
bas بس meaning enough
Kanoun قانون meaning law
Gham غم meaning sadness
Mahboba محبوبة meaning my beloved

  • reply

Prasad (not verified)

Equivalent Sanskrit based Hindi words

Sat, 2016/10/08 - 05:40

The following are right words used in Hindi.

waqt = time = समय samay
admi = human being = मनुष्य manuSya
insaan = human being = मनुष्य manuSya
takriban = approximately, almost = लगभग lagabhag
leken = but = मगर magar
shaitan = devil, satan = पिशाच pizAca
shukriya = thank you = धन्यवाद dhanyavAd
khabar = news item = वार्त्ता vArttA
akhbar = newspaper = वार्तापत्र vArtApatra
ajib = strange = विचित्र vicitra
aql = mind, intellect = बुद्धि buddhi
dimag = intellect = बुद्धि buddhi
mushkil = problem, unclear = समस्या samasyA
hal = condition, state =
mahabat = love = pyar
kharab = destruction = नाश nash
bilkol = "all of it = पूरी puri
ya3ni = which means, meaning, also a "conversation filler" = useless word, not advisable to use
intezar = waiting for = प्रतीक्षा prateeksha
sahib = companion, friend, used as Mister in Hindi = श्री Shri
akhir = the end = अन्त anta
alam = universe = जीवलोक jIvaloka
asal = origin = मूल mool
asali = original = प्राकृत prAkRt
ashiq = lover = प्रिय priy
qalam = pen = use “pen”
kursi = chair = asan
ijazat = permission = अनुमति anumati
hayat = life = जीवन jIvan
Ishq = deep love, extreme passion = pyar
saltanat = kingdom = राज्य rajya
qubul = agree = सहमत sahamat
matlab = concern, meaning = अर्थ artha
khass = special, distinct = विशेष vizeSh
takleef = orders given, mission = कष्ट kasht
dunya = world = लोक lok

Sawaal = Question = प्रश्न prazna
Jawaab = Answer = उत्तर uttar
Qareeb = near = समीप samip
Kitaab = book = पुस्तक pustak
Qanoon = Law = न्याय nyay
mulaqat = meeting = मेलन melan
zaroorat = necessity = आवश्य Avazya
manzil = destination/ residence = स्थान sthaan/निवास nivAs
du'a = supplication = प्रार्थना prArthanA
ghalat = wrong = दोष dosh

  • reply

Farida Khadri (not verified)

these are Urdu words not

Tue, 2017/04/04 - 18:15

these are Urdu words not Hindi :-)

  • reply

Gurinder Singh (not verified)

the hindi/urdu word तरीका

Sat, 2017/04/15 - 13:32

The word तरीका which means ' the way' derives from arabic word طريق/tareeq which means road or way.

  • reply

Nahla (not verified)

Sawal = سؤال (question)

Sat, 2017/09/02 - 05:49

Sawal = سؤال (question)
Jawab = جواب (answer)

  • reply

Jon (not verified)

Namumkin = not possible

Wed, 2017/09/06 - 11:19

Namumkin = not possible

  • reply

NISHAM SYED (not verified)

KURSI =CHAIR IN HINDI ASAWELL

Thu, 2018/04/05 - 09:17

KURSI =CHAIR IN HINDI ASAWELL IN ARABIC

  • reply

NISHAM SYED (not verified)

MEHFIL =festive

Thu, 2018/04/05 - 09:45

MEHFIL =festive

  • reply

Mohommad Faisal Imam (not verified)

SHAHEED IS ALSO ARABIC....

Sun, 2018/07/08 - 23:18

SHAHEED IS ALSO ARABIC.....border pe sipaahi mar bhi jaata hai toh hum bardi shaan sey kahtey hain SHAEED

JHANDE KO SALAAMI DO ......here salaami word is arabic

WAKEEL SAHAB..... being so frequently used in the high courts ,

  • reply

runak (not verified)

other words in hindi from Arabic origin

Wed, 2018/11/07 - 01:34

Sual¬—سؤال question
Jawab- جوابanswer
Matlab-مطلب what is demanded
Sharab-شراب الخمر- wine
Khatar-خطر- dangerous
Masoom-معصوم - infallible
Mahroom-محروم- destitute

  • reply

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