Dr Saheb Sahu
Over 1 million words exist in English, including scientific and technical terms. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) lists about 600,000 in active or historical use. The average educated native English speaker knows about 20,000-35,000 words. Roughly 1,000 new words enter the English language each year.
Indian (Indic) Contributions (700-900)
Most Indian origin words entered English during the British colonial period (1600-1900s) through Hindi, Urdu, Sanskrit, Tamil, and other Indian regional languages. Some of them are:
Food and Spices- curry, chutney, mango, banana, pepper, bamboo, ginger, punch, and rice
Animals and Nature- cheetah, panther, cobra, python, mongoose, mugger, gazelle, jungle, banyan, and teak
Religion and Philosophy- Karma, yoga, guru, Brahmin, mantra, nirvana
Administrative- pundit, raj, maharaja, sahib, coolie
Everyday Terms – shampoo (from champo), pajamas, bungalow, verandah, loot, thug, cashmere, dingy, cot, jute, polo, Zen (through Japan) and juggernaut (from massive chariot of Jagannath of Puri)
It is estimated that over 700-900 Indian origin words are recognized in English dictionary.
Chinese Contributions (150-200)
Food- tea, ketchup (from ke-tsiap) chow, chop suey, tofu, dim sum
Culture- kowtow, typhoon (from Tai fung), gung-ho, Feng shui, yin-yang
Objects and Trade – silk, china (porcelain), junk
It is estimated that about 150-200 Chinese origin words are recorded in major English dictionary.
Persian Contributions (150-200)
Words of luxury- bazar, shawl, taffeta, chess, checkmate, checkers, shah, vizier, serdar, azure, khaki, muslin, van (from caravan), ruby, divan, and turquoise
Scientific and Botanical – spinach, lemon, orange, lilac, roc, mummy, and tiger
Many of the Persian words reached English indirectly through other languages. It is estimated that there are about 200 words in English of Persian origin.
Arabic Contributions (400-500)
Science and Math – algebra, (al-jabr), algorithm, zero, alchemy, alcohol, elixir, alkali, almanac, camphor, antimony
Geography and Culture – admiral, arsenal, mosque, safari, and tariff
Everyday Terms – coffee, café, sherbet, cotton, sugar, syrup, saffron, sofa, mattress, emir, fakir, harem, jihad, minaret, genie, ghoul and candy
It is estimated that around 400-500 Arabic origin words are in modern English.
Conclusion
The English language is often described as “living museum” of words. Unlike languages that evolved in relative isolation, English has grown trough contribution of hundreds of other languages. This borrowing has made English one of the most expressive and adaptable languages in the world.
Modern English continues to borrow freely in the globalized world. This openness to foreign influences is one of English’s greatest strength. Cambridge Dictionary added more than 3,200 words, terms and phrases in 2024.
Sources
1- Robert Henderson. Words and Phrase Origins (Revised Ed), Checkmark Books, New York; 1997
2- Chat GPT- Oct 28, 2025
