List of French words of Arabic origin

Words of Arabic origin entered the French language. Most of them entered first in another Romance language before being borrowed by the French language. These languages are mainly Italian (and its dialects), Medieval Latin and Hispanic (Castilian, Catalan, Portuguese). A little number of words, mainly slang words (argot) came finally through dialectal arab of the French colonies in North-Africa.

See also
External links

A

abricot' ("apricot") : from Catalan albercoc, derived from the Arabic al barqūq (أَلْبَرْقُوق) which is itself borrowed from Late Greek praikokkion derived from Latin præcoquum, meaning "(the) early fruit"^[1]
adoble ("adobe") : from Spanish adobe, derived from the Arabic al-ṭūb (الطوب) meaning "(the) brick of dried earth"^[2]
albacore ("albacore") (zoo.) : from Latin American Spanish albacora, itself from Maroccan Arabic bakûra "young bonito (kind of fish)"^[3]
alcade ("alcade", "Spanish magistrate, Spanish judge"), from Spanish alcade "magistrate, judge", itself from Arabic al-qāḍi (القاض) "the judge; the cadi".
alchimie ("alchemy"): from Medieval Latin alchimia, itself from Arabic al Kīmíj̄a or al kîmiâ (الكيمياء), possibly from either Greek or Coptic source according to current hypotheses^[4]
alcool ("alcohol"), double origin : Scholar Latin and Spanish alcohol, from Arabic kuḥúl (الكحول)^[5]
alcôve ("alcove): from Spanish alcoba, itself from Arabic al qubba (القبة) "cupola"^[6]
alambic ("still"): from Medieval Latin alambicus, itself from Arabic al−anbīq or al-inbīq (الإنبيق) meaning "(the) still for the distillation of alcohol".^[7] The invention of the still is traced to Ptolemaic Egypt. The original Greek word ἄμβιξ (ambix), meaning "the top of a still" had the definite article al- added onto it by the Arabs.
alezan (horse: chestnut, sorrel) : from Spanish alazán, probably Arabic ﺃﺻﹿﻬﹷﺐ [’aṣhab]^[8]
algèbre (algebra): from Medieval Latin algebra, itself from Arabic al-ǧabr^[9] or al-jabr الجبر meaning "amending or fixation", a root (linguistics) of the word Arabic word of 'splint' jabirah جبيرة
algorithme ("algorithm"): scholar form from Old French augorisme, itself from Old Spanish alguarismo, from Al Ḫuwārizmī,^[10] nickname of mathematician al-Khwarizmi الخوارزمي
alidade : from Medieval Latin alhidada, alidada "rule of the astrolab", itself from Arabic al idāda^[11]
almanach ("almanac") : from Medieval Latin almanach "calendar" from the Spain Arabic al manāḫ "calendar", المناخ , itself from Syriac l-manhaï "next year"^[12]
amalgame ("mixture", "blend", "amalgam") : from Medieval Latin amalgama altered form of Arabic al-ḡamâa الملغم
ambre ("amber") : from Medieval Latin ambar / ambra, itself from Arabic anbar^[13] عنبر
amiral ("admiral") : from Arabic amīr al-'ālī "higher chief" or amīr-ar-rahl "fleet commander"^[14] أمير البحر
aniline ("aniline") from German Anilin, scholar derivation of alin "purple dye", itself from Portuguese anil borrowed from Arabic an‑nīl^[15] (النيلة (صبغة
arrobe ("at sign"): from Spanish arroba.
arsenal ("arsenal") : from Italian (Venitian) arzana with final -l from an older tarsenal, tersenal, borrowed from Italian (cf. Napolitan tarcenale), themselves from Arabic dâr-sinâ or dār as-inā^[16] دار الصناعة
artichaut ("artichoke") : from Italian articiocco, related to Spanish alcachofa, from Spain Arabic haršûfa (Classical Arabic ḥáršafa)^[17] أرضي شوكي
assassin ("assassin") : from Italian assassino, assessino, borrowed from unattested Arabic plural *Hashīshiyyīn "hashish smokers", derived of hašiš > hashish^[18] حشاشين
aubergine ("aubergine") : from Catalan alberginía, itself from Arabic al bādinǧān, from Persian bātinǧān, ultimately from Sanskrit bhantaki.^[19] البادنحات - الباذنجان
avarie ("damage on a ship, vehicle or its cargo") : from Medieval Latin (Genova, Italy) avaria, itself from Arabic àwārīya, derived form of àwār "mistake, lack".^[20] (عوار (تالف
azimut ("azimuth") : from Spanish acimut, itself from Arabic sumût, plural of samt "path, way" السمت
azur ("azure") : from Medieval Latin azurium, itself from lāzaward "lapis lazuli" (cf. Judeo-French Lazur), borrowed from Persian lāzward.^[21] لازورد

B

babouche (slippers) بلغة
baldaquin (baldachin)
barkhane or barcane (barchan)
baobab بو حباب
baroud (raid) بارود
benjoin (benzoin resin)
benzine البنزين
bergamote (bergamot orange) برتقال
bezef (much, many), usually used in the negative form: pas bezeff (not much, not many)
bled (colloquial: Place, Town) بلد
borax بوراق
bougie (candle) from Bejaia (بجاية, port town in Algeria), but not particularly Arabic

C

cafard (cockroach)
café ("coffee", "café"): from Italian (Venice) caffè or / and from Turkish qahve, itself from Arabic qahwah^[22] قهوة
caïd (chief of a mob; as a nickname, can be translated as "tiger") قائد
calfeutrer (to draught-proof)
calibre (standard for calibration, calibre, see also Caliper) قالب
calife (caliph) خليفة
camaïeu (camaieu)
camphre (camphor) كافور
candie ("Heraklion") قند (من سكر قندي)
carafe (water pot) غرافة
carat (gem mass or metal purity) قيراط
carmin ("carmine") قرمزي
caroussel ("carousel") كروي
carvi ("caraway") كراوية
chèque ("check") : from English check, itself from Old French eschec / echec (French échec), altered form of Latin scacus from Arabic صك, from Persian šāh, mixed up with Old Low Franconian *skāk "booty"^[23] (cf. German Schach)
chiffre ("number", see Cipher) : from Arabic ṣifr صفر
chouïa (slang for "a little") شوية
civette ("chives", "civet") : probably from Catalan civetta, itself from Arabic zabād قط الزبّاد
clebs (slang for "dog") كلاب
coton ("cotton") : from Italian cotone, itself from Arabic qutun^[24] قطن
cramoisi ("crimson") : alteration of Italian cremisi, itself from Arabic qirmizī "colour of the cochineal"^[25] قرمزي
cuscute

D

divan ديوان
douane ("customs") : from Old Italian doana, dovana, itself from Vulgar Arabic *duwān, alteration of dīwān, from Persian dīwān "customs"^[26]
drogoman ترجمان

E

écarlate أقر طي
échec (jeu d'échecs)
éden عدن
élixir الإكسير
émir أمير
épinard ("spinach") : maybe from Old Occitan spinarch, itself from Medieval Latin spinarchia, spinachium, borrowed from Spain Arabic isbināḫ, for asfanāḫ, isfināḫ, isfānâḫ, itself from Persian aspanāḫ, aspanāǧ, asfināǧ (FEW t. 19, pp. 11-12).^[27]
erg عرق

F

fakir فقير
fanfare ثرثار (brass band)
fanfaron From Spanish fanfarrón (boaster)
felouque (felucca) فلك ـ الفلك التي تجري في البحر
flouze (slang for money) فلوس

G

gabelle
gala : from Spanish gala
gaze غاز
gazelle : from Arabic ghazâl (غزال)
gazette : from Italian gazetta غازات
genette
gerboise : ("Jerboa" )جربوع
gilet
girafe: from Italian giraffa, from Arabic zarâfah (زرافة)
goudron قطران
goule غول
guitare : from Spanish guitarra, itself from Arabic قيثارة
guitoune

H

hammam: from Arabic [ʜamˈmaːm] حمّام bathroom
harem حرم
hasard زهر النرد (Dice)
haschisch: from Arabic [ʜaˈʃiːʃ] حشسيش grass
henné: from Arabic: [ˈʜanna] حنّة

J

jarre جرة
jasmin ياسمين
jupe, jupon : from south Italian jupa "jacket" (Medieval Latin juppum), variant form of Italian giubba, itself from Arabic ǧubba^[28] « جبة