Arabic words in English

You may think you don't speak Arabic but there are more words of Arabic origin in English than you might expect ...

admiral adobe alchemy alcohol alcove alembic alfalfa algebra algorithm alkali almanac amalgam aniline apricot arsenal arsenic artichoke assassin aubergine azure barbarian? bedouin benzine(?) Betelgeuse bint borax cable calabash calibre caliph camel camise camphor candy cane cannabis carafe carat caraway carmine

carob casbah check checkmate cinnabar cipher coffee copt cotton crimson crocus cumin damask dhow dragoman elixir emir fakir fellah garble gauze gazelle ghoul Gibraltar giraffe grab guitar gypsum halva harem hashish hazard henna hookah imam influenza jar jasmine jerboa jessamine

jinn kafir khamsin khan kismet kohl lacquer lake lemon lilac lime lute magazine mahdi marabout marzipan massacre massage mastaba mate mattress mecca minaret mizzen mocha mohair monsoon mosque muezzin mufti mullah mummy muslim muslin myrrh nabob nacre nadir orange ottoman

popinjay racket safari saffron saloop sash scallion senna sequin serif sesame shackle sheikh sherbet shrub sirocco sofa spinach sudd sufi sugar sultan sultana syrup tabby talc talisman tamarind tambourine tarboosh tare tariff tarragon Trafalgar typhoon vega vizier wadi zenith zero

See: W Montgomery Watt: The Influence of Medieval Islam on Europe (Edinburgh University Press, 1982)