Arabic words living in Spanish, Italian and French

When you order aceite in a Spanish restaurant, you are saying the Arabic al-zayt (oil) without knowing it. Centuries of Arab presence in al-Andalus and Sicily, and trade across the Mediterranean, left thousands of words in the languages of southern Europe.

In Spanish

Spanish words of Arabic origin number in the thousands, and many begin with al, the Arabic definite article:

• aceite from al-zayt, oil
• almohada (pillow) from al-mikhadda
• alcalde (mayor) from al-qadi, the judge
• azúcar from al-sukkar, sugar
• ojalá (if only) from law sha' Allah, if God wills

In Italian

• zucchero from sukkar
• magazzino (warehouse) from makhazin, storehouses
• zero from sifr through medieval Latin

In French

• magasin from makhazin
• algèbre from al-jabr
• chiffre (digit) also from sifr

The single word sifr gave Europe two words, for zero and for digit, which sums up the influence of Arabic arithmetic on the continent's science.