English Words from Indian Languages | 50 Words List

🔊 India-Specific

🕉️

English Words from Indian Languages

50 English words from Tamil, Bengali, Sanskrit, Marathi & more — beyond Hindi!

🔤 50 Words 📋 5 Groups 🇮🇳 Hindi Guide 🎮 Quiz 📏 5 Rules

💡 Why Learn English Words from Indian Languages?

Page 32 covered Hindi words in English. But Tamil, Bengali, Sanskrit, Malayalam, Marathi, Kannada, and Telugu also contributed dozens of words! From ‘catamaran’ (Tamil) to ‘teak’ (Malayalam) to ‘cash’ (Tamil) — every corner of India enriched the English language.

This page celebrates all of India’s linguistic diversity. These 50 words show that English borrowed from North AND South, East AND West of India. Share this with your child — it’s a celebration of India’s incredible languages!

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Tamil Contributions (10 Words)

catamaran

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: kat-uh-muh-RAN

🇮🇳 Hindi: कट-अ-म-रैन

💡 From Tamil ‘kattumaram’ (tied wood)

“We sailed on a catamaran.”

cash

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KASH

🇮🇳 Hindi: कैश

💡 From Tamil ‘kasu’ (small coin)

“Do you want to pay by cash?”

mango

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: MANG-goh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil ‘mankay’ via Portuguese

💡 Tamil origin via Portuguese traders

“Alphonso mango is the best!”

rice

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: RYSS

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil ‘arisi’ via Greek/Latin

💡 Traveled from Tamil → Greek → Latin → English!

“South Indians eat rice with sambar.”

ginger

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: JIN-jer

🇮🇳 Hindi: From ancient Dravidian via Sanskrit

💡 Sanskrit ‘srngaveram’ → Greek → English

“Add ginger to chai for flavour.”

orange

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: OR-inj

🇮🇳 Hindi: नारंगी via Sanskrit ‘naranga’

💡 Sanskrit → Persian → Arabic → English

“Drink fresh orange juice.”

anaconda

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: an-uh-KON-duh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil/Sinhalese origin

💡 Possibly from Tamil ‘anai-kondra’

“The anaconda is the heaviest snake.”

pariah

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: puh-RY-uh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil ‘parai’ (drum) → outcast

💡 Tamil word for a social group

“The word ‘pariah’ means outcast.”

cheroot

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: shuh-ROOT

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil ‘churuttu’ (roll)

💡 A type of cigar

“The old man smoked a cheroot.”

#10

curry

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KUH-ree

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Tamil ‘kari’ (sauce)

💡 THE most famous Indian word in English!

“Indian curry is loved globally.”

📜

Sanskrit & Pali Contributions (10 Words)

#11

yoga

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: YOH-guh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘yog’ (union)

💡 Most famous Sanskrit word in English

“Yoga has spread worldwide.”

#12

karma

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KAR-muh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘karma’ (action)

💡 Used in everyday English now

“Good karma comes back to you.”

#13

nirvana

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: nir-VAH-nuh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit (liberation from suffering)

💡 Also a famous rock band!

“The vacation was pure nirvana.”

#14

swastika

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SWOS-tih-kuh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘svastika’ (auspicious)

💡 An ancient positive symbol in India

“The swastika is sacred in Hinduism.”

#15

sutra

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SOO-truh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit (thread/rule)

💡 A set of teachings

“The Kama Sutra is an ancient text.”

#16

tantra

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: TAN-truh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit (loom/doctrine)

💡 Spiritual practice traditions

“Tantra is a spiritual tradition.”

#17

ahimsa

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: uh-HIM-sah

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit (non-violence)

💡 Gandhi’s core principle

“Ahimsa is the principle of non-violence.”

#18

sangha

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SUNG-guh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Pali/Sanskrit (community)

💡 Buddhist community of monks

“The sangha gathered for meditation.”

#19

zen

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: ZEN

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘dhyana’ → Chinese → Japanese

💡 Originally Indian! dhyana → chan → zen

“Find your zen through meditation.”

#20

crimson

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KRIM-zun

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘krmi-ja’ (worm-made)

💡 Sanskrit → Arabic → English!

“She wore a crimson sari.”

🐯

Bengali & Eastern India (10 Words)

#21

jute

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: JOOT

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Bengali ‘jhuto’

💡 Bengal was the jute capital

“Jute bags are eco-friendly.”

#22

dinghy

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: DING-ee

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Bengali ‘dingi’ (small boat)

💡 A small rowing boat

“Row the dinghy across the lake.”

#23

bangle

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: BANG-gul

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi/Bengali ‘bangri’

💡 Wrist ornament

“She wore colourful glass bangles.”

#24

loot

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: LOOT

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi ‘lut’ — used widely in Bengal

💡 To rob or plunder

“Pirates divided their loot.”

#25

tank

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: TANK

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Gujarati ‘tankh’ (reservoir)

💡 Originally meant water tank!

“Fill the water tank.”

#26

chit

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: CHIT

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi ‘chitthi’ (letter/note)

💡 A small note or letter

“Pass me a chit with the answer… just kidding!”

#27

dhal

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: DAHL

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi ‘dal’

💡 Lentil dish — spelled dal, daal, or dhal

“Mummy makes the best dal.”

#28

roti

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: ROH-tee

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi ‘roti’

💡 Indian flatbread, now in English dictionaries!

“Eat roti with dal and sabzi.”

#29

samosa

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: suh-MOH-suh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi/Urdu ‘samosa’

💡 Now a global snack!

“Hot samosas with chutney — yum!”

#30

naan

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: NAHN

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi/Urdu/Persian ‘nan’

💡 In English menus worldwide now

“Butter naan with paneer is heavenly.”

🌴

Malayalam, Marathi & Others (10 Words)

#31

teak

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: TEEK

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Malayalam ‘tekka’

💡 Kerala’s famous wood

“Teak furniture is very durable.”

#32

copra

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KOP-ruh

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Malayalam ‘koppara’

💡 Dried coconut meat

“Copra is used to make coconut oil.”

#33

coir

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: KOYR

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Malayalam ‘kayar’ (rope)

💡 Coconut fibre for mats/ropes

“Coir mats are made from coconut fibre.”

#34

atoll

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: AT-ol / uh-TOL

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Dhivehi (Maldives) ‘atolu’

💡 Ring-shaped coral island

“Lakshadweep has beautiful atolls.”

#35

mongoose

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: MONG-gooss

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Marathi ‘mangus’

💡 The cobra-fighting animal

“Rikki-Tikki-Tavi is a famous mongoose.”

#36

beryl

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: BEH-ril

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Dravidian via Sanskrit ‘vaidurya’

💡 A precious gemstone

“Beryl is a beautiful green gem.”

#37

sandalwood

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SAN-dul-wood

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘chandana’ via Tamil

💡 Karnataka and Tamil Nadu are famous for it

“Sandalwood paste is used in pujas.”

#38

pepper

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: PEP-er

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘pippali’ via Tamil

💡 India was the ‘land of pepper’!

“Black pepper is called ‘black gold’.”

#39

sapphire

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SAF-ire

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘shanipriya’ via Tamil

💡 Precious blue gemstone

“She wore a sapphire necklace.”

#40

sugar

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: SHUG-er

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Sanskrit ‘sharkara’

💡 India invented sugar refining!

“India was the first to make sugar.”

🆕

Modern Indian English Words (10 Words)

#41

prepone

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: pree-POHN

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian invention! Opposite of postpone

💡 Not used outside India — but should be!

“Let’s prepone the meeting to 2 PM.”

#42

timepass

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: TIME-pass

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian English for killing time

💡 Not standard English but widely used in India

“Watching TV is just timepass.”

#43

godown

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: GOH-down

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Malay ‘gudang’ via Indian English

💡 Warehouse/storehouse

“Store the goods in the godown.”

#44

stepney

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: STEP-nee

🇮🇳 Hindi: Spare tyre (Indian English only!)

💡 From ‘Stepney Street’ in Wales where tyres were made

“Keep a stepney in the car.”

#45

mugging

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: MUG-ing

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian English: studying hard/cramming

💡 In British English, mugging = robbing someone!

“She’s mugging for the exams (studying hard).”

#46

do the needful

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: do the NEED-ful

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian English: please do what’s needed

💡 Not used outside India — say ‘please handle this’

“Kindly do the needful (Indian English).”

#47

passed out

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: passed OWT

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian English: graduated

💡 Outside India, ‘passed out’ = fainted!

“He passed out from IIT (graduated).”

#48

convent

❌ Indians say: (Indian English!)

✅ Correct: KON-vent

🇮🇳 Hindi: Indian English: English-medium school

💡 Outside India, convent = only a nun’s residence

“She studied in a convent school.”

#49

tiffin

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: TIF-in

🇮🇳 Hindi: Anglo-Indian word for lunch/snack

💡 Now used worldwide for Indian lunchboxes

“Pack your tiffin for school.”

#50

dacoit

❌ Indians say: (correct!)

✅ Correct: duh-KOYT

🇮🇳 Hindi: From Hindi ‘dakait’ (bandit)

💡 Used in Indian English and law

“The dacoits were caught by police.”

📏 Rules & Patterns

Tamil Gave English Food & Trade Words

Tamil was the language of South Indian traders who dealt with Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Many trade/food words entered English via Tamil.

curry, mango, rice, ginger, cash, catamaran, cheroot, pariah

Sanskrit Gave Spiritual & Academic Words

Sanskrit words entered English through philosophy, religion, and academic study of Indian texts.

yoga, karma, nirvana, avatar, dharma, mantra, sutra, tantra, ahimsa, zen

Malayalam Gave Material/Nature Words

Kerala’s trade with the world brought Malayalam words into English, especially for natural materials.

teak, copra, coir (all from Malayalam)

Indian English Created New Words

Indians created useful English words that don’t exist in British/American English: prepone, timepass, do the needful.

prepone, timepass, godown, stepney, mugging (studying), passed out (graduated)

Words Traveled Complex Routes

Many words took long journeys: Sanskrit → Arabic → Spanish → English (orange), or Tamil → Portuguese → English (mango).

orange: naranga → naranj → orange | rice: arisi → oryza → rice

🎮 Quiz — Test Your Knowledge!

Question 1 of 10

‘Catamaran’ comes from:

AGreek

BTamil (kattumaram)

CFrench

Question 2 of 10

‘Cash’ originally meant:

APaper money

BSmall coin (Tamil kasu)

CGold

Question 3 of 10

‘Zen’ originally came from:

AJapanese only

BChinese only

CSanskrit ‘dhyana’ → Chinese → Japanese

Question 4 of 10

‘Teak’ comes from which language?

AHindi

BMalayalam (tekka)

CBengali

Question 5 of 10

‘Prepone’ is:

AStandard English worldwide

BIndian English invention

CBritish English

Question 6 of 10

‘Mango’ entered English via:

AHindi directly

BTamil via Portuguese

CSanskrit directly

Question 7 of 10

‘Passed out’ in Indian English means:

AFainted

BGraduated

CFailed

Question 8 of 10

India contributed how many words to English?

AAbout 20

BAbout 100

C500-1000+

Question 9 of 10

‘Sugar’ comes from Sanskrit:

ASharkara

BShakti

CShanti

Question 10 of 10

Which state contributed ‘teak’ and ‘copra’?

APunjab

BKerala

CBengal

🧠 Parent Tips

📅

One Word Per Day

Pick one word each morning. Use it in 3 sentences during the day. Consistent practice beats cramming!

🎯

Learn the Patterns

Don’t memorize each word separately — learn the rules above. Once you know “K before N = silent K”, you’ll get ALL those words right!

📺

Watch & Listen

English cartoons and movies help kids hear correct pronunciation naturally. Turn on subtitles so they connect spelling with sound.

💛

Encourage, Don’t Correct Harshly

Say “Actually, this word is said like…” gently. Never mock a child for mispronouncing — confidence matters more than perfection.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which Indian language contributed the most words to English?

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Hindi/Urdu contributed the most everyday words (jungle, loot, bungalow). Sanskrit contributed the most philosophical words (karma, yoga, nirvana). Tamil contributed the most trade and food words (curry, mango, rice, cash).

Do other countries know these words are Indian?

▼

Most English speakers have no idea! They use ‘jungle’, ‘shampoo’, ‘yoga’, and ‘karma’ daily without knowing these words came from India. Only linguists and etymology enthusiasts are aware of the Indian origins.

What is ‘Indian English’?

▼

Indian English is a recognized variety of English with its own unique words (prepone, timepass), phrases (do the needful), and meanings (passed out = graduated). It’s spoken by over 125 million Indians and is perfectly valid English!

Why did English borrow from so many Indian languages?

▼

India had things England didn’t: tropical animals, spices, fabrics, philosophies, and architectural styles. When the British encountered these, they adopted the local names because there were no English equivalents.

Should Indian kids feel proud of this?

▼

Absolutely! India didn’t just learn English — India enriched it. Every time someone worldwide says ‘jungle’, ‘karma’, ‘shampoo’, or ‘yoga’, they’re using Indian words. That’s cultural influence at its finest!

📚 All Pronunciation Guides — 50 Topics

English Words from Indian Languages

💡 Why Learn English Words from Indian Languages?

Tamil Contributions (10 Words)

Sanskrit & Pali Contributions (10 Words)

Bengali & Eastern India (10 Words)

Malayalam, Marathi & Others (10 Words)

Modern Indian English Words (10 Words)

📏 Rules & Patterns

Tamil Gave English Food & Trade Words

Sanskrit Gave Spiritual & Academic Words

Malayalam Gave Material/Nature Words

Indian English Created New Words

Words Traveled Complex Routes

🎮 Quiz — Test Your Knowledge!

🧠 Parent Tips

One Word Per Day

Learn the Patterns

Watch & Listen

Encourage, Don’t Correct Harshly

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Which Indian language contributed the most words to English?

Do other countries know these words are Indian?

What is ‘Indian English’?

Why did English borrow from so many Indian languages?

Should Indian kids feel proud of this?

📚 All Pronunciation Guides — 50 Topics

Silent Letters

Sound Patterns

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