Hindi words in English
Many of these could also be said to come from Urdu—really
Hindi and Urdu are scarcely different languages—but the
distinction might be made by which region of India was the
word's origin. Likewise, many of these words are shared among many
Indic languages. They are listed here because the best guess is that
they entered English most directly from Hindi.
Most of these words are now of common use in English, but as most
of them came from the Britsh Raj, a few only appear in British
literature relating to that time.
- bandanna (or banadana)
- बन्धन (bandhana)to bind or tie
- bungalow
- बंगला (baṅgalā) [Bengal-style house]
- bangle
- बांगड़ी (bāngaṛi)
- cheetah
- चीता (cītā)
- cot
- खाट (khāṭ)
- cowrie, cowry (shell)
- कौड़ी (kauṛī)
- dungaree
- डूंगरी(dun̄rī)
- jungle
- जंगल (jaṅgal)
- myna (bird)
- मैना (mainā)
- pukka (good person)
- पका (pakā)
- nainsook (cotton textile)
- नैनसुख (nainsukh)
[from नैन eye सुख pleasure]
- punch (drink)
- पंच (pan̄ch) [related to 5, as it had 5 ingredients]
- gunny (fabric)
- गोणी (gōṇī)
- pyjama
- पैजामा (paijama) [from Persian]
- sari
- साड़ी (saṛī)
- rupee
- रूपया (rupayā)
- chutney
- चटनी (chaṭanī)
- dhal
- दाल (dāl) [split, lentil]
- roti
- रॊटि (rōti) [bread]
- ghee
- घी (ghee)
- kedgeree
- खिचड़ी (chicaṛī) [hodgepodge]
- tandoori
- तंदूरी (tnaduri)
- papadam, papadum
- पापड़म (pāpaṛam)
- sitar
- सितार (sitār)
- ayah (native maid or nurse)
- आया (āyā)
- mahout (elephant driver)
- महावत (mahāvat)
- thuggee, thug
- ठग्गी (ṭhaggi), ठग (ṭhag)
- wallah (person in charge of something)
- ? hindustani वाला seller
- nabob (wealty person)
- नवाब (navāb)
- pundit (wealty person)
- पण्डित (paṇḍit)
- maharajah, maharani
- महाराजा (mahārājā), महारानी (mahārāni)
- rajah, rani
- राजा (rājā), रानी (rāni)
- raj
- ? राज is "official", or "policy"
- ghat (wide steps down to river; mountain pass
- घाट (ghāṭ)
- gymkhana (equestrian event field)
- जिमख़ाना (jimnkhānā)
- howdah (platform on elephant for rider)
- हौदा (houdā) [orig. Arabic]
- juggernaut
- जगन्नाथ (jagannāth)
- loot
- लूट (lūṭ)
- lac
- लाख (lākh)
[shellac also, but via French via Persian]
- patchouli
- पचौली (pachuli) the patchouli plant
- purdah (concealment of women from strangers)
- पर्दा (pardā) curtain
- puttee (spiral leg wrap)
- पट्टी (puṭṭī) strip, patch, bandage
- veranda
- बरामदा (barānadā)