English is such a wonderful mix of all different languages.  Many words in English come from different languages, and we call these words loan words. One language we get many loan words from is Persian. Persian and English are actually related languages, since they're both part of the Indo-European language family. So it's no surprise that we share lots of words. Additionally (also), we're so excited to now be offering Persian lessons with Bespeaking! Because we're so happy to be offering Persian lessons, we've decided to take a look at Persian loan words in English. There are so many great Persian loan words, some of [...]

We love talking about loan words in English. The history of where English gets many of its words is just so fascinating (very interesting)! We get so many words from other languages, but one often overlooked (not seen, not thought about, forgotten about) group are Chinese loan words. Chinese loan words in English are particularly interesting because many of them are literal (direct) translations from Chinese. Some of these Chinese loan words (or phrases, in some cases) are words or phrases we use every day and may never have imagined that they come from another language. If you're curious (want to know more) about Chinese loan words in English, keep [...]

One of my favorite things about English is how it's a wonderful hodge-podge (a big mix) of many different languages. The words we use every day have all different origins: some from Latin, some from Yiddish, some from French, and some from Spanish. One language that may not come to mind immediately when thinking about the origins of English words is Arabic, but many of our most common words come from this language. With this in mind, we decided to look at Arabic loan words in English. If you're as interested in loan words as we are, check out these [...]

When you think of the Netherlands, what do you picture? Do you think of tulips, windmills, bicycles, and canals? Or do you think of the Dutch masters and van Gogh? Did you know that about 1% of English words come from Dutch, and that there are many Dutch loan words in English? A couple of them may surprise you. Check out the most popular Dutch loan words below! Aloof Aloof comes to English from the Middle Dutch word lof, which means a windward direction. Nowadays, we use the word aloof to talk about someone who is cold or distant and may not seem very friendly. [...]

Japan is one of those countries that always seems so far away. Travelling to Japan has been on my bucket list (something you want to do) for years, and I really hope I make it there one day. Luckily for us though, there are many Japanese loan words in English that help Japan feel just a little closer. One of my favorite things in English is how many words we have borrowed from other languages- German, French, Yiddish, Spanish, Latin and Scandinavian. They help make English unique, and may even inspire you to learn a new language! If you're looking for some motivation, or just curious to learn some [...]

Loan Words from Irish If you've been following Bespeaking for any length (long) of time, you know that we love our loan words! Loan words are always fascinating (really interesting) because they help to show how languages work together and borrow (take) from each other... especially English. This week, in honor of St. Patrick's Day, we thought we would focus on some loan words from Irish. Some of you may not know that Irish is its own language, not just an accent spoken by the Irish people! We get some very interesting and useful words from the Irish language. So, if you've been looking to expand [...]