abaca
via Spanish
abacá from Tagalog
abaká
abalone
from Spanish
abulón, from Ohlone
aluan or Rumsen
awlun.
adios
from Spanish 'adiós' meaning "goodbye"
adobe
From Egyptian via Arabic "Al-tub"
aficionado
from past participle of
aficionar, to inspire affection, from
afición affection, from Latin
affection-,
affectio, from
afficere .
albatross
from
alcatraz, see below.
Alcalde
from
alcalde, magistrate.
Alcatraz
(meaning "gannet") from Arabic غطاس al-ġaţţās ("the diver")
alidade
via French, Spanish
alidada and Medieval Latin
alhidade from Arabic العهدة
al-idada, "the revolving radius"
alligator
from
el lagarto, "the lizard"
alpaca
via Spanish, from Aymara
allpaqa
aludel
from Old French
alutel, via Spanish and Medieval Latin from Arabic الأثال
al-ʾuṯāl, "the sublimation vessel"
amigo
from Spanish and/or Portuguese
amigo, "friend"; from Latin
amicus meaning "friend," derived from
amare (
to love).
amole
Mexican Spanish from Nahautl
amolli meaning "soap root."
amontillado
from the village of Montilla, Province of Córdoba, Spain
ancho
from Mexican Spanish
(chile) ancho, "wide (chili)"
anchovy
from Spanish
anchoa or more probably Portuguese
anchova meaning "bluefish"; from Genoese or Corsican dialect; ultimately from Latin
apua meaning "small fish" and Greek Αφυε
aphye meaning "small fry" or from Basque
anchuva meaning "dry"
Angeleno
from American Spanish
Apache
from Mexican Spanish from Yavapai
´epache meaning "people" or from Zuni
apachu" meaning "enemy"
armada
"armed [fleet]" from the Spanish navy,
La armada española
armadillo
from
armadillo, "little armored one"
arroyo
from
arroyo, "stream"
avocado
alteration of Spanish
aguacate, from Nahuatl
ahuacatl.
ayahuasca
via Spanish from Quechua
ayawaska meaning "soul vine."
banana
from Spanish or Portuguese
banana, probably from a Wolof word, or from Arabic بأننا “ba’ nana” fingers
bandolier
from Spanish
bandolero, meaning "band (for a weapon or other) that crosses from one shoulder to the opposite hip" and
bandolero, loosely meaning "he who wears a bandolier"
barracuda
from
barracuda May have come from barraco, meaning overlapping tooth
barranca
from Spanish
barranca or
barranco,
ravine
barrio
from Spanish
barrio, "neighborhood", from Arabic بري
barri, wild
bastinado
from
bastonada, from Spanish
bastón, cane
bodega
from Spanish and/or Portuguese
bodega, meaning cellar
bodegón
from
bodegón
bolero
from Spanish
bolero
bonanza
from
bonanza meaning "prosperity"
bonito
from Spanish
bonito, meaning "beautiful"
breeze
from
brisa "cold northeast wind" or from Frisian
briesen - to blow (wind)
bronco
from
bronco meaning "coarse"
buckaroo
from
vaquero meaning "cowboy"
burrito
from
burrito, a dish originally from Northern Mexico, literally "little donkey"
burro
from
burro, "donkey"
caballero
from Spanish
caballero meaning "knight/gentleman", from
caballo, "horse", Celtic
caballos "horse".
cabana
from Spanish
cabaña or Portuguese
cabana; both meaning "cabin."
cacique
from Spanish, from Taino
cacike or Arawak
kassequa, both meaning a chief
cafeteria
from
cafetería, "coffee store"
calaboose
from Vulgar Latin
calafodium "to dig a protected place" and Louisiana French
calabouse, from Spanish
calabozo
caldera (used in geology)
from Spanish
caldera meaning "cauldron" from Latin
caldaria, "cooking pot."
California
place name first seen in print in 1510 Spanish novel 'Las sergas de Esplandián' by Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
camarilla
from
camarilla, "small room"
camino
from
camino a path or road, from Celtic
cammanos "road".
cannibal
from Spanish
caníbal, alteration of
caríbal, from Caribe
canoe
from Spanish
canoa, from Haitian
canaoua
canyon
from
cañón with same meaning. Derived from
caño,"a pipe, tube, gorge, tube;" ultimately from Latin
canna meaning "reed."
carabao
from Spanish from Visayan language
kalabaw, from Malay language
kerabau.
caramba
from Spanish, meaning "heck"; expression of dread, displeasure, or disapproval, euphemism for
carajo
carbonado
from
carbonada, from
carbón meaning "coal"
cargo
from the verb
cargar meaning "to load"
Caribbean
from Spanish
Caribe, from name of Carib Indians of the region.
cassava
from
cazabe, from Taino
caçábi
caudillo
from
caudillo, from Latin
capitellium "head" meaning "leader"
cedilla
from
cedilla, archaic spelling
zedilla (little z), "elsewhere"
chaparral
from Spanish,
chaparro loosely meaning small evergreen oak, from Basque
txapar, "small, short"
chaps
from Mexican Spanish
chaparreras, leg protectors for riding through chaparral
chayote
from Spanish, literally: "squash", from Nahuatl
chayotl meaning "spiny squash"
chicha
from Spanish
chicha, from Kuna
chichab, meaning "maize" or from Nahuatl
chichiatl, "fermented water."
chicle
from
chicle "gum", from Nahuatl
tzictli "squishy stuff" or Mayan
tsicte.
chile
from Spanish
chile, from Nahuatl
chilli
chipotle
from Spanish, smoked jalapeño, from Nahuatl
chilpoctli
chocolate
from Spanish
chocolate, from Nahuatl
xocolatl meaning "hot water" or from a combination of the Mayan word
chocol meaning "hot" and the Nahuatl word
atl meaning "water."
Choctaw
from the native name
Chahta of unknown meaning but also said to come from Spanish
chato (="flattened") because of the tribe's custom of flattening the heads of male infants.
chorizo
from
chorizo, "sausage"
churro
from
churro, "fritter"
cienega or cienaga
from
ciénaga, "swamp"
cigar
from Spanish
cigarro meaning "fag (UK), stogie, stogy", from Mayan
sicar or
sic, "tobacco"
cigarette
from French
cigarette "little weed", diminutive of French
cigare "stogie", from Spanish
cigarro meaning "fag (UK), stogie, stogy."
cilantro
from Spanish
cilantro, "coriander"
coca
from Spanish,
coca meaning "coke", from Quechua
kuka
cockroach
from Spanish
cucaracha
cocoa or cacao
from Spanish
cacao, from Nahuatl
cacáhuatl
cojones
from Spanish
cojones meaning "balls, testicles", to denote courage
Colorado
from Spanish
colorado, red or colored
comrade
from French
camarade meaning "friend", from Spanish
camarada, "pal, mate"
condor
from Spanish, from Quechua
kuntur
conquistador
from
conquistador meaning "conqueror", from
conquista, "conquest"
coquina
from
coquina, dim. form of "concha" meaning seashell; a sedimentary rock of NE Florida
cordillera
from
cordillera, "range"
corral
from
corral meaning "pen, yard" from Portuguese
curral meaning "pen" of unknown; perhaps ultimately from Afrikaans
kraal or from Vulgar Latin
currale loosely meaning "enclosure for vehicles."
corrida
a bullfight (literally: "raced")
coyote
from Spanish
coyote, from Nahuatl
coyotl
cowboy
from Spanish
vaquero, an individual who managed cattle while mounted on horseback, from
vaca, "cow", from Latin
vacca
creole
from French
créole, from Spanish
criollo, from Portuguese
crioulo, raised in the house
crimson
from Old Spanish
cremesín, via Medieval Latin
cremesinus from Arabic قيرميزل
qirmizI, from Persian قرمز
qermez kermes; ultimately from Sanskrit कृमिज
krmi-ja meaning "worm-made."
crusade
blend of Middle French
croisade and Spanish
cruzada; both ultimately from Latin
cruc-,
crux cross
cuadrilla
from
cuadrilla, group of people
cumbia
from Spanish
cumbia, a popular dance (for couples) originating in Colombia.
daiquiri
from
Daiquiri, a port city in eastern Cuba
dengue
from Spanish
dengue meaning "fever", from Swahili
dinga, "seizure"
derecho
from Spanish
derecho meaning "straight", a widespread and long-lived convection-induced straight-line windstorm
descamisado
from Spanish
descamisado, "without a shirt"
desperado
from Spanish
desesperado, desperate
doubloon
from Spanish doblón : meaning "two-sided" for two-headed coin ("doble" is double in Spanish).
El Dorado
from
El Dorado, literally, "the golden one"
El Niño
from
El Niño de la Navidad, literally, "the Christmas child" due to the warming of Pacific waters seemed to warm around Christmas
embarcadero
from
embarcadero a boat dock
embargo
from Spanish
embargar, to "seize" or "impound"
escabeche
from
escabeche, "pickle"
escopeteros
from Spanish
escopetero, "musketeer"
Federales
from
Federales, "federal police"
fiesta
from the Spanish
fiesta meaning "party"
Flamenco
Spanish genre of music and dance.
Florida
from
La Florida, the flowery or plant-filled place or
pascua florida, "flowery Easter."
flotilla
diminutive of
flota, "fleet"
galleon
from Spanish "galeón" (a large sailing ship having three or more masts, from the 15th to 18th century)
gaucho
from Mapuche "Argentine cowboy"
guacamole
via American Spanish from Nahuatl
ahuaca-molli ("avocado sauce")
guerrilla
from Spanish "small war"
gordita
from Spanish
gorda (feminine) and
-ita, "little fat girl/woman/thing"
habanero
from the Spanish for the name of the Cuban city of La Habana, which is known as Havana in English. Although it is not the place of origin, it was frequently traded there.
hacienda
from Old Spanish
facienda, "estate"
hackamore
from Spanish
jaquima, "halter."
hola
Spanish greeting, equivalent to "hello"
Hispano
From Spanish
hispanic. Also came from Latin
Hispania, the whole Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal) called by Romans.
hombre
from Spanish
hombre, man
hoosegow
from Spanish
juzgado, courthouse, from
juzgar, to judge
hurricane
from Spanish
huracán, from Taino
hurákan; akin to Arawak
kulakani, thunder
Inca
via Spanish
inca, from Quechua
Inka, literally: "lord, king."
incommunicado
from
incomunicado, without communication (in the mountains, in the jail,...), "in solitary confinement."
iguana
from Spanish
iguana from Arawak
iwana.
jade
from Spanish
piedra de ijada, "stone of flank."
jalapeño
from Spanish, a type of spicy chilli named after Jalapa de Enríquez, a town in Mexico, and the capital of the state of Veracruz
jerky
via Spanish
charqui, from Quechua
ch'arki, "dried flesh"
junta
from Spanish
junta literally "joint"; a board of joint administration; sometimes used to refer to military officers command in a coup d'état. As an adjective, it means "together".
key
from Spanish
cayo, from Taino
cayo (this is English 'key'/'cay'/'quay' as in an island, reef or a linked series of them, not the 'key' with which one locks/unlocks doors)
La Niña
"The little girl", complementary weather pattern to (
q.v.) El Niño
lariat
from
la reata, meaning "the strap, rein, or rope" from
reatar ("to tie again") from atar "to tie (up);" from Latin
aparte, "to join."
lasso
via American English from Spanish
lazo meaning "tie;" ultimately from Latin laqueum, "noose, snare."
Latino
English short for the Spanish word
latinoamericano, formed by
latino "related to the Latin empire an language" and
americano "from The Americas"
llama
via Spanish
llama, from Quechua
llama
Llanos, Los
from Spanish
llano (
plain); vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela.
loco
from
loco, "mad" or "crazy"
Lolita
from the diminutive for Lola, short for Dolores
macho
from
macho, male, brave, the property of being overtly masculine.
majordomo
via Spanish
mayordomo or Italian
maggiordomo (both meaning "butler") from Latin
maior domus meaning "mayor of the place."
mano
from
mano, "hand". Stone handtool
manzanilla
from Spanish
manzanilla, a natural tea for some superficial pains. The word is diminutive of
manzana "apple"
marijuana
This term is not really a Spanish term. It was used to qualify cannabis by the U.S. government to give a Mexican origin of its use and provenance. It was used as propaganda against the consumption of cannabis in the middle of the twentieth century.
maroon
from the Spanish
cimarrón, which was derived from an Arawakan root
matador
from
matador meaning "killer" from
matar ("to kill") probably from Arabic مات
mata meaning "he died", also possibly cognate with Persian مردن
mordan, "to die" as well as English "murder." Another theory is that the word "matador" is derived from a combination of the Vulgar Latin mattāre, from Late Latin
mactare (to slaughter, kill) and the Latin
-tor (which is cognate with Greek τορ
-tōr and Sanskrit तर
-tar-.)
merengue
a type of music and dance originating in the Dominican Republic
mesa
from
mesa, table. The corresponding Spanish word to a flat top mountain is
meseta
mescal
from Spanish
mezcal, from Nahuatl
mexcalli
mesquite
from Mexican Spanish
mezquite, from Nahuatl
mizquitl
mestizo
from
mestizo, "racially mixed." in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed European and Native American descent
mojito
dim. formed from "mojado" (wet or dripping) probably referring to the mint leaves in the well known Cuban drink
mole
from Spanish, from Nahuatl
molle or
molli ("sauce")
Montana
from
montaña, a mountain
mosquito
from
mosquito, literally "little fly"
mulatto
from Spanish or Portuguese
mulato meaning "octoroon, sambo". in Spanish, refers to a person of mixed European-African descent.
mustang
from
mustango,
mestengo,
mestencoor
mesteño, "without known master or owner" (archaic)
mustee
from
mestizo, "racially mixed."
nacho
from
Nacho, a nickname for the given name
Ignacio, inventor of the snack
nada
from "nada" meaning " nothing."
Negro
from Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian
negro, "black", from Latin
nigrum (nom.
niger) and Greek νέγρος
négros, both meaning "black.". In Spanish it is not derogatory. In plural, is
Negros.
Nevada
from
Nevada literally "snowy"
nostromo
from
nuestro amo, "our master".
olé
an interjection, an expression of approval or triumph, similar to the Italian
bravo (capable), by spectators of bull fights or football (soccer) matches
oregano
from
orégano, "marjoram"
pachuco
from
pachuco, "fancy-dresser."
paella
from Spanish
paella, from Valencian
paella "pan" and the dish name. Originated in Latin
patella, also meaning "pan."
palmetto
from
palmito, "palm heart, little palm", diminutive form of the word for palm.
pampa
fvia Spanish, from Quechua
pampa,
plain
papaya
from
papaya, akin to Arawak
papáia
páramo
from Spanish
páramo (
moorland)
patio
from
patio, inner courtyard, "an open paved area adjacent to a home"
peccadillo
from
pecadillo, "small sin"
peccary
from Spanish
pecarí, from Carib
pakira or
paquira.
peon
from Spanish
peón ("laborer")
peyote
from Spanish, from Nahuatl
peyotl ("caterpillar")
Philippines
via Spanish
Filipinas from Latin
Philippinae, "islands of king Philip II of Spain"; ultimately from Greek Φιλιππίναι
Philippinai from the Greek phrase Φίλος ίππος Νησιά
Fílos Íppos Ni̱sí, "Islands of the Horse Friend."
piccadill
from
picadillo, "hash"
pimento or pimiento
from
pimiento, "pepper."
piña colada
from Spanish
piña (pineapple), and
colada, which means strained, from the Spanish verb
colar ("to strain")
piñata
from piñata ("jug, pot") from Latin
pinea, "pine cone."
piñon or pinyon
from
piñón, "pine"
pinta
from
pinta, "he/she/it paints"; also archaic Spanish for
pintada, "painted"
Pinto
from
pintar, "to paint"; a white horse with a coat "painted" in large patterns of any other color.
Piragua
from the combination of Spanish words
Pirámide ("pyramid") and
Agua meaning "water"
pisco
from
pisco, "turkey"
placer mining
from
placer, "sand bank"
platinum
from
platina, "little silver" (now
platino)
playa
from
playa, "beach"
plaza
from
plaza, "public square, spot or place"
politico
from Spanish or Italian
político meaning "politician, political agent;" ultimately from Latin
politicus meaning "of citizens or the state, civil, civic," from Greek πολιτικός (Ancient Greek: πολῑτικός) politikos, "of citizens or the state," from πολίτης (plural: πολίτες)
polites (citizen) from πόλις
polis, "city."
poncho
from
poncho, from Araucanian
pontho meaning "woolen fabric."
potato
from Peninsular Spanish
patata, itself from
batata, "sweet potato", from Taino and
papa, "potato" from Quechua
potrero
from
potrero, archaic term for "tongue of land"
pronto
from Spanish "soon, prompt"
pronunciamento
from
pronunciamiento proclamation, "military coup d'état", usually establishing a military dictatorship (often a junta)
puma
from Spanish "cougar, panther", from Quechua
pueblo
via Castilian
pueblo from Latin
populus ("people").
quadroon
from
cuarterón, "fourth"
quesadilla
from
quesadilla meaning a traditional Mexican dish made with tortillas and cheese, diminutive of
queso, cheese.
quetzal
from Spanish, from Nahuatl "quetzalli": a group of colourful birds of the trogon family found in tropical regions of the Americas. It also may refer to Guatemalan quetzal, the currency of Guatemala.
quinoa
via Spanish
quinua, from Quechua
kinwa
quinceañera
from Spanish
quince años, literally: "fifteen years"; a girl's fifteenth birthday celebration similar to a "sweet sixteen"; with special rituals
Quixotism/Quixotic
from fictional character
Don Quixote as in "tilting at windmills"
quirt
from Spanish
cuarta literally: "quarter"; a short horseman's whip, from "one fourth" (of a vara)
ranch
from
rancho, a very small rural community, smaller than a town; also a very humble dwelling in South American Spanish.
reconquista
from
reconquista, "reconquest"
remuda
from Mexican Spanish
remudar, to exchange (horses)
renegade
from
renegado, "turncoat, heretic, disowned"
rhumba
from
rumba
rincon
from
rincón, "meadow"
robalo
from Spanish
róbalo meaning "bass, sea wolf," a tropical marine game and fish food
roble
from Spanish
roble, oak tree
rodeo
from
rodeo and verb
rodear (to go around)
rumba
from
rumba
saguaro
from
saguaro, from Piman
salsa
from
salsa, "sauce"
sapodilla
from
zapotillo
sarabande
from French
sarabande in turn from Spanish
zarabanda
savanna
from
sabana, "veld", from Taino
zabana
savvy
from Spanish or Portuguese
sabe, "knows";
sabio, wise, learned.
shack
perhaps from Mexican Spanish
jacal meaning "hut", from Nahuatl
xacalli
sherry
from Old Spanish
Xerés [ʃeˈɾes], modern Spanish Jerez
[xeˈɾeθ].
sierra
from
sierra, a mountain range
Sierra Nevada
from
sierra, a mountain range
siesta
from
siesta, "nap", from Latin
Sexta [hora] "sixth hour"
silo
from
silo
sombrero
from
sombrero (literally, shade maker), "hat"
stampede
from
estampida
stevedore
from
estibador (literally, one who stuffs), "ship loader"
stockade
from a French derivation of the Spanish
estocada, "stab"
suave
meaning charming, confident, and elegant.
taco
from
taco, "plug"
tamale
from Spanish
tamales, pl. of
tamal, from Nahuatl
tamalli meaning dumpling made from corn flour
tango
from Spanish
tango.
tapioca
from
tapioca, "cassava"
ten-gallon hat
from Spanish
tan galán meaning "so gallant (looking)"; alternate theory is the gallon of Texas English here is a misunderstanding of
galón meaning braid
temblor
Spanish for trembling, or earthquake; from
temblar, to shake, from Vulgar Latin *tremulāre, from Latin tremulus
tequila
from
tequila, from the town Tequila, where the beverage originated
telenovela, or telenovella
from
telenovela, "soap opera"
tilde
from
tilde
tobacco
from Spanish (Nahuatl influenced)
tabaco, "snuff"
tomatillo
from Spanish
tomatillo, "small tomato" (see Physalis philadelphica)
tomato
from Spanish
tomate, from Nahuatl
xitomatl
torero
from
toro, "bull"
tornado
from Spanish
tronada, "thunderstorm", influenced by
tornar, "to turn"
tortilla
from
tortilla, literally "small cake". In Mexico is a type of thin flatbread made of finely ground wheat flour. Now is called "omelet" in Spain
tostada (toast) and tostada (tortilla)
from
tostada, "toasted"
tuna
from Spanish
atún, from Arabic تون
tun, from Latin
thunnus, from Greek θύννος,
thynnos (=tuna fish)
turista
from
turista, "tourist"
vamoose
from
vamos, meaning "let's go"
vanilla
from Spanish
vainilla, diminutive of Latin
vaina, from
vagina meaning "pod"
vaquero
from the Spanish word
vaquero
vertigo
from the Spanish word
vértigo
vicugna
via Spanish, from Quechua
wik'uña
vigilante
from Spanish
vigilante, meaning "watchman."
wop
from Italian
guappone, from Spanish
guapo, "handsome" or "attractive".
yerba buena
from Spanish
yerbabuena meaning "good herb"
Yuca-Taino
Zorro
from Spanish
zorro, a fox, originally "smart" (of Basque origin)