What do avocado, alfalfa, banana and potato have in common? It’s not the obvious fruit and vegetable link, so just have a think about it… In fact, they are all Spanish loan words that have been incorporated into the English language. Whether they have Arabic, Aztec, African or Caribbean origins, these words have all found their way into everyday English usage through Spanish.

Now these are only part of the interesting aspects of the two languages and their cultural and linguistic exchange. For more information, you’d have to enrol in a Spanish course London or an English course London and discover it all for yourself! But in the meantime, let’s have a look at some other words that might have slipped your attention.

There are the obvious words of course, relating to untranslatable concepts or cuisine specific to a Spanish scenario. These words include jalapeño, chili con carne, quesadilla, tamale, tortilla, paella… and even chocolate! But there are some unexpected inclusions to the list – including cargo, silo, barbeque, filibuster, cafeteria and hurricane. It would take combined Spanish / English courses London to consider them all!

Alongside the integration of non-equivalent Spanish words into the English language, there have also been inclusions due to trade and cultural exchange. For instance, many words with Spanish origins entered American English when Mexican and Spanish cowboys worked in the south-west of the United States. Trade ensured that words with Caribbean origins entered the English language.

Yet some words took a less direct route into English. For instance, ‘stockade’ was derived from a French version of estacada, and ‘bravo’ was either Italian or Old Spanish. Who would have thought that you’d also need French courses London or an Italian course London to brush up on your English or Spanish?