The Foreign Words in English.

31. The greater part of foreign words, besides the Latin, that have been incorporated into English may be divided as follows:

    1. Words of Celtic origin.—These consist chiefly of geographical names, such as Avon, Kent, Thames, Exe, Derwent, etc.; and words relating to common household matters, such as barrow, basket, button, bag, cart, coat, darn, gown, gruel, grumble, knoll, mattock, mop, pail, pan, rug, whip, etc.

    2. Words of Scandinavian origin.—Men of Scandinavian race (Picts, Norsemen and Danes) established themselves several times along the eastern coast of England.  Among the words from this source are dale (valley), ford, guard, gate, holm, scar (steep rock), tarn (mountain lake), etc.

    3. Words of Greek origin.—A very large number of our philosophical and scientific words are from the Greek; as, logic, metaphysics, philosophy, ethics, astronomy, electricity, theory, problem, etc.  Many of these have come to us through the Latin.  Also the terminations -ize, -ism, have been neutralized from the Greek.

    4. Words of miscellaneous origin.—Almost every language in the world has contributed some word or words to our vocabulary.  Some of these miscellaneous elements are important enough to be noticed separately, e.g.:

       1. Hebrew:  Abbey, abbot, amen, cherub, hallelujah, hosanna, jubilee, leviathan, manna, Messiah, Sabbath, Satan, seraph, shibboleth, pharisaic, rabbi, etc.; with many Proper Names, as Adam, Abraham, David, John, Matthew, Mary, Elizabeth, etc.

       2. Arabic:  Admiral, alchemy, alcohol, alcove, alembic, algebra, alkali, almanac, amber, ambergris, arrack, arsenal, artichoke, assassin, altar, camphor, carat, caravan, chemistry, cipher, coffee, cotton, crimson, damask, damson, elixir, gazelle, giraffe, harem, hazard, jar, lake, lemon, lime, lute, magazine, mattress, minaret, mohair, monsoon, mosque, mummy, nabob, nadir, naphtha, nard, opium, ottoman, saffron, salaam, scullion, sirocco, sofa, sultan, syrup, tabor, talisman, tamarind, tambourine, tariff, zenith, zero.

       3. Persian:  Azure, balcony, bazaar, chess, emerald, indigo, jackal, lilac, musk, orange, pawn (in chess), saraband, scimitar, shawl, sherbet, simoon, taffeta, turban, paradise.

       4. Hindustani:  Banian, buggy, calico, coolie, dimity, jungle, lac, loot, muslin, pagoda, palanquin, pariah, punch, pundit, rupee, sandal (wood), sugar, toddy, shampoo.

       5. Malay:  A-muck, bamboo, bantam, caddy, caoutchouc, chintz, cockatoo, curry, gamboge, gong, gutta-percha, junk, mango, ourang-utang, rattan, sago.

       6. Chinese:  Bohea, congou, hyson, nankeen, pekoe, satin, soy, tea.

       7. Turkish:  Bey, chouse, janisary, kiosk, sash, tulip, seraglio.

       8. American:  Lacque, calumet, condor, lama, maize, moccasin, pampas, pemmican, potato, squaw, tobacco, tomahawk, tomato, wigwam.

       9. Polynesian:  Tattoo, taboo, kangaroo.

       10. Italian:  Balustrade, bravado, bravo, bust, canto, caricature, carnival, charlatan, cupola, ditto, dilettanti, farrago, folio, gazette, gondola, grotto, harlequin, influenza, lava, manifesto, motto, opera, pantaloon, piazza, portico, regatta, sketch, soprano, stanza, stiletto, stucco, studio, tenor, terra-cotta, torso, umbrella, virtuoso, vista, volcano, zany.

       11. Spanish:  Alligator, armada, armadillo, barricade, canon, cargo, chocolate, cigar, creole, desperado, don, duenna, embargo, flotilla, gala, grandee, grenade, jennet, mosquito, mulatto, negro, olio, paroquet, platina, punctilio, savannah, sherry, sierra, tornado, veranda.

       12. French:  Beau, belle, belles-lettres, billet-doux, bon-mot, bouquet, déjeûner, dépot, éclat, matinée, ennui, penchant, prairie, soirée, trousseau.

       13. Dutch:  Block, boom, boor, bow-sprit, reef (vb.), schooner, skates, sloop, smuggle, tafferel, veer, wear (ship), yacht.

32. The number of words in the English language is probably about eighty-five thousand. By actual enumeration of those contained in the best dictionaries it has been ascertained that thirteen thousand three hundred and thirty Anglo-Saxon words (remotely Teutonic), and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and fifty-four of Classical origin (from the Latin and Greek), are now registered.
          But the real difference between the two elements is one of function, not of quantity or number.  The Anglo-Saxon words, in consequence of their popular and expressive nature, are most largely used, both in daily speech and in the words of the greatest writers.
          On examination of passages selected from modern English authors, it is found, that of every hundred words sixty are of Saxon origin, thirty of Latin, five of Greek; while all the other sources combined furnish the remaining five.

English is now spoken by about eighty millions of people. It is the general language of Great Britain and Ireland, the United States and British America, Australia, Van Diemen's Land, New Zealand and South Africa.  It is spoken in certain portions of the West Indies, and partially in India.