Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1400s
Candy
from qand
- Meaning
- Crystallised sugar.
- Source word
- qand
- Route into English
- Sanskrit *khaṇḍa* (piece) → Persian *qand* → Arabic *qandī* (sugared) → French *sucre candi* → English. The Arabic route is what English inherits, but the Indian sugarcane trade is the ultimate origin.
- Arrived
- 1400s
From Arabic
Science, trade, and the Mediterranean transit of Andalusian scholarship gave English its Arabic stratum — especially in maths, chemistry, and commerce. Many entered through Latin or Italian.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.