Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1300s
Hazard
from az-zahr
- Meaning
- A risk or danger.
- Source word
- az-zahr
- Route into English
- Arabic *az-zahr* (the die, in dice) → Old French *hasard* (game of chance) → English; the specific dice sense faded and the general "risk" meaning remained.
- Arrived
- 1300s
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.