Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Arabic ·1600s
Sherbet
from sharba
- Meaning
- A cold sweet drink (or in British English, a fizzy powder).
- Source word
- sharba
- Route into English
- Arabic *sharba* (a drink) → Ottoman Turkish *şerbet* → Italian/French → English. Same root as *syrup* and *sorbet*; the three are cousins via different intermediate languages.
- Arrived
- 1600s
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.