foreign terms
Words from elsewhere
Foreign terms are words or phrases borrowed from other languages that retain their non-English character in English contexts.
Some have been fully absorbed into English (rendezvous, kindergarten), while others remain marked as foreign through italics or unfamiliarity (Weltanschauung, je ne sais quoi).
The line between foreign term and English word is blurry—Latin phrases like et cetera and French expressions like faux pas occupy a middle ground, recognized by most English speakers but still carrying a foreign flavor.
- borrowObtain for temporary use
- caféCasual eatery serving drinks
- sushiVinegared rice with toppings
- kindergartenEarly schooling for youngsters
- kimonoWraparound Japanese garment
transliteration · habeas corpus · tapas · code-switching · karaoke · modus operandi · ad hoc · pro bono · status quo · alma mater · prima donna · yoga · faux pas · déjà vu · c'est la vie · je ne sais quoi · samurai · tsunami
foreign termseveryday words
foreign termseveryday language
Ordinary spoken communication
plain English · colloquial terms · accessible language · layman's terms · simple words
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