Bengali vocabulary
The origins of words in the Bengali vocabulary are numerous and diverse, due to centuries of contact with various languages.
Linguistic classification
Bengali (বাংলা Bangla) is one of the Magadhan languages, which form the eastern group of the Indic branch of the Indo-European language family. The core of Bengali vocabulary is thus etymologically Indo-European. However, centuries of borrowing has led to the adoption of a wide range of words with foreign origins.
Classifications of origin types
The typical Bengali dictionary lists 75,000 separate words, of which 50,000 (67%) are considered তৎসম tôtshômo (words directly reborrowed from Sanskrit), 21,100 (28%) are তদ্ভব tôdbhôbo (native Bengali vocabulary with Sanskrit cognates), and the rest being borrowings from দেশী deshi "indigenous" (i.e. Austroasiatic) or বিদেশী bideshi "foreign" sources.
However, these figures do not take into account the fact that a huge chunk of these words are archaic or highly technical, minimizing their actual usage. The productive vocabulary used in modern literary works, in fact, is made up mostly (67%) of native tôdbhôbo words, while tôtshômo reborrowings only make up 25% of the total. Deshi and bideshi borrowings together make up the remaining 8% of the vocabulary used in modern Bengali literature.
Examples of borrowed words
Due to centuries of contact with Europeans, Mughals, Arabs, Persians, and East Asians, Bengali has absorbed countless words from foreign languages, often totally integrating these borrowings into the core vocabulary. The most common borrowings from foreign languages come from three different kinds of contact. Close contact with neighboring peoples facilitated the borrowing of words from Hindi, Assamese, Chinese, Burmese, and several indigenous Austroasiatic languages of Bengal. After centuries of invasions from Persia and the Middle East, particularly under the Mughal Empire, numerous Turkish, Arabic, and Persian words were absorbed and fully integrated into the lexicon. Later, European colonialism brought words from Portuguese, French, Dutch, and most significantly English. Some very common borrowings are shown below.
Borrowings from neighboring languages
Austroasiatic languages (দেশী Deshi)
| আলু alu |
potato |
| কালা kala |
deaf |
| কুড়ি kuŗi |
twenty |
| খুকি khuki |
girl |
| খোকা khoka |
boy |
| খোঁচা khõcha |
poke |
| খোঁজ khõj |
notice |
| চাল chal / চাউল chaul |
rice grains |
| চিংড়ি chingŗi |
shrimp |
| চুলা chula |
oven, stove |
| ঝিনুক jhinuk |
shell |
| ঝোল jhol |
gravy |
| ঠ্যাং ţhêng |
leg |
| ঢোল đhol |
dhol |
| পেট peţ |
belly |
| বোবা boba |
mute |
| মাঠ maţh |
field, open land |
| মুড়ি muri |
puffed rice |
Hindi (হিন্দি)
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আচ্ছা achchha |
okay |
अच्छा achchhā |
| চাচা chacha |
father's brother |
चाचा chāchā |
| চাহিদা chahida |
demand |
चाहिदा chāhidā |
| কাহিনী kahini |
story |
कहानी kahānī |
| পছন্দ pôchhondo / pôsondo |
like, appreciate |
पसंद pasand |
| ফালতু faltu |
useless |
|
Chinese (চীনা China)
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| চা cha |
tea |
茶 chá |
| চিনি chini |
sugar |
|
| লিচু lichu |
lychee |
茘枝 lìzhī |
| এলাচি elachi |
cardamom |
|
Burmese (বর্মী Bormi)
লুঙ্গি lunggi "lungi"
Borrowings from the Mughal era
Arabic (আরবি Arbi)
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আক্কেল akkel |
wisdom |
عقل ‘aql |
| আলাদা alada |
separate |
|
| আসল ashol |
real |
أصل ’aṣl "root" |
| এলাকা elaka |
area |
أﻻﻛﺔ ilākah |
| ওজন ojon |
weight |
وزن wazn "scale" |
| কবর kôbor |
grave |
قبر qubr |
| খবর khôbor |
news |
خبر khabar |
| খালি khali |
empty |
خالي khālī |
| খেয়াল khêal |
consideration |
|
| গরিব gorib |
poor |
غريب gharīb "strange" |
| জবাব jôbab / জওয়াব jôoab |
answer |
جواب jawāb |
| জমা jôma |
collect |
جمع jam‘ |
| জিনিস jinish |
thing |
جنس jins "type, sex" |
| তারিখ tarikh |
date |
تاريخ tārīkh "history, date" |
| দুনিয়া dunia |
world |
دﻧﯿـا dunya |
| নকল nôkol |
fake |
نقل naql |
| ফকির fokir |
poor person |
فقير faqīr |
| বই boi |
book |
|
| বদল bôdol |
exchange |
بدل badl |
| বাকী baki |
remaining |
بقي baqīy |
| মশলা môshla |
spice |
|
| সাহেব shaheb |
sir |
صاحب ṣāḥib "friend" |
| হিসাব hishab / হিসেব hisheb |
calculation |
حساب ḥisāb |
Persian (ফার্সি Farsi)
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আওয়াজ aoaz / aoaj |
sound |
âvâz |
| আন্দাজ andaj |
guess |
|
| আয়না aena |
mirror |
ايينه âyneh |
| আরাম aram |
comfort |
|
| আস্তে aste |
slowly, softly |
اهسته ahisteh "slowly" |
| কাগজ kagoj |
paper |
كاغذ kâghaz |
| খারাপ kharap |
bad |
xarâb |
| খুব khub |
very |
خوب xub "good" |
| গরম gôrom |
hot |
گرم garm |
| চশমা chôshma |
glasses |
چشم chashm "eye" |
| চাকরি chakri |
job |
|
| চাদর chador |
blanket |
چادر châdor |
| জান jan |
dear |
جان jân |
| জায়গা jaega |
place |
جايگاه jâegâh |
| ডেগচি đegchi |
pot |
ديگچه degcheh |
| দম dôm |
breath |
دم dam |
| দেরি deri |
late |
دير der |
| দোকান dokan |
store |
دكان dokân |
| পর্দা pôrda |
curtain |
پرده pardeh |
| বদ bôd |
bad |
بد bad |
| বাগান bagan |
garden |
باغان bâghân |
| বাচ্চা bachchha |
child |
بچه bachcheh |
| মজা môja |
fun |
|
| রাস্তা rasta |
road |
|
| রোজ roj |
everyday |
روز ruz "day" |
| শস্তা shôsta |
inexpensive |
|
| হিন্দু hindu |
Hindu |
هند hind "Sindh", "India" |
Turkish (তুর্কি Turki)
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| উর্দু urdu |
Urdu |
ordu "army" |
| কাঁচি kãchi |
scissors |
|
| কোরমা korma |
korma |
|
| চকমক chôkmôk |
sparkle |
çakmak "flash" |
| দাদা dada |
elder brother |
dede |
| নানী nani |
maternal grandmother |
nine |
| বাবা baba |
father |
baba |
| বাবুর্চি baburchi |
cook, chef |
|
| বেগম begom |
lady |
begüm |
| লাশ lash |
corpse |
|
Borrowings from the Colonial Era
Dutch (ওলন্দাজ Olondaj)
The few borrowings from Dutch remaining in Bengali mostly involve card games.
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| ইস্কাবন ishkabôn / ইশকাপন ishkapôn |
spades |
schoppen |
| ইস্ক্রুপ ishkrup |
screw |
schroef |
| টেক্কা ţêkka |
ace |
|
| তুরুপ turup |
trump |
troef |
| রুইতন ruitôn |
diamonds |
ruiten (lit. "windows") |
| হরতন hôrtôn |
hearts |
harten |
Portuguese (পর্তুগিজ Portugij)
Portuguese borrowings mostly describe household items, fruits, and religious concepts dealing with Catholicism:
Household
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আলমারি almari |
closet, cupboard |
armário |
| ইস্ত্রি istri / ইস্তিরি istiri |
to iron |
estirar |
| ইস্পাত ishpat |
steel |
espada "sword" |
| কামিজ kamiz / kamij |
shirt |
camisa |
| গামলা gamla |
basket |
gamela "wooden trough" |
| চাবি chabi |
key |
chave |
| জানালা janala / জানলা janla |
window |
janela |
| তাবাক tamak |
tobacco |
tobacco |
| তোয়ালিয়া toalia / তোয়ালে toale |
towel |
toalha |
| পেরেক perek |
nail |
prego |
| ফিতা fita / ফিতে phite |
lace, ribbon |
fita |
| বারান্দা baranda |
verandah |
varanda |
| বালতি balti |
pail |
balde |
| বেহালা behala |
viola |
viola |
| বোতাম botam |
button |
botão |
| মেজ mez / mej |
table |
mesa |
| সাবান shaban |
soap |
sabão |
Food
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আতা ata |
custard apple |
ata |
| আনারস anarôsh |
pineapple |
ananás |
| কাজু kaju |
cashew |
caju |
| কপি kopi |
cabbage, cauliflower |
couve |
| পাউ pau |
sliced bread |
pão "bread" |
| পেঁপে pẽpe |
papaya |
papaia |
| পেয়ারা peara |
guava |
pera "pear" |
| সাগু shagu |
sago |
sagu |
| সালাদ salad |
salad |
salada |
Religion
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| ক্রুশ krush |
cross |
cruz |
| গির্জা girja |
church |
igreja |
| যিশু Jishu |
Jesus |
Jesu |
| পাদ্রি padri |
Catholic priest |
padre |
Other
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| ইংরেজ ingrej |
English |
inglês |
French (ফরাসি Fôrashi)
Only a handful of French borrowings are still used in Bengali today.
| Word |
Meaning |
Original form |
| আঁশ ãsh |
plant fiber |
|
| ওলন্দাজ olondaj |
Dutch |
hollandaise |
| কার্তুজ kartuj |
cartridge |
cartouche |
| রেস্তোরাঁ restorã |
restaurant |
restaurant |
| শেমিজ shemiz |
chemise |
chemise "shirt" |
| পাতি pati |
small |
petit |
English (ইংরেজি Ingreji/Ingrishi)
Most borrowed words of European origin in Bengali were imported through English and involve civic and household concepts:
Civic Life
| Word |
Original form |
| আপিস apish / অফিস ôfish |
office |
| জেল jel |
jail |
| ডাক্তার đaktar |
doctor |
| পুলিশ pulish |
police |
| ব্যাংক bêngk |
bank |
| ভোট bhoţ |
vote |
| ইস্কুল iskul / স্কুল skul |
school |
| হাস্পাতাল hashpatal |
hospital |
Household
| Word |
Original form |
| কাপ kap |
cup |
| গ্লাস glash |
glass |
| চেয়ার chear |
chair |
| টেবিল ţebil |
table |
| বাক্স baksho |
box |
| লণ্ঠন lônţhôn |
lantern |
| গাড়ি gaŗi |
car |
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