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Well-travelled words: 10 words from around the world

The Macquarie Dictionary collects all manner of Aussie colloquialisms, mannerisms, slang, and more.

Yet there will always be an inevitable influence on our language from outside our island home.

From moped to kindergarten and did someone say all you can eat buffet? Here are 10 words that have travelled from afar and landed on our shores from different languages all over the world.

Do you know any words that we use here in Australia that travelled from afar? Let us know in the comments below!

  

 

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words moped - Swedish, from (tramp-cykel med) mo(tor och) ped(aler) pedal cycle with engine and pedals

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words lemon - Middle English lymon, from Old French limon, from Arabic, Persian līmūn

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words ballet - French, from Italian balletto, diminutive of ballo ball

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words avatar - Hindi (from Sanskrit) avatār

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words kindergarten - German: literally, children's garden; coined by German educational reformer Friedrich Froebel, 1782–1852

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words tofu- Japanese tōfu, from Middle Chinese, compare Mandarin dòufu, literally, fermented bean

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words hoi polloi - Greek 'oi the + polloi many

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words canyon - Spanish cañón tube, from caña, from Latin canna reed

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words buffet - French: originally, chair, table

Macquarie Dictionary well travelled words safari - Swahili, from Arabic

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