Revealed: English as a language of foreign imports

Booze, dollar and bungalow are all familiar words in the English language. But a new exhibition shows how many have been adopted from abroad.

A list, created by the British Council, is part of The English Effect, opening tomorrow and exploring the impact of the English language around the world.

Booze, today slang for alcohol, originates from the Medieval Dutch word “busen”, which means “to drink to excess”. It was first used in English by thieves and beggars of the 1500s before spreading to the wider population.

Dollar, a word synonymous with America’s financial power, entered the language as a corruption of the German word thaler, the name given to coins minted in 16th-century Bohemia.

Contrary to the myth that the word bungalow came from a builder being told to “bung a low roof” on, it came from the Bengali region where it was used to describe one-storey homes built for early European immigrants, meaning “belonging to Bengal”.

John Worne, director of strategy at the British Council, said: “Many of our most popular and evocative English words — words we couldn’t live without — came from other countries and cultures. When we look at their roots, we get a fascinating insight into how the language has been influenced throughout its history.

“English is not just our language — it truly belongs to the whole world, and brings real benefits to anyone who can speak it. Even a few words can bring work, a job or new opportunities.”

The English Effect exhibition runs until June 29 at the British Council headquarters near Charing Cross. It examines why English is one of the UK’s great assets, with three zones exploring the impact on the economy, its effect on individuals and its status as a global language.

The exhibition uses graphics, Twitter and video to explore the English language.

It will also include a “talking wall” with stories by English speakers from other countries including former Chelsea footballer Didier Drogba, where visitors will be able to write or tweet their own stories to be added to the wall.

The exhibition is open from Monday to Friday between 10am and 4pm, and Saturday between 10am and noon. Admission is free.

Dollar from the German “thaler”, a 16th-century type of coin

Booze from the Dutch “busen”, meaning to drink to excess

Bungalow from Hindi or Bengali for “a house in the Bengali style”

Tomato From Mexico — the Nahuatl word “tomatl” — the swelling fruit

Zombie from West Africa, via the Caribbean, variously a voodoo snake or god

Vampire from the Serbian “vampir”

Parka Russian word meaning “a jacket made from pelt”

Shampoo from the Hindi “champo”, originally a full body massage

Magazine from the Arabic “makhazin” meaning a storehouse

Avatar from the Sanskrit “avatarana”, a deity descended to earth in human form