The word journey

Ever had that “I’ve been here before” feeling? Déjà vu

Just like a bride is traditionally given something "borrowed" on her wedding day, our everyday speech is full of words borrowed from other languages. We use them to describe everything from that café you love to the strange feeling that you’ve experienced something before, and even those irritating mosquitoes. Get ready for some big surprises as we uncover 10 words that have slipped into our vocabulary from other languages.

Here is a word that describes something we all use very often (or at least we hope so): "shampoo," which comes from the Hindi word chāmpo, which means "press" or "massage."

Originally, in 18th-century India, chāmpo referred to the practice of massaging the head and body, often with oils. British travelers encountered the practice in India and brought the word back to Britain in the 18th century. In English, its meaning gradually shifted from massage to the washing of the hair. Talk about a transformation.

"Zzzzzzzzzzzz"- the sound that can turn a peaceful night into an exercise in frustration. The term to describe this annoying fellow, mosquito, entered the English language from Spanish in the 16th century, meaning "little fly."It comes from Spanish mosca, meaning "fly," with the diminutive ending -ito, meaning "little."

Put them together, and you get a surprisingly cute name for one of nature’s most irritating creatures, making it a very tiny word for such a big annoyance.

Take another sip of your coffee before continuing your reading. The word café may look unmistakably French, but its linguistic journey is much longer. The French borrowed café to mean both coffee and the place where it is served. They got it from the Italian caffè, which was borrowed from Ottoman Turkish kahve. That word ultimately traces back to Arabic qahwa, a word associated with coffee and possibly with an older term for wine or another stimulating drink.

Eventually, café came to refer not only to the drink but also to the places where people gathered to enjoy it. Today, it can mean a coffee shop, a small restaurant, or simply a place to sit, sip, and watch the world go by. Without a doubt, this seems to be a very sexy word everyone wants to say, no matter the location or the moment in time.

Do you like where you live? How would you describe it? If your idea of the perfect home includes one story, plenty of fresh air, and perhaps a welcoming porch, you already know the word: bungalow. The word comes from Hindi bangla, meaning "Bengalese," referring to a house built in the style of Bengal.

The term was used in Anglo-Indian English by the late 17th century to describe low, often thatched one-story houses with verandas. Eventually, both the word and the architectural style traveled far beyond India. All the way from Bengal straight to your backyard.

It’s a bizarre feeling; there’s no doubt about that, but chances are you’ve experienced it: that uncanny sensation that what is happening right now has somehow happened before. Déjà vu is a French loanword that literally translates to "already seen." It describes the feeling that a present situation is strangely familiar, even though you know you haven’t experienced it before.

The expression entered English around 1903, after becoming established in French discussions of the strange sensation. Today, it remains one of those wonderfully useful expressions for a feeling that is difficult to explain in just a few English words. Have you ever had that feeling at all?

If you like surprises, you’re in for a good one. This word has opposing meanings intertwined in its origin. The word piano comes from the Italian word pianoforte, which roughly means "soft-loud": piano means soft, while forte means loud.

The instrument was originally named gravicembalo col piano e forte by Bartolomeo Cristofori, who developed the instrument around 1700. Unlike earlier keyboard instruments, it allowed players to control the volume by varying how hard they struck the keys. The name eventually became simply piano. A name born from two opposing sounds: soft and loud.

Swahili might sound like a very distant language, but you definitely know the Lion King song "Hakuna Matata," and yes, you guessed it, it comes from Swahili (and it means "no worries"). The word "safari" also comes from Swahili, and it means "journey" or "trip." It ultimately comes from the Arabic safar, meaning "journey" or "travel."

English eventually adopted safari as a word for an expedition, especially one involving travel through Africa, and today, we most often associate it with wildlife viewing. Not every safari involves a lion (unless you want it to).

We all know Italians are famous for bringing a certain flair to food, music, art, and life. And one Italian word captures that spirit beautifully: gusto. Gusto is borrowed from Italian gusto, meaning "taste," and English uses it to describe enthusiastic enjoyment, energy, or relish. An example of how to use it could be: "She sang the song with great gusto."

The Italian word ultimately comes from Latin gustus, meaning "a tasting," making it a little word with a lot of enthusiasm.

Karaoke nights definitely aren’t for the faint-hearted, but for those of you brave enough to sing your heart out in front of friends and strangers, let's look at how we came to say it. The word karaoke literally translates from Japanese as "empty orchestra."

Here is the surprising part: the Japanese word itself contains a shortened form of the English word "orchestra." Kara means "empty," while oke comes from ōkesutora, the Japanese adaptation of "orchestra." This makes karaoke a fascinating example of wasei-eigo, which are Japanese words or expressions created using English elements. English later borrowed the finished word right back. It seems like English went to Japan and came back again singing.

The word tsunami comes from the Japanese words tsu (meaning harbor) and nami (meaning wave). In other words (since we are talking about words), it literally means "harbor wave." It reflects how these waves can have devastating effects when they reach coastal areas and harbors.

The term first appeared in English texts around September 1896 in National Geographic Magazine to describe a devastating wave striking Japan. Curiously, English speakers usually drop the initial "t" sound, pronouncing it sunami instead of the strict Japanese tsunami, because English does not naturally start words with a "ts" sound.

Deathbed statements

Beyond the grave: Take a look at the last words of 12 famous people

Image: Daderot, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Throughout history, hundreds of historical figures have left their mark on the world through their marvelous achievements. When their lives came to an end, their last words were often a reflection of their lives and ideals. From George Washington and Mark Twain to Frank Sinatra and Leonardo Da Vinci, in this article, we will reveal 12 final words of memorable personalities.

Image: The New York Public Library

After serving two terms as the United State's first president, George Washington retired to his Virginia plantation. In mid-December 1799, he developed a cold and a severe sore throat. Despite doctors' efforts to cure him, the end was imminent.

His long-time secretary, Tobias Lear, was at his side during his last days and documented all the events that transpired, including the former president's last words. According to his account, shortly before he took his last breath George Washington said "Tis well" —an old-fashioned way of saying "everything is okay."

Image: Signal Corps Archive from United States, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Noir icon of perpetual elegance and rebellious charisma, Humphrey Bogart is an undisputed legend in cinema history. A Hollywood Golden Age star, Bogart is still remembered today for his scar on his upper lip, his everlasting cigarette, and his perfect portrayal of gangsters and detectives.

At the age of 57 Bogart was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, for which he was hospitalized for several months. According to lore, the legendary star's last words were "I should never have switched from scotch to martinis." However, his wife Lauren Bacall confirmed that the last thing he actually said was "Goodbye Kid. Hurry back," before she left his bedside to get their children.

Image: Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As one of the greatest American writers of all time, Mark Twain is usually credited with all sorts of great quotes that he often didn't say. For that reason, there are different versions of what his last words were before he died in 1910 at the age of 74.

The most plausible theory can be found in an article published one day after his death. According to this chronicle, Samuel Langhorne Clemens' last words were not spoken aloud but written. The famous humorist and essayist reportedly wrote to his daughter Clara, who accompanied him on his bedside, "Give me my glasses."

Image: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Joan Crawford, the Oscar winner for Mildred Pierce and one of the greatest stars of Hollywood's golden age, died in 1977 of a heart attack.

The actress, who had a complicated personality, was true to her nature until her last breath. She was so ill that her doctor felt it wasn’t worth taking her to the hospital. One of her nurses began to pray aloud in desperation. Losing her patience, Crawford snapped for the last time and said, "Damn it... Don't you dare ask God to help me."

Image: Municipal Library of Trento, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The year 2024 marked the 700th anniversary of the death of the man who better described remote lands. Marco Polo was a merchant who spent more than 20 years of his life traveling through the Orient and wrote about his adventures in a book that became a bestseller when the printing press wasn’t even invented.

Marco Polo was, and still is, a legend. When, on his deathbed, his wife and friends begged the brave explorer to confess if what he had told in the book was true, he barely whispered: "I have not told the half of what I saw and did."

Image: MGM, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Julius Henry Marx, better known as Groucho Marx, is considered one of the most influential comedians of all time. The man with the bushy black mustache was one of the Marx Brothers. Together they made 13 films, including the classic Duck Soup. After a long and prominent career, Groucho passed away in Los Angeles in 1977 at the age of 86.

His brilliant one-liners are still remembered and replayed to this day, so it is not surprising that not one but several final words are attributed to him. A few close friends have suggested that his last line was "This is no way to live!", while most suggest that his last words were in fact dedicated to his wife: "Die, my dear? Why, that's the last thing I'll do!"

Image: Nicolas de Largillière, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Voltaire, the French writer, philosopher, historian, and lawyer, one of the major figures of the Enlightenment, died in 1778 at the age of 83. Different accounts of his deathbed make it impossible to determine exactly what his last days were like.

One of these stories, however, is consistent with his ideas about God and his well-known criticism of the Church. According to this version, when the priest asked him if he wanted to renounce Satan before he died, Voltaire replied, "This is no time to make new enemies."

Image: William Wallace Denslow, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

L. Frank Baum was a prolific American author. He wrote 55 novels, 82 short stories, and more than 200 poems. However, his most memorable work is his series of children's fantasy books The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On May 5, 1919, Baum suffered a heart attack. He died the next day, shortly before his 63rd birthday. Disturbed by the imminence of death, he whispered to his wife: "Now we can cross the Shifting Sands," a clear reference to the Land of Oz.

Image: National Archaeological Museum of Athens, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Augustus, the first Roman emperor, is often attributed with the phrase: "Behold, I found Rome of clay, and leave her to you of marble," alluding to the great infrastructural works carried out during his prosperous 40 years of rule.

However, according to other historical accounts, his last words were addressed to the friends who stayed with him on his deathbed: "Have I played the part well? Then applaud, as I exit."

Image: English: Distributed by NBC. Photographer unknown., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

"Darling, you've gone through worse and you can beat this too. You have to fight," implored Barbara Marx, Frank Sinatra's fourth wife, to her beloved on his deathbed. "I'm losing," The Voice whispered through teary eyes.

Barbara recounted the last hours of the singer of such hits as My Way and New York, New York in her memoir Lady Blue Eyes: My Life With Frank. Frank Sinatra, one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century, pronounced his last words in 1998 at the age of 82.

Image: Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Despite being one of the most famous artists of the Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci was very hard on himself. All his life he challenged his own limits, evident in his paintings and sculptures as well as in his inventions, some of which were truly revolutionary.

Even after a lifetime of success, he wasn’t quite satisfied. When he suffered a stroke at the age of 67, he sent for a priest to receive the Holy Sacrament and, according to historians, his greatest regret was that he hadn’t achieved excellence with his work. In that sense, it is said that his last words were: "I have offended God and mankind because my work did not reach the quality it should have."

Image: National Museum of Health and Medicine, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The Yankee Clipper was one of the greatest baseball players of all time but he is also known for having been married to the iconic American actress Marilyn Monroe. Joe and Marilyn were together for less than three years. In 1955 the actress left him for American playwright Arthur Miller.

DiMaggio was devastated. He never married again, and never got over his one true love. His last words before he died in 1999 at the age of 84 were: "I'll finally get to see Marilyn."