Happy translation accidents

"Algorithm" was a person? These words were born from misheard terms

Image: Matt Popovich

Some words entered the English language with a twist. Originally uttered in Chinese, Quechua, Latin, and many more languages, the terms were misheard, reshaped, and incorporated into local versions. These quirky accidents reveal how human ears left their mark on the words we still use every day. Let’s look at the list!

Image: Shelly Collins

When Spanish explorers in the New World encountered the reptile, they called it el lagarto, meaning "the lizard."

English settlers misheard the phrase, folding the article "el" into the word itself, resulting in "alligator."

Image: Markus Spiske

A popular term nowadays! The English "algorithm" traces back to the Persian mathematician al-Khwārizmī (Algoritmi), whose works reached Europe in Latin translation.

The name was misread and reinterpreted as if it were a common noun. Over time, scholars began to use "algorism" for arithmetic rules, later morphing into algorithm.

Image: Madison Oren

Far from having been born in English-speaking lands, ketchup has roots in the Hokkien Chinese word kê-tsiap, a fermented fish sauce.

The term traveled through trade routes to Malay and then into English, where it was misheard and reshaped. Early English "catchup" and "ketchup" referred to various savory sauces, not tomatoes at all. Only later did the tomato version dominate in America.

Image: Greg Johnson

Another example of misheard Spanish terms! When observing storms at sea, Spanish sailors would use the words tronada (thunderstorm) or tornar (to turn). Of course, English speakers blended and misheard these terms, producing it "tornado."

Over time, the English version stuck, even though it was never a "correct" borrowing to refer to the spinning phenomenon.

Image: Mae Mu

Cherry arrived in English from Old Northern French cherise, which itself came from Latin cerasum. The original word already had an "s" at the end, but when English speakers heard cherise, they thought it was plural.

They chopped it down into "cherry" for the singular, creating a new form by mistake.

Image: Rachael Gorjestani

In a similar way, we created the word "pea." Originally, English borrowed the word "pease" for the vegetable, taken from Latin pisum through French. Pease was a mass noun, like "rice," but English speakers mistook the final s for a plural.

To "correct" it, they created a new singular form: pea.

Image: Dirk Ribbler

Avocado began with the Nahuatl word ahuacatl, which meant both "avocado" and "testicle," a nod to the fruit’s shape. Spanish speakers turned it into aguacate, which English ears later misheard and mangled into… avocado.

Image: Alex Bayev

Jerky comes from the Quechua word ch’arki, meaning dried, salted meat. Spanish colonizers carried it into their language as charqui, which then reached English explorers and settlers, who made it into their own language.

Image: Pawel Czerwinski

The word "junk" began in English as a nautical borrowing. Portuguese and Dutch sailors used junco or jong from Malay, referring to a large Asian ship.

English speakers misheard and simplified the term into "junk." Eventually, "junk" broadened to mean old rope scraps, and then worthless odds and ends.

Image: Yulia Ilina

Hickory traces back to the Algonquian word pawcohiccora. It described a nut-based drink made from pounding hickory nuts, but English settlers found the long native word difficult to pronounce.

They clipped it down to "hiccora" and eventually "hickory."

Image: Neil Kami

The word "ammunition" is a reshaped version of the French la munition (military supplies). Much like the case for "alligator," this is an example of a word that took the leading article too seriously.

Early English speakers misheard the French article "la" as part of the word itself. This turned munition into ammunition, a form that then gained a life of its own in English.

Deep roots

11 everyday words with indigenous roots

English is a very welcoming language in the sense that it incorporates terms from many other languages from all over the world. And, as it couldn’t be otherwise, Native American languages have lent many of their words and terms to English speakers. Some traveled through Spanish or French before settling into English, and others arrived directly through early contact and trade, helping shape the way we speak today. Did you know about these 11 terms?

The word "canoe" comes from the Taino term canoa, which was first used by Caribbean islanders long before Europeans arrived. Early explorers adopted it to describe the slim, sturdy boats they saw.

Over time, "canoe" became the standard English word for a small paddled craft. Today it still carries that sense of simplicity and closeness to nature.

The word "barbecue" comes from barbacoa, another Taino term for a wooden frame used for cooking meat over fire. Europeans adopted it and applied it to both the method and the gathering itself.

Today, "barbecue" means everything from a backyard cookout to a regional cooking style. Its origins highlight the deep culinary influence of Native Americans in the nation's current culture.

"Skunk" comes from the Algonquian word squnk, which means "urinating fox" (quite a fitting term, indeed). This was an obvious reference to the animal’s strong defensive spray. Early settlers adopted the term directly.

Since English had no better name for the creature, the Native word stuck. Today, the word skunks is also used as playful slang.

The word "moose" originates from Eastern Abenaki, a part of the Algonquian family, where it meant "he strips off bark." Yes, it described the animal’s habit of tearing bark from trees.

The name entered English quickly because settlers relied on Native knowledge of local fauna. The word remains unchanged because of its accuracy and usefulness.

"Raccoon" comes from the Powhatan word arakun, meaning "he scratches with his hands." It described the animal’s clever, humanlike front paws.

Settlers adopted the term because it captured the creature’s behavior beautifully. Today, the raccoon is used as a household symbol of curiosity, not unlike the animal itself.

The term "chipmunk" most probably comes from the Ojibwe word ajidamoo, which means "one who descends trees headfirst." Early English settlers adapted the sound into today’s form.

Though the spelling changed over time, the lively image of a chipmunk racing down a tree face-first stayed.

The word "caribou" comes from the Mi’kmaq term qalipu, which means "snow shoveler," referring to the animal’s habit of digging through snow for food.

French settlers brought the word into English, keeping its descriptive nature. The name still connects the modern animal to the winter landscapes it belongs to.

"Totem" comes from the Ojibwe word ototeman, which means "kinship group." It described symbols representing clans and shared roots.

English adopted it to describe carved poles and symbolic elements. Though broader in modern usage, it still hints at the original sense of community, identity, and heritage.

"Coyote" comes from the Nahuatl word coyōtl, which was used by Indigenous tribes of central Mexico. Spanish speakers adopted it, and English borrowed later.

The word kept its meaning, and it remains one of the most direct links between the English language and Nahuatl.

The tasty avocado’s name traces to the Nahuatl word ahacatl, which refers to the fruit and to a body part as well. Spanish speakers transformed it into aguacate.

Later on, English speakers adapted it to avocado. While the name sounds contemporary and culinary, it has ancient Native roots.

The last Nahuatl word and also the last word on the list comes from the term xocolātl, which describes a bitter cacao drink that was consumed long before Europeans arrived in America. The name traveled from Spanish to English.

Though the product changed dramatically, the word survived. Today, chocolate is a universal symbol of sweetness, with rich and deeply indigenous roots.