Vocabulary.
"It's only words, but words are all I have, to take your heart away.
The Bee Gees.

English is good at taking words from other languages and using them when there is no word in English to do the job. Linguists call these words "borrowed" words. ( But this does not mean that we intend to give them back! ) Below are some words from other countries. First try to guess where the word came from, and what it means. Then do the exercises on the next page.

1. Khaki

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
An old house
Dust-coloured
A broken egg

2. Simpatico

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
Easy to get on with
Simple, primitive
A sweet cake

3. Siesta

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
An afternoon sleep
An unmarried woman
Goat's milk

4. Tycoon

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
A tropical storm
A powerful businessman
A mouse's tail

5. Pow-wow

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
A fight
A large gun
A conference

6. Angst

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
A shoe box
Unhappiness and fear
A bad habit

7. Mea Culpa

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
My fault
A bee that doesn't make honey
Rotten fruit

8. Nadir

This word is from [.....]
It means: [.....]
A prince
A young donkey
The lowest point