Most of the English language does not come from England.
We stole our words from your languages!
Here are some English words sent by readers which which have entered into English.
From Persian – pajama
From Czech – pistol
From French – buffet
From Greek – economy
From Serbo-Croatian – cravat
From Italian – Bravo!
From Albanian – fig
From Estonian – Skype
The Most Famous Word Theft
Once upon a time in America, mothers asked their children “How was your day at… at… “
But they could never finish the question because they didn’t have the right word.
They had “elementary school” and “high school” and “college.”
But when children were too young for regular school… there was no word for this place!
A mob of angry mothers marched on Washington and demanded a new word.
So President Rutherford B. Hayes sent a spy to Europe.
The spy’s ship landed in Hamburg, Germany.
And after a short investigation, he decided to steal the German word “kindergarten.”
He hid the word inside a can of coffee so the German Shepards at the border couldn’t smell it, and he brought it back to America.
And that’s why American mothers today send their children to kindergarten.
True story!
Dear Mr Vig, you are a great Teacher!
Thanks!
Hi ! Ryan
Very interesting your stories!
Have a nice weekend !
I like the story. I think that Americans are very weird. Another culture, but I want to meet you. This is the reason because I want ot speak fluently.
Very , interesting Mr Vig.
It was very interesting Vitamin Week.
Thank you!
Have a nice weekend in your lovely Prague!
In Italy there are 5000 words that end up with “are” to witch it suffices to change the final ending and become English words.
I found out in Texas when I went to visit my son and his family.
I would like to improve my English and be more fluent to find what they are!
Great story! 😆 Thank you very much!
Have a nice weekend!!!🌹
Nice true story! 🙂 Good night.
Interesting story !!!
Thank you !!!
Very interesting mr. Vig!
I like your stories very much!
Ryan,
Thank you for your funny stories! I like to read them.
(I think everybody has to learn some grammar, especially in the begining.)
Best regards, Eva Jel., CR
This ir a perfect case!I have never heard about it yet.
Thank you so much for this story
Really, that’s the true story?! 😃
An American spy, sent by the president, stolen this word and hid it in a can of coffee? 😄 Thanks for sharing.
But I wonder why Americans didn’t create their own word for kindergarten?
Dear Ryan, thank you for your beautiful, sensible stories!
Interesting to know🤗🌴
from Latin a.m. (ante meridiem) p.m. (post meridiem)
I was sure that also the word “plus” was from Latin (and I still find terrible hearing the sound “plas” instead of “plus”), but a girl showed me that in truth this word is from the middle age English, not from Latin. So go on pronouncing it “plas” (blah!)
Thank you very much for all these short stories.They are unknown,interesting
and I learn so much.They makes me happy and makes me laugh.You are Cool!!!
I have known that over 30% of words in the English language are of French origin.
Some Czech pistol is in the top 10 or 20 in the world.
Hello Rayen.It’s a good one 😁 !Enjoy our lovely Prague.
З
I wounder if the word ,,creche,, is used in America
In Russian this word is the same ,,kindergarten,,..
but only for every young children, after 6 month
It’s interesting story.I didn’t know that you can stole a word in a can of coffee.
Thank you for yor story.
Thank you very much!
Nice weekend to all. Funny stories. Thanks🤗👍🙏
Hi,
today I finally found a stolen word from my language- compote, in Slovene is kompot.
Have a nice day.
Thanks ! Super Story !
Wat a funy story but it is really true not only in english but this happens in many other laguages. Using foreing words is very common.!
Fanny, nice and interesting!
amazing story. I didnt know that the word “kindergarden” stolen from Germany with this way to hid the word inside to can of coffee