Which word exemplifies a loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact?

Unlock all questions

This demo includes only 20 questions. Upgrade to access hundreds of questions, flashcards, exam simulations, and disable ads.

Full question bankExam simulationsFlashcards

From $24.99Unlock all

Prepare for the AQA A-level English Language Test. Study with interactive quizzes on language change, complete with detailed explanations. Get ahead in your exam preparation today!

Multiple Choice

Which word exemplifies a loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact?

The main idea here is how words enter English from Hindi or Urdu during colonial contact. Pajama fits this pattern because it comes from Hindustani pājāma (ultimately from Persian), referring to loose trousers worn in South Asia and borrowed into English in the 18th–19th centuries. In English usage today it has generalized to the sleepwear we call pajamas. The other options don’t match this Hindi/Urdu origin: curry comes to English via Tamil (not directly through Hindi or Urdu), while summit and parable come from French/Latin and Greek, respectively. So pajama is the loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact.

Which word exemplifies a loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact?

Prepare for the AQA A-level English Language Test. Study with interactive quizzes on language change, complete with detailed explanations. Get ahead in your exam preparation today!

Which word exemplifies a loanword from Hindi or Urdu brought into English through colonial contact?

Get the latest from Passetra