Loanwords & native alternatives

The most commonly used foreign words in Hebrew, Arabic, and Amharic, paired with native alternatives. Includes modern high-frequency loans (telefon, otobus, kafe, internet, banṭalūn, bank) alongside classical Aramaic/Greek/Persian layers. Hebrew entries draw on the Academy of the Hebrew Language's terminology database and iEdit's curated list. Some alternatives — machshev, mazgan, ramzor, kaspomat, Arabic hātif — are Academy coinings that WON and are now the standard word. Others (Hebrew saḥ-rachokfor "telephone") failed completely.

attested— actually usedarchaic— used historically, now rareimagined— purely coined here
(native alphabet is always shown; toggle the transliteration)

Hebrewhe

Hebrew has three major loan strata: Aramaic (deeply integrated, especially in rabbinic texts), Greek/Latin (mostly through Roman-era Palestine), and Modern Hebrew's ubiquitous English/French/Arabic borrowings. Ben-Yehuda and later coiners drew on native Biblical roots to produce hundreds of replacements — many are now standard.

אבאabba"father"
from Aramaic אבא abba
אבavattested

Biblical Hebrew *ʔab-, the direct native form. Still used but less colloquial.

אמאimma"mother"
from Aramaic אמא imma
אםemattested

Biblical Hebrew *ʔum(m)-. Used but less colloquial.

לבנהlabneh"strained yogurt"
from Arabic لبنة labneh
לָבְנַהlavnahimagined

Reflex-adapted: Arabic لبنة labneh → apply begadkefat *b→v after vowel → lavnah.

ג'יבנהjibneh"cheese"
from Colloquial Arabic جبنة jibneh
גבינהgvinahattested

Reflex-adapted: apply *b→v spirantization. The actual standard Hebrew word.

מגדלmigdal"tower"
from Aramaic-influenced form
מגדלmigdalattested

Actually native from Biblical Hebrew ג-ד-ל 'grow'. Both forms coexist.

אינטרנט"internet"
from English internet
מרשתתmireshetattested

Native from רשת 'net' + prefix mi- + geminate. Academy of Hebrew coining, rarely used in practice.

טלפון"telephone"
from Greek τηλέφωνον via European languages
שח-רחוקsah-rachokimagined

שח 'speech' + רחוק 'distant'. Imagined native calque of tele+phone.

קומפיוטר"computer"
from English computer
מחשבmachshevattested

Native from ח-ש-ב 'think, calculate' + mishqal ma-CCēC. The Academy coining WON — standard modern word.

טלוויזיה"television"
from French télévision
מִרְאָהrachokimagined

מראה 'sight, view' + rachok 'distant'. Imagined native calque.

אוטובוס"bus"
from French autobus
רב-רכבrav-rekhevimagined

רב 'many' + רכב 'vehicle'. Imagined native compound.

פלטיןpalatin"palace"
from Greek παλάτιον palation
ארמוןarmonattested

Native from ר-מ-ה 'lift, exalt' (via metathesis). Standard Hebrew word.

סנהדרין"council, court"
from Greek συνέδριον synedrion
מועצהmoetsaattested

Native from י-ע-ץ 'counsel' + mishqal mo-C(C)a. Modern Hebrew for 'council'.

אלרגיהalergya"allergy"
from English/German 'allergy'
רַגֶּשֶׁתrageshetattested

Academy coining from ר-ג-ש 'feel' + segolate CaCCēCet pattern. The native form is documented but the loan alergya remains more common in daily speech.

היררכיהhiyerarkhya"hierarchy"
from Greek ἱεραρχία via European languages
מִדְרָגmidragattested

Academy coining from ד-ר-ג 'grade, step' + mishqal mif'āl. Actively used in academic writing.

פלצבוplatsebo"placebo"
from Latin placebo 'I shall please'
תְּרוּפַת דֶּמֶהtrufat demeattested

Native compound: תרופה 'medicine' + construct + דמה 'imitation'. Literally 'imitation-medicine'.

אאוטפוטoutput"output"
from English 'output'
תְּפוּקָהtfukaattested

From נ-פ-ק 'issue, come out' + qtīlā feminine deverbal pattern. Standard in economics and engineering.

אסקפיזםeskapizm"escapism"
from English 'escapism'
בּוֹרְחָנוּתborḥanutattested

Native from ב-ר-ח 'flee' + agentive -ān + abstract -ūt. Structurally 'fleer-ness'.

סובלימציהsublimatsya"sublimation (psychology)"
from Latin sublimare via European languages
עִדּוּןiddunattested

Native from ע-ד-ן 'refine, delight' + piʿel-verbal-noun pattern. Used in Freudian discussions in Hebrew.

גלאוקומהglaukoma"glaucoma (eye disease)"
from Greek γλαύκωμα 'clouding'
בַּרְקִיתbarkitattested

From ב-ר-ק 'shine, flash' + -it suffix. Academy coining for the eye condition, referencing the visual disturbance.

צנטריפוגהtsentrifuga"centrifuge"
from Latin centri- + fuga 'flee'
סַרְכֶּזֶתsarketzetattested

Portmanteau native from סר 'turn' + מרכז 'center' + segolate -et. Academy coining.

טרנספירציהtranspiratsya"transpiration (biology)"
from Latin transpiratio
דִּיּוּתdiyutattested

Native from an extended root, deverbal abstract -ūt. Academy coining for the botanical process.

בונקרbunker"bunker, fortified shelter"
from German/English 'bunker'
בֶּצֶרbetserimagined

Biblical Hebrew ב-צ-ר 'fortify', citing the Biblical city of refuge (Josh 20:8).

בִּצָּרוֹןbitsaronimagined

From ב-צ-ר + -ōn, cf. Zech 9:12 'strongholds'.

מִבְצוֹרmivtsorimagined

From same root using the mistor 'hiding place' pattern.

מזגןmazgan"air conditioner"
from actually native — but replaced English 'air conditioner'
מַזְגָּןmazganattested

Academy coining from מ-ז-ג 'blend, temper' + mishqal -gan (like מטבחן). WON completely — standard word.

כספומטkaspomat"ATM, cash machine"
from actually native — but replaced English 'ATM'
כַּסְפּוֹמָטkaspomatattested

Portmanteau of כסף kesef 'money' + automat suffix. WON — the standard word.

רמזורramzor"traffic light"
from actually native — but replaced 'signal/traffic light'
רַמְזוֹרramzorattested

Portmanteau of רמז 'hint, signal' + אור 'light'. WON — standard.

מסךmasakh"screen (display/curtain)"
from actually native — replaced 'screen'
מָסָךְmasakhattested

From Biblical מ-ס-ך 'curtain, cover' (Ex 26:36). Extended to modern display screens; WON.

מקלדתmikledet"keyboard"
from actually native — replaced 'keyboard'
מִקְלֶדֶתmikledetattested

From קליד 'key' + mishqal miCCeCet (instrument feminine). Coined for the piano keyboard, extended to computers. WON.

דוא"לdual"email"
from actually native — replaced 'email'
דוא"לdualattested

Abbreviation of דואר אלקטרוני doar elektroni 'electronic mail'. Native דואר from Aramaic דוֹאָרָא. WON — standard.

אתרatar"website"
from actually native — replaced 'website/site'
אֲתָרatarattested

Native Aramaic-origin 'place, site' (Biblical Aramaic Ezr 5:15). Extended to websites. WON.

טלפוןtelefon"telephone"
from Greek τηλέφωνον via European languages
שַׂח-רָחוֹקsach-rachokarchaic

Academy attempt: שח 'speech' + רחוק 'distant' — a direct calque of Greek tele- + phono-. FAILED completely; nobody uses it. Instead the Hebrew accepted t-l-f-n as a native-like root.

ניידnayad"mobile phone"
from actually native — replaced 'mobile/cellular'
נַיָּדnayadattested

From נ-ו-ד 'move, wander' + qattāl pattern (nomen agentis). WON — standard, and the verb לְטַלְפֵּן letalfen 'to phone' now uses the accepted telfen root.

טלפוןtelefon"telephone"
from Greek τηλέφωνον via European languages
נַיָּדnayadattested

For 'mobile'; native from נ-ו-ד. Won for the specific mobile-phone meaning; landline 'telefon' remains the loan.

אוטובוסotobus"bus"
from French autobus
רב-קוrav-qavattested

Native compound: 'many-line'. Actually a proper name for Israel's transit smart-card system, not a general 'bus' word.

קפהkafe"coffee (also café)"
from Turkish kahve < Arabic qahwa
בית קפהattested

Native compound bayit 'house' + kafe. But 'kafe' itself is the loanword. Coffee has no ancient Hebrew word — it entered the region in the Ottoman period.

פיצהpizza"pizza"
from Italian
—imagined

No native alternative; pizza is universally borrowed.

ג'ינסjeans"jeans (denim trousers)"
from English
מכנסי ג'ינסmikhnesey jeansattested

Hybrid: native mikhnasayim 'trousers' + loan. No fully-native alternative — the item is imported.

אוקייOK"OK, alright"
from English
בסדרbesederattested

Native standard. Also טוב tov 'good' works.

אינטרנטinternet"internet"
from English
מרשתתmireshetattested

Academy coining from רשת 'net' + prefix mi- + geminate. Rarely used in practice — the loan won.

Arabicar

Modern Standard Arabic has an active Language Academy tradition that coins native replacements from classical roots. Many replacements (hātif, ḥāsūb, šābika) are now standard alongside the transliterated European forms.

تلفونtilifūn"telephone"
from Greek/European telephone
هاتفhātifattested

Native from ه-ت-ف 'to call out, address'. The Academy coining is fully standard.

كومبيوترkombiyūtar"computer"
from English computer
حاسوبḥāsūbattested

Native from ح-س-ب 'to count, reckon' + mishqal fāʿūl. Now standard in formal Arabic.

إنترنتintərnet"internet"
from English internet
شابكةšābikaattested

Native from ش-ب-ك 'to net, entangle' + active participle fāʿila. Modern Academy coining.

ديوانdīwān"council, register, poetry collection"
from Persian دیوان dīwān
مجلسmajlisattested

Native from ج-ل-س 'to sit' + mishqal maf'il. Both terms are used, majlis for 'council' primarily.

بستانbustān"garden, orchard"
from Persian بستان bostān
حديقةḥadīqaattested

Native from ح-د-ق 'enclose'. Now the standard 'garden' word in most Arabic dialects.

قصرqaṣr"palace, castle"
from Latin castrum via Aramaic
دارdārattested

Native root د-و-ر 'turn, rotate' → 'dwelling'. Used more broadly for 'house, dwelling'.

تلفزيونtilfazyūn"television"
from French télévision
مِرْآةmiryātimagined

Native from ر-أ-ي 'see' + mishqal mif'āl. Imagined native calque.

بنطلونbanṭalūn"trousers, pants"
from French pantalon
سِرْوَالsirwālattested

Native root — 'traditional loose trousers'. Standard alternative for pants but has a folk-dress connotation.

قميصqamīṣ"shirt"
from Latin camisia via Aramaic
—attested

Universally borrowed; entered Arabic so long ago it feels native. Modern Standard Arabic accepts it.

بوليسbūlīs"police"
from French police
شرطةšurṭaattested

Native from ش-ر-ط 'stipulation, condition'. Standard MSA — has completely displaced būlīs in formal writing.

فيلمfilm"film, movie"
from English film
شريطsinemāʔīattested

Native but analytical: 'cinematic strip'. Loan wins in daily use.

بنكbank"bank"
from Italian banco via European
مَصْرِفmaṣrifattested

Native from ص-ر-ف 'exchange, spend' + mishqal maf'il. Fully standard alternative in MSA.

أوتيلʔūtīl"hotel"
from French hôtel
فُنْدُقfunduqattested

Native root — 'inn, hotel'. Standard MSA. Historical root from Greek πάνδοκος but naturalized so early it's treated as native.

راديوrādyo"radio"
from English radio
مِذْيَاعmiḏyāʿattested

Native from ذ-ي-ع 'broadcast' + mishqal mif'āl. Academy coining; used in formal writing.

أوتوبيسʔutūbīs"bus"
from French autobus
حَافِلَةḥāfilaattested

Native from ح-ف-ل 'gather'. Fully standard MSA — has won in formal contexts.

سيگارةsīgāra"cigarette"
from French cigarette
—attested

No traditional Arabic alternative; universally borrowed.

شايšāy"tea"
from Persian < Chinese chá
—attested

The plant itself came via trade, so the word travelled with it. No native alternative.

قهوةqahwa"coffee"
from actually native — 'coffee'
قَهْوَةqahwaattested

Native Arabic word from an Ethio-Semitic root — the plant originated in Ethiopia. Traveled OUT of Arabic to European languages (coffee, café).

Amharicam

Amharic's loan strata include Ge'ez (learned/liturgical), Arabic (via Ge'ez and modern contact), Italian (colonial period 1935-1941), and English (modern). Amharic is more open to loans than the more purist trends in Modern Hebrew and Arabic.

ፓስታpasta"pasta"
from Italian pasta
ገንፎgenfoattested

Native Amharic word for a traditional wheat/barley porridge. Distinct dish but functionally analogous.

ኮምፒዩተር"computer"
from English computer
አስተማራimagined

Native from አስተማረ 'compute, calculate'. Imagined native coining.

ቴሌፎን"telephone"
from English/European telephone
ሩቅ-አነጋገርruq-anägagärimagined

ሩቅ 'far' + አነጋገር 'speech' — imagined native calque.

ማዥንmažin"machine"
from Italian macchina / English machine
መሣሪያmäsariyyaattested

Native from ሠ-ራ 'work, do' + mishqal-like prefix. Actually used for 'tool, instrument'.