Before Náhuatl came Arabic: Spanish words of Arabic origin
Airfind news item
By Lydia Leija
Published on May 3, 2026.
Many words used in Mexican daily life, including aguacate (the avocado fruit from which guacamole is made), and tlapalería (the place to find screws, lightbulbs and even paint), originate from Náhuatl. This is due to the influence of Arabic, which has been influential in daily conversation and added new words to our dictionaries. Today, there are approximately 4,000 Spanish words of Arabic origin, accounting for nearly 8% of our vocabulary. The name of Mexico's most beloved religious figure, La Virgen de Guadalupe, has neither a Spanish nor Indigenous origin, but an Arabic one. Other notable words include ojalá, which translates to “hopefully” or “if God wills” and the phrase for sugar.
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