Songs without Words

Pediatrics rotation ended with a bang (a really fun and rewarding case). Now I can blog again!

Without further ado …

Today, I’ve decided to put together a mini trivia-quiz.  Having encountered many different Arabic surnames while in the hospital, I decided to take a look at words in the English language which derive from Arabic and have retained the definite particle “al” as the prefix.  So, what are these words today?

1.  Restoration or completion [al-jebr]

2.  (Man of) Khwarizmi [al-Khwarizmi]

3.  Powder used as eyeliner [al-kuhl], produced by sublimation of stibnite (i.e. distillate)

4.  Transmutation [al-kimia]

5.  Fodder [al-fasfasah]

6.  Ashes of the saltwort plant [al-qily], or more generally, the process of roasting or frying in a pan

1.  algebra

2.  algorithm

3.  alcohol

4.  alchemy

5.  alfalfa

6.  alkali

Sources:  Dictionary.com, wiki, http://www.zompist.com/arabic.html