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Quiz about Words of Indian Origin
Quiz about Words of Indian Origin

Words of Indian Origin Trivia Quiz


"Jungle", "Bungalow" and "Thug" apart, there are approximately 700 words of Indian origin in the English language. Here are some of the less well known ones.

A multiple-choice quiz by almaster. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
almaster
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
191,976
Updated
Aug 17 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
2641
Last 3 plays: sw11 (10/10), Taltarzac (7/10), alan56 (8/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. The Hindu God, Vishnu, has "contributed" two words to the English language. One of them is "avatar" meaning incarnation, referring to his ten incarnations on the Earth to save mankind. What is the other? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. This next word, meaning outcast, comes from the name of an untouchable caste or Dalit caste, as they are now called, in Tamil Nadu. Which one?

Answer: (6 letters)
Question 3 of 10
3. The next word is a dish which originates from the Tamil phrase meaning pepper water. What spicy dish are we talking about? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Which personal hygiene product gets its name from the Hindi word for press, "Champna"?

Answer: (Hair - one word)
Question 5 of 10
5. This word, which comes from Japanese, actually has its roots in Sanksrit, since Buddhism travelled from India to the East. What is this word, which is often associated with Buddhism? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This beverage gets its name from the Sanskrit word for five, since it is made of five ingredients. Which beverage?

Answer: (A drink that really hits you!!)
Question 7 of 10
7. The word "catamaran" comes from the Tamil word, "kattumaaram", meaning logs tied together. Which other kind of vessel gets its name from its Hindi equivalent? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. This word, referring to a generic term for a particular caste, has been used to describe the elite of an American city. Which word? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. India ink gets its name from the fact that it was originally concocted in India.


Question 10 of 10
10. This is perhaps the most recent contribution of India to the English language, at least in America. What happens to you when you get "Bangalored"? Hint



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quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The Hindu God, Vishnu, has "contributed" two words to the English language. One of them is "avatar" meaning incarnation, referring to his ten incarnations on the Earth to save mankind. What is the other?

Answer: juggernaut

The word, "juggernaut", meaning a massive, unstoppable force, comes from one of the names with Vishnu is worshipped, Jagannath, especially in the eastern city of Puri. Here, an annual chariot ceremony sees the idol of Jagannath being placed in a massive wooden chariot and dragged around the streets of the city by devotees.

Some devotees used to throw themselves under this chariot, believing that death this way would help their souls attain eternal bliss in Vaikunta, Vishnu's abode. However, this practice is less popular now and the devotees are content with a piece of wood from the chariot after it is dismantled. (I must thank funtrivia player, vpatnaik, for providing me the correct information on the event which occurs in his home state.;))
2. This next word, meaning outcast, comes from the name of an untouchable caste or Dalit caste, as they are now called, in Tamil Nadu. Which one?

Answer: pariah

The word 'pariah', meaning outcast, originates from the untouchable caste, "Pariyan", who were found all across the erstwhile Madras Presidency.
3. The next word is a dish which originates from the Tamil phrase meaning pepper water. What spicy dish are we talking about?

Answer: mulligatawny

Mulligatawny is a composite of two Tamil words, "molaga" and "tanni", meaning pepper and water, respectively. It gained popularity with the British who settled in India and travelled to England, and to the English language, along with those who went home.
4. Which personal hygiene product gets its name from the Hindi word for press, "Champna"?

Answer: Shampoo

The historian, Strabo, in his account on India in the 4th century BC, mentions the Indian use of a shampoo or a kind of paste which has been ground out of certain herbs and plants.
Source: http://metalrg.iisc.ernet.in/~wootz/heritage/prod1.html
5. This word, which comes from Japanese, actually has its roots in Sanksrit, since Buddhism travelled from India to the East. What is this word, which is often associated with Buddhism?

Answer: Zen

While the word "zen" is easily associated with Eastern languages, its roots can be found in Sanskrit, from the word "Dhyana", which means meditation or silence. "Dhyana" is used to denote a form of worship where one meditates on the form of the Supreme to attain inner peace and tranquility.
Source: http://www.orientalthane.com/history/news_2004_07_01.htm
6. This beverage gets its name from the Sanskrit word for five, since it is made of five ingredients. Which beverage?

Answer: Punch

"The origin of this drink is not widely known. Even the Oxford Dictionary states its origin as unknown. But as per another dictionary of words of Indian origin in the English language the word Punch is derived from the Indian word Pancham which means five in Sanskrit and which was the name of this beverage due to the five ingredients it has.

The addition of spices and even sugar and lime betray the oriental origin of this beverage. Spices are a typically Indian commodity. Thus the origin of this popular European drink of today seems to lie in India of either medieval or ancient times.

The name Punch also supports this claim as in no European language is any word as similar to Punch used for the number five as is the Sanskrit Pancham." Source:http://metalrg.iisc.ernet.in/~wootz/heritage/prod1.html
7. The word "catamaran" comes from the Tamil word, "kattumaaram", meaning logs tied together. Which other kind of vessel gets its name from its Hindi equivalent?

Answer: dinghy

A small boat, sometimes called a "dinghy" gets its name from the Hindi word for such a kind of boat, "Dingi" or "Dengi". Source:http://www.orientalthane.com/history/news_2004_07_01.htm
8. This word, referring to a generic term for a particular caste, has been used to describe the elite of an American city. Which word?

Answer: Brahmin

"Boston Brahmins, or simply 'Brahmins'-sometimes also called the First Families of Boston-are a blue-blooded class of New Englanders who claim hereditary or cultural descent from the Anglo-Saxon Protestants (commonly called WASPs) who founded the city of Boston, Massachusetts and originally settled New England. They are part of the historic core of the East Coast Establishment, along with wealthy families of New York and Philadelphia."
(Source:http://www.wordiq.com)
Of course, Brahmins are placed topmost on the caste system ladder in India, though not necessarily all over the country.
9. India ink gets its name from the fact that it was originally concocted in India.

Answer: False

That was a googly (or a curveball or Beckham or equivalent ball sport term to describe ball which acts like drunk driver on highway), but India Ink actually originates from China, and is prepared from carbon black. It is the usual kind of ink one uses in pens and in printing.
10. This is perhaps the most recent contribution of India to the English language, at least in America. What happens to you when you get "Bangalored"?

Answer: You get outsourced

Bangalored refers to having one's job outsourced to India by the parent company to cut costs. Bangalore, emerging as the growing hub of IT and BPO related outsourcing, was almost synonymous with the outsourcing boom in India and hence, the word. Bangalore entered the English language earlier with the invention of the "Bangalore torpedo", used to destroy barb-wire fortifications (as seen in "Saving Private Ryan") by Army engineers. My hometown has gained a reputation in US media circles of late, so much so that John Kerry wants American cities to become "wired" like Bangalore. I don't think he was referring to the Bangalore of power cuts, clogged roads and inept local bodies, but its nice to know that ignorant American politicians think your city is great;)Source: http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-ban1.htm.
Source: Author almaster

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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