We Stole That from the Indians Quiz

Answer: Jungle

The English word jungle comes from the Sanskrit word "jangala" which means desert or arid. It seems at odds with jungle, which is usually a very wet place. The Urdu and Hindi word "jangal" means wilderness and is another possible origin of jungle.

Answer: Pundit

The word pundit comes from "pandit" which is the Hindi word for scholar or philosopher. Nowadays, pundits are considered experts in their fields and are usually seen on news programs to give their opinions on topics.

Answer: Bandicoot

A bandicoot is a marsupial indigenous to Australia. The animal gets its name from the unrelated bandicoot rat, which lives in India. The word bandicoot comes from the Tamil word "pandi-kokku" or "pamdikokku" which means pig-rat or boar-rat.

Answer: Juggernaut

In modern lingo, the word juggernaut refers to a person or powerful force that is deemed unstoppable. It comes from the Sanskrit word "jagannatha" which means lord of the universe or world lord. It referred to the avatar Krishna from the Sanskrit epics.

Answer: Punch

The alcoholic beverage punch comes from the Hindi word "panc" which means five. It does not come from the other English word punch, meaning to hit with closed fists. Punch is derived from the Hindi word five because it was originally made with five ingredients: alcohol, water, tea, lemon and sugar.

Answer: Bungalow

Bungalow originally referred to a popular style of houses that were typical in the Bengal region of India during the time of British occupation. Gradually it came to mean the large houses the British who lived in India resided. In modern lingo, bungalows are usually thought of as small cabins along the beach. The Hindi word for Bengal is "bengala".

Answer: Catamaran

The word catamaran, which is a multi-hulled boat, comes from the Tamil words "kattu" and "maram" which means to tie a tree or wood. This is a reference to crude boats that were fashioned from tying logs together.

Answer: Chutney

Chutney is a spicy condiment made typically from mangoes but it can be made from a variety of other fruits such as apples. It comes from the Hindi word "chatni" which means crush, which describes how chutney is prepared.

Answer: Thug

The Marathi word for thief is "thak", which also means swindler. The word thug first came into use during the British occupation of India and was used to describe Indian gangs by the British. Other possible origins for the word thug are the Hindi word "thagi" which also means swindler and the Sanskrit word "sthaga" which means cunning or to conceal.

Answer: Pariah

Pariah is derived from the Tamil word "parai" which means drum. This comes from a tradition where young boys from the Untouchables (the lowest cast in India) would be recruited to play the drums to announce the arrival of the king or other important person.