Little words in English of foreign origin

I'm sure there are many, but I would like to talk about two of them.

"Savvy", which is used in a questioning way, to ask someone of they know or understand. Savvy=Sabe (Spanish)

In English, when people are thinking in response to a question, they will often use a word whisker like "um". I thought it was interesting that in some Celtic languages, like Irish, "um" is used to make a word a question.

I think "um" as a "thinking pause" before answering a question is universal. We use it Norwegian too, as um../øm...

The use of "om" (= if, wether) as an interrogative word is also quite widespread, although it is considered childish/uneducated.

I've never heard "savvy" used in a questioning way, though it certainly does mean "knowledgeable" as Brennus says, so I could see how it was related. Not sure if it comes from French or Spanish. I've never heard of that before, but it certainly sounds plausible to me.

I wonder when it was adopted. I don't think other Romance languages have a word like "savvy", used in the way we do, do they?

I heard "savvy" used interrogatively in my childhood (I'm 55), but I don't think many people -- or any people -- use it that way these days.

Yeah, it's not commonly used interrogatively anymore. If you listen to "Pirates of the Caribbean", captain Jack Sparow will frequently ask, "Savvy?", as in, "do you get it?", or "do you know?", or "do you understand".

Most likely, it came from Spanish. The English pirates raided Spanish ships and forts in the new world, and the Pirates of the carribbean always came into contact with the Spanish. And "savvy", sounds almost exactly like Spanish "sabe", where the "b" is pronounced like an English "v".

"Sabe?" is often used in Spanish as a way of saying, "Do you know?". Same word, with an Anglicized pronounciation, and the same meaning.

Brennus,

A lot of languages do have that feature. The Japanese equivalent is "ka" as in, "Warkimasu ka?"

<<Yeah, it's not commonly used interrogatively anymore. If you listen to "Pirates of the Caribbean", captain Jack Sparow will frequently ask, "Savvy?", as in, "do you get it?", or "do you know?", or "do you understand".>>

Oh that's true. I remember I thought it was odd. Pirates of the Carribean was set in historical England. What is the use like in England today?

I think "um" may be different than the phenomenon you're talking about. Today, people use it as filler when they don't know what to say, and not just when responding to a question.

I think it's funny languages as far apart as Irish Gaelic and Japanese would share that feature. We use tone mostly, along with inverted word order. Italian and Spanish rely on tone (I assume the other Romance languages do too, but correct me if I'm wrong). I believe (again, please correct me if I am wrong) other Germanic languages use tone and inverted word order too.

What are some other examples of languages that use a certain word to make a phrase a question?

Tiffany--Pirates of the Caribbean was supposedly set in the Caribbean, not in England. Regardless, I doubt that it is a good source for either historical or linguistic evidence of any kind.

Also, we can say things like "right?" at the end of a sentence to make it a question, and Spanish speakers say "verdad?" Although I'd imagine that having a word that makes a statement a question is much more prevalent in tonal languages.

LAA-although the Spanish inter-vowel /b/ is not quite as hard as the English [b], it is not articulated as [v]. Also, as I said, a Disney's movie is probably not the best source for linguistic information. I would guess that Brennus is right that it came from French, not Spanish.

<<Tiffany--Pirates of the Caribbean was supposedly set in the Caribbean, not in England. Regardless, I doubt that it is a good source for either historical or linguistic evidence of any kind. >>

I think you are right about that - on both accounts. I realize now there was no way they could get to the Tortugas from England easily (much more likely from my house in Miami!). Whoops...

I sincerely doubt it came from French, for two reasons. One, it is much closer to the Spanish word, than the French equivalent. Two, the English pirates in the carribbean almost exclusive foreign naval contact was the Spanish, and not the French. You should read about the begginnings of British Imperialism. It started by English pirates intercepting Spanish ships in the carribbean and looting them, in the time of Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth I.

And, although a fictitious account of this historical period on the part of Disney may not be wholly accurate, I believe the mention of "savvy" several times is a true reflection of British and British colonial slang in the 18th century. Many other films make use of this word, as do books which take place in the era.

I immediately recognized the word as an Anglicized way of saying "sabe".

<<The Japanese equivalent is "ka" as in, "Warkimasu ka?" >>

Ka in Japanese is a particle placed at the end of a sentence to denote that it is a question. Depending on context :

"Wakarimasu" could mean "I understand"

"Wakarimasu ka" could mean "do you understand ?"

"One, it is much closer to the Spanish word, than the French equivalent"

On what basis do you justify this?
savois-->[savwa]
sabe-->[saBe]
savvy-->[s{vi]

"Two, the English pirates in the carribbean almost exclusive foreign naval contact was the Spanish, and not the French. You should read about the begginnings of British Imperialism. It started by English pirates intercepting Spanish ships in the carribbean and looting them, in the time of Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth I."

What does this have to do with anything? How do you know that the word is of pirate origin? Also, I am well aware of the privateers of Elizabethan England, but I am also aware that the French, Portuguese, and the Dutch also had a presence in the area.

"I immediately recognized the word as an Anglicized way of saying "sabe"."

It is as close to corresponding words in Portuguese and French.

Dictionaries are not in agreement on the origin of this word--some say it is from Spanish, some from French, some from Portuguese.

LAA--please do not make claim things that are merely your own speculations as fact (such as claiming that the name Mexico is a bastardization), and, above all, stop using Disney movies, no matter how entertaining, as authoritative sources.

Mexico is an impromper pronounciation of the original name, which is of Nahuatl origin. That is a fact. If you do not know this, then you do not know what you are talking about with regard to this subject.

I didn't say that "savvy" is definitely of Spanish origin. It is my personal opinion that it is highly likely that it is of Spanish origin, and far more so than French.

Savois (savwhua) does not sound anything like "savvy" (sav-ee). It sounds almost identical to "sabe" (sav-eh). A person with an English accent would pronounce this word as, (sav-ay), or after significant use by Anglophones over the generations, (savvy).

According to my dictionary, savvy is an alteration of "sabi": to know in English-based creoles and pidgins; from Portuguese "sabe".

So I suppose those creoles and pidgins would be Caribbean.

Well, American English at least is chock-full of words borrowed or bastardized from Spanish, so I would tend to think of savvy as a Spanish borrowing. Quibbling over a Spanish or Portuguese origin is a little silly, when the word in question would be pretty similar in either language. And I would think most Caribbean creoles would have a heavy Spanish influence.

LAA : « I sincerely doubt it came from French (...) I immediately recognized the word as an Anglicized way of saying "sabe". »

Et Etymonline — un site tenu par des ignorants d'un amateurisme total — n'exclut pas l'antillais <savez(-vous)> [save].






LAA : « Two, the English pirates in the carribbean almost exclusive foreign naval contact was the Spanish, and not the French. »

???

Tu n'as jamais entendu parler de villes telles que Nantes, Bordeaux, La Rochelle et Saint-Malo ? Le nom de Surcouf ne te dit rien ? La prise de La Havane, de Carthagène non plus ? La nouvelle de l'existence d'Haïti — alors plus riche et plus démocratique que les États-Unis naissants — n'est pas parvenue jusqu'à toi ?

C'est la France qui la première a entrepris de contester le traité de Tortesillas en lançant des expéditions à Cuba, au Brésil, en Floride etc.