Arts & History
MediumWords That Travel Crossword
Category: Arts & HistoryDifficulty: Hard17 × 14
Saturday, August 29
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Enter one letter per square. Answers run Across or Down. Omit spaces and accents; any special spelling convention is stated in the clue. This is a freeform themed grid, so some letters are not crossed.
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About This Theme
English has collected words from many languages, and their everyday use can hide the journey. This crossword asks for borrowed words through meanings that remain recognizable today. The source language is given as an additional clue, not as a claim that the word has never changed along the way. Some answers describe foods, others objects or social customs. Use the definition first and let the language hint help with spelling.
Clues
Across
- 2Heated bathing room, using a word borrowed from Finnish (5)
- 6Early-childhood school term borrowed from German (12)
- 8Keyboard instrument whose shortened name comes from Italian (5)
- 10Courtyard or outdoor sitting area, from Spanish (5)
- 11Person who starts a business, using a word borrowed from French (12)
Down
- 1Large sea wave caused by a sudden displacement of water, from Japanese (7)
- 2Midday rest, with a name borrowed from Spanish (6)
- 3Low house whose name entered English from Hindi (8)
- 4Singing to recorded accompaniment, a word borrowed from Japanese (7)
- 5Theatrical dance form with a French-derived name (6)
- 7Japanese robe with wide sleeves (6)
- 9Staged musical drama, using a word borrowed from Italian (5)
Answers and Explanations
After Your Solve
Borrowing does not freeze a word in place. A word can change its spelling, pronunciation or range of meanings after entering English. This grid uses familiar English forms, with accents omitted where noted. KARAOKE and TSUNAMI are very different things but share a Japanese source; BALLET and ENTREPRENEUR reached English through French. Those groupings provide a second way to review the answers. The goal is to notice language contact in ordinary vocabulary, not to treat modern English as a set of sealed national categories.
- 2 acrossSAUNA
Sauna is a Finnish borrowing.
- 6 acrossKINDERGARTEN
Its German elements refer to children and a garden.
- 8 acrossPIANO
Piano is short for pianoforte.
- 10 acrossPATIO
The word has become common in English housing vocabulary.
- 11 acrossENTREPRENEUR
The French spelling is retained in English.
- 1 downTSUNAMI
The Japanese source is an additional spelling clue.
- 2 downSIESTA
Siesta entered English from Spanish.
- 3 downBUNGALOW
The word's history is connected with Bengal.
- 4 downKARAOKE
Karaoke entered English from Japanese.
- 5 downBALLET
The English word came through French.
- 7 downKIMONO
Kimono is used in English for the garment.
- 9 downOPERA
Opera is an Italian borrowing.
Further Reading
- Theme referencemerriam-webster.com
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