qatarperegrine | Fun with Arabic

At my sister's request, I'm going to be posting bits & pieces about Arabic as I learn it. Today's Arabic lesson is simple: English words that we have gotten from the Arabic language. We all know that words like genie and harem are from Arabic, and most of us have heard that algebra and alcohol are from Arabic words -- but some of these may surprise you!

admiral (amir al-bahr, ruler of the seas)
adobe (al-toba, brick)
alfalfa (al-fasfasah, fodder)
algorithm (al-Khowarazmi, a 9th century mathematician)
alkali (al-qaliy, fried or toasted)
almanac (al-manaakh)
apricot (al-burquq)
arsenal (dar assina'ah, factory -- literally "house of making")
artichoke (al-kharshuf)
assassin (h'ashshaashiin, hasish-eaters)
Betelgeuse (biit al-jauza, shoulder of the giant)
candy (qandi, candied)
chemistry, and alchemy (al-kiimiia)
chess, check and checkmate (shaah and shaah maat, "king" and "the king is dead," respectively -- through Persian, where it means "the king is defeated")
coffee (qahwah)
cotton (qutn)
elixir (al-iksiir)
jar (jarrah)
lemon, lime and orange (laymuun, liimah and naaranj, respectively)
loofah (luufah)
magazine (makhaazin, storehouses)
mattress (matrah, place where something is thrown)
[tennis] racket (rah'et, palm of the hand)
sofa (s'uffah)
spinach (isfaanaakh)
syrup (sharbah, a drink)
tariff (ta'riif, notification)