In Arabic, the letter ق, traditionally romanised as Q, is quite distinct from ك, traditionally romanised as K for example, قلب /qalb/ means "heart" but كلب /kalb/ means "dog". In other examples, Q represents in standard Arabic, such as in qat, faqir and Qur'ān. For example, in the Chinese pinyin alphabet, qi is pronounced /tʃi/ (similar to "chi" in English) by an English speaker, as pinyin uses "q" to represent the sound, which is approximated as (ch) in English. The majority of these are anglicised from Arabic, Chinese, Hebrew, Inuktitut, or other languages that do not use the English alphabet, with Q representing a sound not found in English. In English, the letter Q is usually followed by the letter U, but there are some exceptions. Like 32 of the 72 other English words that use a q not followed by a u, souq is of Arabic origin. These furry carnivores gained their name from the word je-quoll from the Australian aboriginal language Guugu Yimidhirr.QWERTY, one of the few native English words with Q not followed by U, is derived from the first six letters of a standard keyboard layout. Specifically, it was 1/20 of a ream, or 24 to 25 sheets of paper.Ī “ quoll” is a spotted marsupial native to Australia and New Guinea. In the late Middle Ages, “ quire” was a popular word for a short book. This English translation comes from Quechua (an ancient language) khipu, meaning “knot.” It was made of one long primary cord and many pendant cords. ![]() Its Middle English root quy came from the Old Norse language.Ī “ quoin” is an architectural term that describes the exterior angle of a building, especially one with decorative stones or bricks, whose purpose is ornamental.Ī “ quipu” is an Incan counting tool that was first used around 2500 BCE. This is the plural version of the Scottish term “ quey” that is interchangeable with the word “heifer” for a young female cow. It is a Middle English word that came from Old High German quirn. This relatively new term has only been in use since 1994.Ī “ quern” is a primitive type of hand mill that was used for grinding grain in Neolithic times (since at least 5600 BCE). It has been in use since the 16th century.Īs another word for a quantum bit, “ qubit” is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer. “ Quaff” means “to take a hearty drink of something, especially alcohol,” as in, “He quaffed the pint of ale.” It can also be used as a noun to describe a beverage that is being enjoyed. These five-letter “qu” words might be more recognizable, and it’s worth memorizing a few of these for word game play. “ Qoph” is the 19th letter of the Hebrew alphabet - “qophs” is the plural version. It comes from the Urdu language of Pakistan and India. It comes from the Arabic word qiblah.Īlso spelled “ korma,” this curry dish consists of meat or vegetables cooked in a creamy yogurt-based sauce. In the Muslim religion, “ qibla” is the direction of the Kaaba shrine in Mecca, toward which Muslims face for ritual prayer. In English, “ qapik” is an alternative spelling of the word “gepik.” It is a monetary subunit of the manat, the currency of Azerbaijan. The word is more commonly used in the Middle East, and it comes from the Persian word with the same meaning, qanāt. This word is found in the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, described as a “more authentic” version of the original Inuit word.Ī “ qanat” is an underground tunnel used to move water (as in an aqueduct), especially for irrigation. This spelling variation of the word “kayak” made headlines in 2014 when it was added to the Official Scrabble Players Dictionary. The word originated in North Africa from the Arabic qāid. These judges were an essential part of early Muslim society since at least the seventh century.Īs another word of Muslim origin, a “ qaid” is a tribal chief or senior official. ![]() It comes from the Arabic word qāḍī, which has been around for centuries. “Qadis” is the plural version of the word. Many of these words are borrowed from languages that don’t rely on the “qu” construction.Ī “ qadi” is a Muslim judge whose decisions are based on Islamic religious laws. Players might think that if they don’t draw a “u” to play with the “q” they have to forfeit the points from the high-scoring tile, but there are plenty of words that fit the bill.
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