Word Family Worksheets

🤔 What is a loanword? 

A loanword is a term given to a word which is directly borrowed from another language and used in the recipient language without being translated first. 

Some loanwords are obvious, whereas others were borrowed so long ago that you might be surprised to discover they are loanwords at all!

✅ Fest 

In English, ‘fest’ is usually used as a suffix. It means ‘festival’ in German and has been used in English since 1889. 

✅ Muesli 

The word ‘muesli’ has been used in English since 1926. It’s a Swiss-German word, from the Old High German ‘muos’ meaning ‘meal, mush-like food’. 

✅ Noodle 

‘Noodle’ comes from the German ‘nudel’ and refers to a narrow strip of dried dough. It has been used in English since 1779.

✅ Poltergeist 

‘Poltergeist’ has been used in English since 1838. It comes from ‘poltern’ meaning ‘make noise’ or ‘rattle’ and ‘geist’ meaning ‘ghost’. 

✅ Rucksack 

Used in English since 1866, the word ‘rucksack’ derives from Alpine dialect. ‘rück’ means ‘the back’ and ‘sack’ has the same meaning in English (bag). 

✅ Wunderkind 

This word for a child prodigy literally translates to ‘wonder-child’. It has been used in English since 1883.