Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions from 31 to 35.
Do you frequently use shampoo or enjoy a sauna phòng tắm hơi? If you think these terms are originally English, think again. In reality, each of these words has its roots in a different language!
Take shampoo, for instance. It actually originates from the Hindi language in India. Initially, it meant “massage.” In Indian hair salons, barbers would massage your scalp while washing your hair. Over time, British individuals in India adopted this term to refer to a liquid used for cleaning hair.
Almost everyone is familiar with ketchup. People worldwide enjoy drizzling this tomato-based sauce on French fries or sandwiches. The word itself has Chinese origins (from "ketsiap," a type of fish sauce). During the 1600s, British and Dutch sailors introduced this fish sauce to Europe. As time passed, people modified the sauce by incorporating tomato flavor, but the name remained largely unchanged.
Sauna, a beloved type of communal steam room and shower facility, hails from the Finnish language. During one of the European Olympics, athletes from Britain and Germany observed Finnish athletes using saunas after their training sessions. Subsequently, individuals across Europe adopted this bathing practice. Today, we still use the term to describe various types of steam rooms.
English is enriched with numerous borrowed words from diverse languages. Perhaps English should consider adopting a more inclusive name like Eng-hin-chi-fin-fre-ger-ital-span-ish!
