Skip to content
Ojalá
Words
Certain: The standard etymology in the RAE dictionary and in Corriente; no serious doubt.Home & town · Common

alacena

cupboard built into the wall, with shelves, for food or dishes; pantryarmario empotrado en la pared, con estantes, para guardar comida o vajilla

Comes from Arabic

الخِزَانَة

al-khizāna

“the cupboard, the storehouse”«el armario, el depósito»

Arabic today says

خِزَانَة

khizāna

And it still does

Root

خ ز ن

kh-z-n

The article

Spanish kept the Arabic article al- glued to the word.

The story

It was first alhacena, with an h for the Arabic kh; later the h was lost. Almacén (warehouse, from makhzan) comes from the same root.Primero fue alhacena, con h por la kh árabe; luego la h se perdió. De la misma raíz viene almacén (makhzan).

In a sentence

Las especias están en la alacena.

The spices are in the cupboard.

التَّوَابِلُ فِي الخِزَانَة.

More words from the root خ ز ن

More from “Home & town”