Do you speak a little Arabic when you say 'alcove'?

'Alcove' is a word borrowed from Arabic 'al-qubba'. The word entered the English language some time around 1655.

alcove [noun] [1655]

• a small recessed section of a room
• nook
• an arched opening (as in a wall)
• niche
• summerhouse

See 'alcove' on the Loan Words Map

See more loan words from Arabic.

Etymology: French 'alcôve' from Spanish 'alcoba' from Arabic 'al-qubba' the arch

See more loan words from 1600s.