List of Spanish words of uncertain origin

This is a list of Spanish words of uncertain origin. Some of these words existed in Latin and/or Ancient Greek, but are thought by some scholars to ultimately come from some other source. Many of these words have alternate etymologies and may also appear on a list of Spanish words from a different language.

A

 * ademán
 * agachar
 * agalla
 * ají
 * amargo
 * anchoa
 * añicos
 * Apache
 * ardilla
 * areito
 * arete
 * aro
 * arrancar
 * arrear
 * arriero
 * arveja/alverja
 * asustar

B

 * balde (barrel, tub)
 * barato
 * barraca
 * barro
 * bata
 * baúl
 * beso
 * bisagra
 * bizco
 * borrar
 * borrego
 * bronce
 * bruja
 * buitre
 * burla
 * burlar
 * buscar

C

 * cabaña,
 * cacarear
 * caleta
 * cama
 * cambur
 * camilla
 * canica
 * caracol
 * carcajada
 * catalán
 * cataluña
 * cebra
 * celta
 * cagarra
 * changa
 * chango
 * charco
 * chileno
 * chipre
 * chiste
 * chorro
 * chupar
 * cibernética
 * coco
 * cochino,
 * cucubano

D

 * danza
 * derrocar
 * destrozar

E

 * -ez (name suffix)

G

 * gabacho
 * gacho
 * gago
 * gana
 * ganga
 * garbanzo
 * garza
 * gobernar
 * godo
 * gorra
 * gorrión
 * gorro
 * gótico
 * graznar
 * gusano,

H

 * hipo

J

 * judía (lima bean)
 * juey

L

 * lama
 * latir
 * laurel
 * leopardo
 * lerdo
 * lirio water lily
 * liso
 * listo

M

 * malgache
 * malva
 * manteca
 * mantecado
 * mantequilla
 * mascota
 * maullar
 * metralla
 * mimo
 * mimar
 * mohíno
 * moho
 * moneda
 * moño
 * mueca
 * migir

N

 * nabo
 * niña

O

 * ola
 * olivo
 * -ón= augmentative suffix (opposite of a diminutive suffix), as found in balón "big ball.": the same as Italian -one. Examples: guitarrón (from guitarra), salchichón (from salchicha).  Exceptions (nouns ending in -ón that are not in the augmentative): aguijón, camarón, empujón.

P

 * pantano
 * pantalla
 * pantera
 * parra
 * parrilla
 * pata
 * patán
 * patear
 * patillas
 * patín
 * patio
 * pato
 * patrulla
 * pavana
 * pelícano
 * peluca
 * pequeño
 * pera
 * pito
 * porrazo
 * prado

S

 * sabotear
 * saeta
 * salpicar
 * salsifí
 * senda
 * sendero
 * sodio
 * soga
 * sucre
 * susto

T

 * titere
 * tonto
 * topar
 * tope
 * trenza
 * trocar
 * tropa
 * tropel
 * troza
 * truco

Z

 * zángano
 * zapato