Vol. 09 · Loanwords ·Spanish ·1650s
Siesta
from siesta
- Meaning
- An afternoon nap.
- Source word
- siesta
- Route into English
- Spanish *siesta* (from Latin *sexta hora*, the sixth hour — noon) → English. The word literally names the time, not the nap; the nap association is cultural. Modern research suggests the afternoon dip is a sensible physiological response to hot climates.
- Arrived
- 1650s
From Spanish
American Spanish, not peninsular Spanish, provided most of the modern loanwords — through US expansion westward and Latin American trade.
English borrows.
Browse the full loanword atlas or explore another source language.