<P> Many of these borrowings (especially in the scientific field) were then passed on to other languages (English acquired most of them through French). </P> <P> Most Spanish nouns beginning with the letters al - (from the Arabic definite article) have their origin in Arabic . </P> <P> As to how many words in Modern Spanish are of Arabic origin, the estimates vary widely, depending largely on whether the count includes derived forms and place names . One respected authority suggests that they number more than 4,000, based on estimates of 850 of known etymology, 780 forms derived from them, 1,000 place names, 500 additional place names of "probable" Arabic origin, and "very numerous" Arabic - looking words whose affiliation has not yet been established . The largest Spanish etymological dictionary--the Diccionario crítico etimológico de la lengua castellana, by Joan Corominas--lists slightly over 1,000 words of Arabic origin, while Wikipedia's own List of Spanish words of Arabic origin, based on etymologies given by the Real Academia Española so far includes 1,200 confirmed Arabisms, excluding place names and derivatives . </P> <P> Morphological borrowing was scarce . The suffíx - í (deriving adjectives from place names, as in Marbellí, Ceutí or Iraní, "from Marbella", "from Ceuta", or "from Iran" respectively) is an example . </P>

What language most strongly affects the spanish language