This immigration row’s absurd
If you think every second word
We use in English as our own
Has come to us in fact on loan.
“Fjord” and “iceberg”, “ski”, “walrus”
Are words Norwegian gave to us
Persia’s Farsi had the fate
of giving “lemon”, “shawl”, “checkmate”
And thanks to aborigines
We’ve “boomerangs” and “wallabies”.
“Yoghurt” and “tulip”, “caviar”
Are Turkish. Basque gave us “bizarre”.
Dutch seamanship donated lots:
“Skippers”, “buoys” and even “yachts”.
“Amok”, “bamboo” are both Malay
And thanks to Arabic we say
“Alcohol”, and “zero” too,
From Hindi, “jungle” and “shampoo”;
All terms in English slightly older
Than Sweden’s “tungsten”, “mink” and “boulder”.
As well as all these useful ones
Let’s take the German for “the runs”
That constant sitting on the loo
From poisoned food or stomach flu.
I’m not so fussed how it occurred
But what we need’s that vital word
The Germans have all ready-made
(das Brainstorming they get in trade).
I don’t know how it seems to you
But “Durchfall”, meaning “falling through”
For me’s more vivid, short and clear
Than our Greek loan word “diarrhoea”.
A further benefit as well –
It’s much, much easier to spell.
