Sunday 15 August 2010

Q can exist without U

A number of words containing the letter 'q' have come from other languages to be included in the English dictionary, thus making them the only words to feature 'q' and not followed by 'u'.

niqab - a veil worn by some Muslim women
qanat - (in the Middle East) an irrigation channel
qawwal - a performer of qawwali
qawwali - Muslim devotional music
qibla - the direction towards Mecca
qigong - a Chinese system of physical exercises
qintar - a monetary unit of Albania
QWERTY - the standard layout of typewriters and keyboards (the only word not imported)
tariqa - the Sufi method of spiritual learning

Any others?

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