>>Although the words are few, the significance is interesting. Particularly in English, the loan words revolve around mathematics.
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>>The Arab culture was significantly influenced during our middle ages by the heritage of Latin and particularly Greek culture. Arab scholars translated and thereby preserved significant works of philosophy and mathematics.
>
>Some other cultures too, I believe; I am thinking especially of the so-called "Arabic numbers", which they actually adapted from India.

Yes, not one "craddle of civilisation" as I grew up with, but a fair number -- modern day Iraq, India, China, Mesoamerica.

Jay