WHY ARE SOME ARABIC WORDS IN PORTUGUESE AND SPANISH? Long time ago, Spain and Portugal were invaded by the Moors. That people, came from North Africa. They settled down in Iberia in 711 d.C. and was completely expelled in 1492. Because they lived for centuries in Iberia, its culture, language, architecture, customs and DNA had a great influence in that place. Let's see some arabic words in Portuguese: ALFACE - lettuce AZEITONA - olive AZUL - blue CHAFARIZ - fountain CENOURA - carrot FULANO - so-and-so GARRAFA - bottle PAPAGAIO - parrot SORVETE - ice cream TAMBOR - drum XADREZ - chess MASMORRA - dungeon ALECRIM - rosemary