Here it is in Erlang, which is another language which forces you not to think in loops: csv_to_maps([Head | Lines]) -> lists:map(fun(L) -> maps:from_li

Here it is in Erlang, which is another language which forces you not to think in loops: csv_to_maps([Head | Lines]) -> lists:map(fun(L) -> maps:from_list(lists:zip(Head), L)) end, Lines). Another language which works differently is Rebol: csv-to-maps: func [csv-data] [ map-each line next csv-data [map zipmap first csv-data line] ] Whats interesting about above is that `first csv-data` will be re-evaluating on each `map-each` sequence. Of course you can assign to variable beforehand. Alternatively because code-is-data and vice-versa you can use COMPOSE it inline: csv-to-maps: func [csv-data] [ map-each line next csv-data compose [map zipmap (first csv-data) line] ] :) NB. Rebol doesn't come with ZIPMAP so here's a definition for above to work: zipmap: func [keys vals] [ collect [ forall keys [ keep reduce [keys/1 vals/(index? keys)] ] ] ]