Alcazava

/ˌælkəˈzɑvə/ noun

Definition

An alternate or variant spelling of alcazaba; a fortified palace or stronghold in Islamic Spain and North Africa.

Etymology

A variant orthography of 'alcazaba,' showing the different ways Arabic terms were transliterated into Spanish and European languages. The root remains 'al-qasbah.'

Kelly Says

This variant spelling shows how the same Arabic word got written different ways as it traveled through medieval Spanish—it's like watching language evolve in real time, with each scribe making slightly different choices.

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