Arsenals

/ˈɑrsənəlz/ noun

Definition

Plural of arsenal; collections of weapons and military equipment, or places where they are stored and made.

Etymology

From Italian 'arsenale,' possibly from Arabic 'dar al-sina'ah' meaning 'workshop' or 'house of manufacture.' The word traveled through Mediterranean trade routes and became the term for military supply centers.

Kelly Says

The word 'arsenal' shows the fingerprints of Venetian merchant traders who borrowed from Arabic during the Crusades—Venice needed a word for their massive shipyard warehouses that stored weapons and supplies for naval expeditions.

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