Atabals

/ˈætəbəlz/ noun

Definition

Plural form of atabal; multiple large cylindrical drums used in Islamic and medieval Spanish music.

Etymology

The standard English plural of 'atabal', formed by adding '-s' to the singular form. The singular comes from Arabic 'al-ṭabāl'.

Kelly Says

When English speakers adopted 'atabal' from Spanish, they treated it like any other noun and just added an 's'—but they were actually pluralizing something that already contained 'the' in Arabic!

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