A counting-house or trading post, particularly one established by European merchants in foreign territories.
From French 'comptoir,' derived from 'compte' (account) plus '-oir' (place). The term became especially associated with colonial trading operations in India and other regions.
French 'comptoirs' in India—like Pondicherry and Chandernagore—were literally 'counting houses' where colonial traders kept their books and conducted commerce, and some of these settlements lasted 300 years.
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