Dirhem

/dɪrˈhem/ noun

Definition

An alternative spelling of dirham, a unit of currency or weight used historically and in modern times in Middle Eastern countries.

Etymology

A variant spelling of dirham, showing how the same Arabic word was transliterated different ways into English depending on which scholar or trader was writing it down.

Kelly Says

Different spellings like 'dirham' and 'dirhem' reveal the messy reality of how English borrowed words from Arabic before there were standard spelling rules—it's like watching language evolve in real-time.

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