Djebels

/dʒəˈbɛlz/ noun

Definition

Plural of djebel; multiple mountains or hills in North Africa.

Etymology

Simply the plural form of 'djebel,' formed by adding the English '-s' suffix. The Arabic plural would be 'jibāl,' but English speakers adopted the singular form and added English plural marking.

Kelly Says

When English speakers borrow foreign words, we often add our own plural endings instead of using the original language's plurals—so 'djebels' uses an English '-s' rather than the proper Arabic plural, showing how loanwords gradually 'become English' over time.

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