A traditional wooden sailing boat used in Indian waters, the Arabian Sea, and monsoon regions, with characteristic triangular sails.
From Hindi/Gujarati 'doni' or 'dhoni', derived from Sanskrit 'dhoni' or 'dhenu'. The word describes the distinctive vessel design used for centuries in Indian Ocean trade.
The doni is such an important vessel in Indian Ocean history that the word traveled into English intact—it's still used today because that boat design is perfectly adapted to monsoon winds!
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