Fonduk

/fɒnˈduːk/ noun

Definition

A variant spelling of fondouk; a historical inn, warehouse, or trading establishment in North Africa and the Middle East.

Etymology

From Arabic 'fundūq,' variant of the same root as 'fondouk.' Different romanizations of Arabic words in English lead to multiple spellings of the same term.

Kelly Says

Words from Arabic have particularly variable English spellings because Arabic script is so different from Latin that scholars debated the best way to transliterate for centuries—hence you get 'fonduk,' 'fondouk,' 'funduq,' etc., all referring to the same building type.

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