dhow
UK[daʊ]US[daʊ]
n
A lateen-rigged ship with one or two masts, used especially in the Arabian Sea.
Etymology
The word 'dhow' is a classic example of a loanword that traveled along with the object it describes. It entered the English lexicon in the late 18th century from Arabic, reflecting centuries of maritime trade in the Indian Ocean. The term's specific Arabic origin is uncertain but is linked to words like 'dāw', used in the Persian Gulf region. The direct borrowing into English, without decomposition into constituent morphemes, underscores how trade and cultural contact introduce whole concepts and their names into a language, preserving the original form for a uniquely regional artifact.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword. It entered English from an Arabic source (such as dāw), likely via Swahili or another Indian Ocean trade language. Its functional role is as a single, unanalyzable noun.
Examples
The traditional dhow, with its distinctive triangular sail, has been used for trade along the East African coast for centuries.
We watched a fleet of dhows sailing into the harbor at sunset.
The cargo was transported from the port on a small, weathered dhow.