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Kaa·ba

(käbə)

A Muslim shrine in Mecca toward which the faithful turn to pray.

[Arabic ka'ba, cube, cubic structure, from ka'aba, to swell, be full (said of breasts); see kʿb in the Appendix of Semitic roots.]

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Kaaba

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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