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pa·ta·ca

(pə-täkə)

The basic unit of currency in Macau.

[Portuguese, from Arabic 'abū ṭāqa : 'abū, father of, possessing, bound form of 'ab, father; see ʾb in the Appendix of Semitic roots + ṭāqa, window (from ṭāqa, to be able, sustain; see ṭwq in the Appendix of Semitic roots).]

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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