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fils²

(fĭls)

n. pl. fils

1. A unit of currency equal to ¹/₁₀₀₀ of the dinar in several countries of the Middle East.

2. A unit of currency equal to ¹/₁₀₀ of the dirham in the United Arab Emirates.

[Arabic fals, fils, from Latin follis, bellows, windbag, purse, piece of money; see bhel-² in the Appendix of Indo-European 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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