Dunam
/ˈduːnəm/noun
A unit of land area used in parts of the Middle East and the Balkans, traditionally varying in size but often standardized as 1,000 square metres.
Did you know?The dunam’s size was historically inconsistent because it was associated with the amount of land that could be plowed in a day, making it a practical rather than perfectly fixed measure.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*terə-
“To rub, twist, or turn; a reconstructed root associated with rotational movement.”
Ancient Greek
Greek
tórnos
“A turner's tool or compass, something used for turning or drawing circles.”
Classical Latin
Latin
tornare
“To turn on a lathe or shape by rotation; source of later words related to turning.”
Ottoman Turkish
Ottoman Turkish
dönüm
“A tract or measure of land, literally connected with turning.”
19th Century
Arabic
dunum
“A land-area unit borrowed from Ottoman usage in Arabic-speaking regions.”
Modern English
English
dunam
“A Middle Eastern and Balkan unit of land area, commonly standardized at 1,000 square metres.”