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Spanish language

(Encyclopedia)CEE Spanish language, member of the Romance group of the Italic subfamily of the Indo-European family of languages (see Romance languages). The official language of Spain and 19 Latin American nati...

Arabic languages

(Encyclopedia)Arabic languages, members of the West Semitic group of the Semitic subdivision of the Afroasiatic family of languages (see Afroasiatic languages). The Arabic languages comprise North Arabic (or simply...

Duluth, Daniel Greysolon, sieur

(Encyclopedia)Duluth or Du Lhut, Daniel Greysolon, sieur dəlo͞othˈ, Fr. dülütˈ [key], 1636–1710, French explorer in Canada. He went to Canada with his younger brother c.1672. In 1678 he set out on an expedi...

peyote

(Encyclopedia)peyote pāōˈtē [key], spineless cactus (Lophophora williamsii), ingested by indigenous people in Mexico and the United States to produce visions. The plant is native to the SW United States, partic...

Huntingdon, Henry Hastings, 3d earl of

(Encyclopedia)Huntingdon, Henry Hastings, 3d earl of, 1535–95, English nobleman. Through his mother, Catherine Pole, a great-granddaughter of the duke of Clarence (brother of Edward IV and Richard III), Hastings ...

Kabyles

(Encyclopedia)Kabyles kəbīlzˈ [key], people, predominantly agricultural, of North Africa, whose center is the rugged Kabylia region of Algeria. Of uncertain origin, they form one of the larger divisions of the B...

Vladikavkaz

(Encyclopedia)Vladikavkaz vlədyēˈkävkäz [key], city (1989 pop. 300,000), capital of North Ossetia-Alania, SE European Russia, on the Terek River and at the northern foot of the Caucasus. It is the starting poi...

Louth, county, Republic of Ireland

(Encyclopedia)Louth louᵺ [key], county (1991 pop. 90,724), 317 sq mi (821 sq km), NE Republic of Ireland. The county seat is Dundalk. The region borders the Irish Sea from the mouth of the Boyne River to Carlingf...

ring, piece of jewelry

(Encyclopedia)ring, small ornamental hoop usually worn on finger or thumb, but it may be attached to the ear or the nose. Finger rings made of bronze, gold, and silver from the period c.2600–1500 b.c. have been f...

mound

(Encyclopedia)mound, prehistoric earthwork erected as a memorial or landmark over a burial place, a defensive embankment, or a site for ceremonial or religious rites or other functions. Such structures are found in...

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