----- Original Message -----
From: "John Cowan" <jcowan@...>
To: <CONLANG@...>
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 1:56 PM
Subject: Re: Maltese Phonology
> Andreas Johansson scripsit:
>
> > Reminds me. I saw "Ferengistan" as a name of France somewhere, in a
Middle
> > East context I believe. Looks vaguely Turkish to me. Does anybody
recognize it?
>
> Sure. "fereng" ~ "farang" is from "Frank", although it has extended
meanings:
> Crusader, European, trader, white person. The Arabs carried it to lots of
> languages, including to places like Thailand where Islam didn't catch on.
> Because "-istan" is such a common country ending, it would be hard to pin
> down the exact source language.
>
>
I believe '-stan' is Farsi, by descent, however.