Etymology and usage Souq

souq in dubai, deira souks

the arabic word loan aramaic šūqā (“street, market”), loanword akkadian sūqu (“street”, sāqu , meaning “narrow”). spelling souk entered european languages through french during french occupation of arab countries morocco, algeria, , tunisia in 19th , 20th centuries. thus, word souq refers arabic/north african traditional markets. other spellings of word involving letter q (sooq, souq, oq...) developed using english , refer western asian/arab traditional markets, british colonialism present there during 19th , 20th centuries.

in modern standard arabic term al-sooq refers markets in both physical sense , abstract economic sense (e.g., arabic-speaker speak of sooq in old city sooq oil, , call concept of free market السوق الحرّ as-sūq al-ḥurr). in northern morocco, spanish corruption socco used in grand socco , petit socco of tangiers. in sub-continent, different corruption, chowk , used in place of souq. term used generically designate market in western asian city, may used in western cities, particularly muslim community.