قلعة

Unknown. Possibilities include: * From the Arabic root ق ل ع (q l ʕ). * From Persian کلات (kalât, “fortress”), since a borrowing of this word regularly yields the shape قَلْعَة (qalʕa). Akin to Mazanderani کلا (kalâ, “borough”) and probably Old Armenian քաղաք (kʻałakʻ, “town”) (under ancient circumstances “fortress, castle” and “town” isn’t necessarily a meaning difference). * From the name of the Malay town below, after its high walls, perhaps supported by how the vocalization varies between قَ