# avania

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˌavəˈniːə/

## Definitions
1. A tax or fee imposed on foreigners under the Ottoman Empire, especially one considered to be irregular or extortionate.

## Etymology
Borrowed from Italian avania, from Byzantine Greek ἀβανία (abanía, cfr. modern Greek αβανιά (avaniá) “defamation, slander”), possibly from Arabic خَوَّان (ḵawwān, “unreliable, treacherous”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/avania