Maghreb place name etymology

 ( Maghreb ) 

The place names of the Maghreb come from a variety of origins, mostly Arabic language and Berber language, but including a few derived from Phoenician, Latin language, and several other languages. This is well illustrated by the three largest cities of Algeria, for instance: Algiers from Arabic al-jazâ'ir "the islands", Oran from Wahran from Berber wa-iharan "place of lions", and Constantine (Arabic Qasantina قسنطينة) from the Latin name of the emperor Constantine.

The following toponymic elements are common in place names in the Maghreb:

• agadir, granary. Berber language, from Phoenician gader
• aghbal أغبال, spring. Berber language
• adrar أدرار, mountain. Berber language
• âin عين, pl. âyoune عيون, spring. Arabic language
• aït or ath آيت, sons of. Berber language
• âzib عزيب, settlement (originally, especially military.) Arabic language
• azrou أزرو, stone. Berber language
• beni بني, sons of. Arabic language
• berkane بركان, black. From Berber language aberkan.
• bordj برج, fort. Arabic language, from Latin language
• bou بو, place of (literally "father of"). Maghreb Arabic and Berber language, from Arabic language abû أبو.
• casbah قصبة, old quarter of a town. Arabic language
• chergui شرقي (pl. cheraga شراقة), eastern. Arabic language
• chott شطّ, a swampy salt lake. Maghreb Arabic, from Arabic language shaati' شاطئ
• dar دار, pl. diar ديار, home. Arabic language
• djebel جبل, mountain. Arabic language
• djemaa جامع, mosque. Arabic language
• douar دوار, (traditionally) region about the size of a county. Arabic language
• el الـ, the. Arabic language
• erg, field of dunes (in the Sahara.)
• foggara, irrigation channel (in the Sahara.)
• gharbi غربي, western. Arabic language
• hamada, a barren rock plain (in the Sahara.)
• hamra f., hmar m. أحمر, red. Arabic language
• hassi حاسي, well (in the Sahara.)
• ifrane, caves. Berber language
• ighil, hill. Berber language
• kalaa قلعة, fortress. Arabic language
• kebir كبير, big. Arabic language
• khemis خميس, Thursday. Arabic language
• ksar قصر, fortified town, castle. Arabic language from Latin language castrum
• lalla لالاّ, female saint. Maghreb Arabic from Berber language
• larbâa, Wednesday. Arabic language
• melloul ملول, mellal ملال, mellil مليل, white. From Berber language amellal.
• mersa مرسى, port. Arabic language
• n ن, of. Berber language
• ouled ولاد, sons of. Maghreb Arabic from Arabic language 'awlâd أولاد.
• ras راس, cape, head. Arabic language
• sebkha, a salt pan
• seghir صغير, small. Arabic language
• souk سوق, market. Arabic language
• si سي or sidi سيدي, male saint. Arabic language
• tala تالا, spring. Berber language; attested as early as Sallust's time in the form Thala.
• taourirt تاوريرت, hill. Berber language
• tedles تدلس, reeds. Berber language
• tell تل, hill. Arabic language
• tizi تيزي, pass. Berber language
• oued واد. Maghreb Arabic, from Arabic language wâdî وادي
• wilaya ولاية, province. Literary Arabic language
• zaouia زاوية, a Quranic school. Maghrebi Arabic, from Arabic language meaning "corner".
• zemmour زمور. Berber language azemmur, f. tazemmurt "olive tree".
• Zenati زناتي, from the medieval Berber tribe Zenata.
• zeriba زريبة, stockade. Arabic language
• zmala زمالة, pl. zmoul زمول, encampment.

• Glossary of Arabic toponyms