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The place names of the Maghreb come from a variety of origins, mostly Arabic and Berber, but including a few derived from Phoenician, Latin, and several other languages. This is well illustrated by the three largest cities of Algeria, for instance: Algiers from Arabic al-jazā'ir "the islands", Oran from wahran from Berber wa-iharan "place of lions" and Constantine (Arabic Qasantinaقسنطينة) from the Latin name of the emperor Constantine. Phoenician names include Jijel, shortened from Latin Igilgili, from Phoenician i gilgilt "Skull Island" (according to Lipinski),[where?] and Carthage, ultimately from Punic qrt-ḥdšt (𐤒𐤓𐤕 𐤇𐤃𐤔𐤕) "New City."
Given the fact that Arabs founded very few cities in the regions they conquered, a large portion of cities in Arab countries have non-Arab etymologies. Many places, however, have had their names changed and "Arabized."
The following toponymic elements are common in place names in the Maghreb:
agadir, granary, wall (in Berber languages), from Punic 𐤀𐤂𐤃𐤓, ʾgdr, the name of ancient Cadiz
aghbal أغبال, spring. (in Berber languages)
adrar أدرار, mountain. (in Berber languages)
tit eye, source, plural tittawin. (in Berber languages)
aït or ath آيت, "sons of". (in Berber languages)
ighrem "settlement" (in Berber languages)
azrou أزرو, "stone" from (in Berber languages) "azru"
berkane بركان, "black" from (in Berber languages)aberkan.
bordj برج, fort. from Arabic.
bou بو, place of (literally "father of"). Maghrebi Arabic and (in Berber languages), from (in Arabic) abū أبو.
casbah قصبة, old quarter of a town. (in Arabic)
chergui شرقي (pl. cheraga شراقة), eastern. (in Arabic)
chott شطّ, a swampy salt lake. Maghrebi Arabic, from (in Arabic)shātī شاطئ
dar دار, pl. diar ديار, home. (in Arabic)
djebel جبل, mountain. (in Arabic)
djemaa جامع, mosque. (in Arabic)
douar دوار, (traditionally) region about the size of a county (in Arabic)
erg "field of dunes" (in the Sahara.)
foggara "irrigation channel" (in the Sahara.)
gharbi غربي, "western" (in Arabic)
hamada, "barren rock plain" (in the Sahara.)
hamra f., hmar m. أحمر, "red" (in Arabic)
hassi حاسي, "well" (in the Sahara.)
i, Latin transcriptions of Punic ʾY (𐤀𐤉, "island, coastland"), from Egyptian iw ("island")[1]
idhan "sand dunes", Tamahaq, the Tuareg language. (in Berber languages)
ifrane "caves". (in Berber languages)
ighil "hill". (in Berber languages)
in "of", Tamahaq, Tuareg language. (in Berber languages)
kalaa قلعة, "fortress". (in Arabic)
khemis خميس, "Thursday". (in Arabic)
ksar قصر, "fortified town, castle". (in Arabic) from Latin castrum
lalla لالاّ, "female saint". Maghrebi Arabic from (in Berber languages)
larbâa "Wednesday". (in Arabic)
melloul ملول, mellal ملال, mellil مليل, "white" from (in Berber languages)amellal.
mersa مرسى, "port" (in Arabic)
n ن, "of" (in Berber languages)
oued واد. Maghrebi Arabic from (in Arabic) wādī وادي
ouled ولاد, "sons of" Maghrebi Arabic from (in Arabic)awlâd أولاد.
ras راس, "cape, head" (in Arabic)
rus (Punic: 𐤓𐤔, RŠ, "head, cape")
sebkha or sabkha سبخة, "salt pan" (in Arabic)
seghir صغير, "small" (in Arabic)
si سي or sidi سيدي, "male saint" (in Arabic)
souk سوق, "market" (in Arabic) مرسى, search
tadrart "the rock" Tamahaq. (in Berber languages)
tala تالا, "spring" (in Berber languages); attested as early as Sallust's time in the form Thala.
tan, tin "of, in" Tamahaq. (in Berber languages)
taourirt تاوريرت, "hill". (in Berber languages)
tedles تدلس, "reeds". (in Berber languages)
tehe "pass" Tamahaq, Tuareg language. (in Berber languages)
tell تل, "hill" (in Arabic)
tizi تيزي, "pass" (in Berber languages)
Ténéré صحراء تينيري, "desert" (in Berber languages)
Wahran وهران, "lions", (in Berber languages)
wan, win "of" Tamahaq. (in Berber languages)
zaouia زاوية "Quranic school" Maghrebi Arabic, from (in Arabic) "corner".
zemmour زمور. (in Berber languages)azemmur, f. tazemmurt "olive tree".
Zenati زناتي, from the medieval (in Berber languages) tribe Zenata.
zeriba زريبة, "stockade" (in Arabic)
zmala زمالة, pl. zmoul زمول "encampment"
^Watson (2013), p. 328.
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