Maghreb toponymy

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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-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. For a Phoenician name, one has to look a little harder, but take, for instance, Jijel, shortened from Latin Igilgili, from Phoenician i gilgilt, "Island of the Skull" (according to Lipinski.)

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

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

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