Maghreb placename etymology

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 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.)

Given the fact that Arabs founded very few cities in the regions they conquered, a large portion of cities in so-called Arab countries have non-Arab etymologies. Many places, however, have had their names changed and "Arabized." Morocco, for instance, has only one Arab-founded city, Fez. For that reason, a majority of the Moroccan towns have Berber names. The following toponymic elements are common in place names in the Maghreb:

• agadir, granary, wall (Berber)
• aghbal أغبال, spring. (Berber)
• adrar أدرار, mountain. (Berber)
• tit eye, source, plural tittawin. (Berber)
• aït or ath آيت, "sons of". (Berber)
• ighrem "settlement" (Berber)
• azrou أزرو, "stone" from (Berber) "azru"
• berkane بركان, "black" from (Berber) aberkan.
• bordj برج, fort. from Latin
• bou بو, place of (literally "father of"). Maghrebi Arabic and (Berber), from (Arabic) abū أبو.
• casbah قصبة, old quarter of a town. (Arabic)
• chergui شرقي (pl. cheraga شراقة), eastern. (Arabic)
• chott شطّ, a swampy salt lake. Maghrebi Arabic, from (Arabic) shātī 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)
• erg "field of dunes" (in the Sahara.)
• foggara "irrigation channel" (in the Sahara.)
• gharbi غربي, "western" (Arabic)
• hamada, "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. (Berber)
• ifrane "caves". (Berber)
• ighil "hill". (Berber)
• in "of", Tamahaq, Tuareg language. (Berber)
• kalaa قلعة, "fortress". (Arabic)
• khemis خميس, "Thursday". (Arabic)
• ksar قصر, "fortified town, castle". (Arabic) from Latin castrum
• lalla لالاّ, "female saint". Maghrebi Arabic from (Berber)
• larbâa "Wednesday". (Arabic)
• melloul ملول, mellal ملال, mellil مليل, "white" from (Berber) amellal.
• mersa مرسى, "port" (Arabic)
• n ن, "of" (Berber)
• oued واد. Maghrebi Arabic from (Arabic) wādī وادي
• ouled ولاد, "sons of" Maghrebi Arabic from (Arabic) awlâd أولاد.
• ras راس, "cape, head" (Arabic)
• sebkha ou sabkha, "salt pan"
• seghir صغير, "small" (Arabic)
• si سي or sidi سيدي, "male saint" (Arabic)
• souk سوق, "market" (Arabic) مرسى, search
• tadrart "the rock" Tamahaq. (Berber)
• tala تالا, "spring" (Berber); attested as early as Sallust's time in the form Thala.
• tan, tin "of, in" Tamahaq. (Berber)
• taourirt تاوريرت, "hill". (Berber)
• tedles تدلس, "reeds". (Berber)
• tehe "pass" Tamahaq, Tuareg language. (Berber)
• tell تل, "hill" (Arabic)
• tizi تيزي, "pass" (Berber)
• wilaya ولاية, "province", Literary (Arabic)
• wan, win "of" Tamahaq. (Berber)
• zaouia زاوية "Quranic school" Maghrebi Arabic, from (Arabic) "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"