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. Phoenician names include Jijel, shortened from Latin Igilgili, from Phoenician i gilgilt "Skull Island" (according to Lipinski), 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"

References