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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 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")
* 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 ou sabkha, "salt pan"
* 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" (en)
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