Arabic exonyms
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This list of Arabic exonyms includes names that are significantly different from the names of the same places in other languages, as well as names of Arabic origin in countries (especially Spain) where Arabic is no longer spoken. Some of these exonyms are no longer in use; these are marked by italics.
Places not mentioned are generally referred to in Arabic by their respective names in their native languages, adapted to Arabic phonology as necessary.
Austria
China
| China | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Beijing | Khān Bālq (خان بالق)[4][5] or Bekīn (بكين) or Beijīn/Beijīnq/Beijīngh (بيجين/بيجينق/بيجينغ) | Khān Bālq is the old medieval Arabic exonym for Beijing, it was named as such after the winter capital of the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, Khanbaliq, which is the direct predecessor to modern Beijing.
Bekīn arouse from the French exonym Pékin, which itself came from the Portuguese exonym Pequim. The exonyms Beijīn, Beijīnq, and Beijīngh are the modern Arabic exonyms for Beijing, they come from the Mandarin name of the city and are often used interchangeably. | ||
| China | aṣ-Ṣīn (الصين)[6] or Māṣīn (ماصين)[7] | aṣ-Ṣīn is derived from Middle Persian 𐭰𐭩𐭭 (čīn, “China”), from Sanskrit चीन (cīna, “China”), itself usually derived from Old Chinese 秦 (*zin, “Qin”).[6]
Māṣīn is derived from the Persian Machin (ماچين), itself derived from the Sanskrit Maha Chin meaning Great China.[7] This exonym was rarely used. | ||
| Guangzhou | Ṣīn Kalan (صين كَلان) or Ṣīn aṣ-Ṣīn (صين الصين)[8][9] or Ṣīniyat aṣ-Ṣīn (صينية الصين)[10][9] | Ṣīn Kalan, Ṣīn aṣ-Ṣīn, and Ṣīniyat aṣ-Ṣīn are all derived from the Persian Machin (ماچين), itself derived from the Sanskrit Maha Chin meaning Great China. Kalan (كَلان) is also of Persian origin and translates to 'Large' or 'Great'.[9] | ||
| Hangzhou | al-Khansā' (الخنساء)[11] | al-Khansā' is the medieval Arabic exonym for the city of Hangzhou, it was named as such after the companion of Muhammad and famous female poet, Tumāḍir al-Khansā'. al-Khansā' translates to "snub-nosed", an Arabic epithet for a gazelle as metaphor for beauty. | ||
| Quanzhou | Madinat az-Zaytūn (مدينة الزيتون)[12] | Madinat az-Zaytūn translates to 'City of the Olives' and is a calque of Quanzhou's former Chinese nickname Citong Cheng meaning "tung-tree city", which is derived from the avenues of oil-bearing tung trees ordered to be planted around the city by the city's 10th-century ruler Liu Congxiao.[13][14] | ||
Cyprus
| Cyprus | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Nicosia | al-'Afqūsiyah (الأَفْقُوسِيَة)[15] or Niqūsiah (نيقوسيا) | al-'Afqūsiyah (الأفقوسية) was the old Arabic name for Nicosia, and it originates from the Byzantine Greek name of the city, Λευκωσία (Lefkosia).
Niqūsiah (نيقوسيا) is the Modern Arabic name for the city. | ||
France
| France | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Bay of Biscay | Bāhr al-Akhdar | |||
Georgia
| Georgia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Georgia | al-Kurj (الكُرج) or Bilād al-Kurj (بلاد الكُرج)[16] or Kurjistan (كُرْجِسْتَان) or Jorjyah (جورجيا) | al-Kurj or Bilād al-Kurj (The Lands of Georgia) was the Arabic exonym for Georgia during medieval times, it most likely came from the Persian exonym for Georgia, Gorj (گرج), the name is still in use today although rarely.
Kurjistan was most likely borrowed from the Turkish exonym Gorjestân, which is of Persian origin, it most likely gained popularity during Ottoman rule. Jorjyah is currently the most widely used exonym, which comes from the European name for Georgia. | ||
| Tbilisi | Tiflīs (تفليس)[17][18][19] | Comes from the Persian pronunciation of the name, Tiflis.[18][19][20] | ||
Germany
| Germany | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Germany | 'Almānya (أَلمَانِيَا) | Comes from the French name for Germany, Allemagne, but was known in medieval times as Jirmānyah (جرمانية), which was the Arabized form of its Latin name, Germania. | ||
Gibraltar
| Gibraltar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Gibraltar | Jabal Ṭāriq (جبل طارق)[21] | Founded with an Arabic name meaning 'Mountain of Ṭariq', named for the 8th-century Islamic military leader Ṭariq ibn Ziyad. | ||
Greece
| Greece | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Greece | al-Yūnān (اليُونَان) | Comes from Old Persian 𐎹𐎢𐎴 (Yauna, “Ionia”), which references the Greek region of Ionia, that resides in modern-day Turkey. | ||
| Heraklion | Rabḍ al-Khandaq (ربض الخندق)[22] | Given an Arabic name after its conquest, this name was then Hellenized as Χάνδαξ (Chándax) or Χάνδακας (Chándakas), and would remain until the 19th century when the city revived its ancient name Ηράκλειον (Heracleion). | ||
| Chania | al-Hānim (الهانم) or Khānia (خانيا) | al-Hānim (الهانم) is the Arabic name given to Chania after its conquest; this name was then Hellenized as Χανιά (Chania), and it is from which the modern Arabic exonym Khānia (خانيا) originates. | ||
Italy
| Italy | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Acireale | al-Yāj (الْياج) or Liyāj (لِياج)[23] | |||
| Agira | Shant Fīlibb (شنت فيلب) | Arabized form of its old name San Filippo. | ||
| Alcamo | Manzil al-Qāmūq (منزل القاموق) or 'Alqāmāh (علقمة)[24] | Manzil al-Qāmūq (House of al-Qāmūq) is the name Muhammad al-Idrisi wrote to be the original Arabic name of Alcamo, however the Arabs at the time referred to it as 'Alqāmāh. al-Qāmūq is the founder of Alcamo. | ||
| Alcara li Fusi | Al-Aqarāt | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Alì | Ali (عَلِيّ)[25] | One of the possible theories for the etymology of this town is the Arabic name Ali (عَلِيّ).[25] | ||
| Alimena | Al-Imān | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Aliminusa | Rakhbal Al-Mīnusa | |||
| Amalfi | Malf (ملف)[26] | |||
| Ancona | 'Ankūnah (أَنْكُونَة)[27] or 'Anqūnah (أَنْقُونَة)[28] | |||
| Apulia | Būlyah (بولية)[29] | |||
| Aquileia | Iklāyah (إيكلاية)[30] or 'Anklāyah (أنكلاية)[31] | |||
| Bagheria | Bab al-Gharb (باب الغرب) or Baḥrīyah (بحرية) | Founded with Arabic name; either from Bab al-Garb (باب الغرب), 'Gate of the West', or from Baḥrīyah (بحرية), which means 'Sea' or 'Marine'. | ||
| Benevento | Binfint (بنفنت)[24] or Binbint (بنبنت)[32] | |||
| Borghetto | Al-Burjātah | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Brindisi | 'Abrinṭas (ابرنطس) or 'Abrindas (ابرندس)[33] | |||
| Buscemi | Qalʿat ʾAbū Shāma (قلعة أبو شامة) or Qalʿat ʾAbī Shāma (قلعة أبي شامة)[34][35] | Founded with Arabic name: 'The Fortress of the Man with the Mole'.[35]
Over the centuries the name has been Romanized as Abu Xamah, Abuxama, or even Abisama. The Latinized version Buxemae and Bussemae, from the Norman period, however, is the one closest to today's form. | ||
| Cagliari | Qālmarah (قالمرة)[36] | |||
| Calabria | Qalawriyah (قَلَوْرِيَة)[37][38] | |||
| Calamonaci | Qalamūnash or Qal'at Mūn (قلعة مون) or Qal'at Mūnah (قلعة مونة)[39] | Calamonaci has two possible etymologies: either from Qalamūnash, which itself is a derivation from the Greek Kalamiōn, or from Qal'at Mūn/Mūnah 'Fortress of Mūn/Mūnah'.[39] | ||
| Calatafimi-Segesta | Qal'at Fīmī (قلعة فيمي)[40] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of Fīmī'. | ||
| Caltabellotta | Qal'at al-Balūṭ (قلعة البلوط)[41] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of The Oak'. | ||
| Caltagirone | Qal'at Ghīrān (قلعة غيران) or Qa'lat al-Jinūn (قلعة الجنون) | Founded with Arabic name.
Was called Qal'at al-Jinūn (قلعة الجنون) during the Aghlabid period; also known as Ḥiṣn al-Jinūn ( حصن الجنون) or Ḥiṣn al-Jinawiyīn (حصن الجنويين), 'Fortress of the Genoese'. The name eventually became Qal'at Ghīrān (قلعة غيران), meaning 'Fortress of Ghīran'. | ||
| Caltanissetta | Qal'at an-Nisa' (قَلْعَةُ النِّسَاءِ)[42] | Its original name was Castra Nicia; this name was then arabized into Qal'at an-Nisa' (قَلْعَةُ النِّسَاءِ) meaning 'Fortess of the Women'. | ||
| Caltavuturo | Qal'at Abī Thawr (قلعة أبي ثور)[43][44][45] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of Abī Thawr'. | ||
| Camerino | Qamrīn (قَمْرِين)[46] | |||
| Canicattì | Khandaq aṭ-Ṭīn (خندق الطين)[47] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Trench of Mud'. | ||
| Capri | Qabrah (قَبْرَةُ)[48] | |||
| Cassaro | al-Qaṣr (القصر) | Founded with Arabic name: 'the Castle'. | ||
| Castello di Mongialino | Malja' Khalil (ملجأ خليل) or Manzil Malja' Khalil (منزل ملجأ خليل)[49] | 'Khalil's Shelter'. | ||
| Catania | Qaṭāniyyah (قَطَانِيَةُ)[50][23][51][52] or Qaṭāliyyah (قَطَالِيَةُ)[52] | The city was also known as Balad al-Fīl (بَلَد الفِيل)[23] or Madinat al-Fīl (مَدِينَة الفِيل),[51][52] meaning 'Land/City of the Elephant'. | ||
| Catanzaro | Qaṭanṣār (قطنصار)[53] | |||
| Cefalà Diana | Jaflah (جفلة)[54] | |||
| Città di Castello | Qaṣṭlu (قصطلو)[30] | |||
| Civitavecchia | Jabt Bakkah (جبت بكّة)[55] | |||
| Collesano | Qal'at aṣ-Ṣarāṭ (قلعة الصراط)[56] | 'Fortress of Ṣarāṭ' | ||
| Comacchio | Qamālqah (قمالقة)[30] | |||
| Corleone | Qurliyūn (قُرلِيُون)[57][58] or Qurullūn (قُرُلُون) or Qurulliyūn (قُرُلِيُون)[58] | The etymology of the name is uncertain. It is believed to have taken its name from an Arab soldier who fought for the Aghlabids.[59] | ||
| Cosenza | Kashnatah (كشنتة)[24] | |||
| Crotone | Qaṭrūnah (قطرونة)[60] | |||
| Enna | Qaṣr Yānih (قَصْرُ يَانِه) or Qaṣr Yāni (قصر ياني)[61] | 'Castle of Yānih/Yāni'; nativized as 'Castrogiovanni', which remained in use until 1926. | ||
| Florence | Flūransah (فَلُورَنْسَة)[62] or 'Iflūransah (إِفْلُورَنْسَة)[28] | |||
| Gela | Madinat al-'Amidah (مدينة الأعمدة)[63] | 'City of the Pillars' | ||
| Italy | Īṭaliya (إيطاليا) or al-'Arḍ al-Kabīrah (الأَرْض الكبيرة)[64] | al-'Arḍ al-Kabīrah translates to 'The Big Land', and it is a term used by medieval Arabs for the entire Italian Peninsula, but oftentimes it was used only for the region of Southern Italy. | ||
| Kalsa | al-Khāliṣa (الخالصة)[65] | Founded with Arabic name: 'the Pure one'. | ||
| Lascari | Madinah Al-Asqāri | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Lecce | Lajj (لَجّ)[66] | |||
| Livorno | Qurnah (قُرْنَة) | It was named as such after the Livorno Jews, who are known as al-Qirānah (القرانة) in Arabic and Grana in Judeo-Arabic. | ||
| Lombardy | 'Anbardiah (أَنْبَرْدِيَة) or 'Anbarḍiah (أَنْبَرْضِيَة)[67] or 'Ankabardiah (أنكبردية) or Bilād al-Linbard (بلاد اللنبرد)[68] | Bilād al-Linbard translates to 'Land of the Lombards'. | ||
| Marineo | Mirnaw (مرناو)[54] | |||
| Marsala | Marsā 'Ali (مَرْسَى عَلِيّ)[69][70] or Marsā Allāh (مَرْسَى الله)[70] | Renamed with Arabic name after conquest: 'Ali's Harbour' or 'Allāh's Harbour'. | ||
| Mazaro | Wadī al-Majnūn (وادي المجنون)[69] | 'Mad Valley' or 'Valley of the Madman'. | ||
| Messina | Musaynah (مسّينى)[71] or Masīnah (مَسِّينَةُ)[72] | |||
| Mineo | Mīnaw (مِيناو) or Qal'at Mīnaw (قلعة مِيناو)[49] | |||
| Misilmeri | Manzil al-'Amīr (منزل الأمير)[61] | 'Home of the Emir'. | ||
| Monte Catalfaro | Qal'at al-Far (قلعة الفار)[49] | 'Fortress of the Mouse' | ||
| Mount Etna | Jabal al-Nār (جبل النار)[73] | 'Mountain of Fire'. | ||
| Naples | Nabul (نَابُل)[74][75] | |||
| Otranto | 'Aḏrant (أذرنت)[66] | |||
| Padua | Bāḏuah (بَاذُوَة)[28] | |||
| Palermo | Balarm (بَلَرْم)[76][77] | |||
| Pantelleria | Qawṣarah (قَوْصَرَة)[77] | |||
| Pesaro | Bisrah (بيسرة)[78] or Biṣrah (بيصرة)[79] | |||
| Pisa | Bīzā (بيزا) or Bīsh (بيش) or Bīshah (بيشة)[55][77] | Bīsh and Bīshah are medieval terms used by al-Idrisi to name the city, but in modern times Piza is referred to as Bīzā. | ||
| Ponza | Bānūsah (بَانُوسَةُ)[48] | |||
| Ravenna | Rabnah (ربنة)[78] | |||
| Regalbuto | Rākhbāl Al-Abbūd | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Reggio Calabria | Rīyyah (رية) or Rayyū (رَيُو)[80] | |||
| Rimini | 'Arīmnī (اريمني) or 'Arīmnīs (اريمنيس)[78] | |||
| Rome | Rūma (روما) or Rūmiyah (رُومِيَّة) | Rūmiya (رُومِيَّة) was the early Arabic name for Rome, and is rarely used nowadays. | ||
| Rossano | Rusyānah (رسيانة)[60] | |||
| Salerno | Slirno (سلرنو)[26] | |||
| Sardinia | Sardānyah (سَرْدَانِيَة)[81][82] or Suridānyah (سُرِدَانِيَة)[83] | |||
| Savoca | Qalāt Az-Zabūd | |||
| Sciacca | ash-Shāqah (الشاقة)[41][24] | 'The one who Separates' | ||
| Sicily | Ṣiqilliya (صِقِلِّيَة) | |||
| Simeto | Wadī Mūsa (وادي موسى)[84] | 'Valley of Mūsa'. | ||
| Siponto | Sībent (سيبنت)[85] | |||
| Sorrento | Srint (سرنت)[86] | |||
| Soverato | Sibirniah (سبرنية)[24] | |||
| Siracusa | Saraqūsah (سَرَقُوسَة)[84][81] | |||
| Squillace | 'Asjilāsah (اسجلاسة)[87] | |||
| Taormina | Ṭābarmīn (طَبَرْمِين)[81][88][24][71] | Under the Fatimids, it was called al-Muīzziyyah (المعزّية) or Madinat al-Muīzz (مدينة المعزّ) after Caliph al-Muīzz. | ||
| Taranto | Ṭārant (طارنت)[89][90] | |||
| Terracina | Ṭarjīnah (طرجينة)[91] | |||
| Tivoli | Tūḏur (تَوْذُر)[27] | |||
| Trani | Ṭrānah (طرانة) or 'Aṭrānah (اطرانة)[85] | |||
| Trapani | 'Aṭrābansh (أَطْرَابَنِش) or Ṭarābanash (طَرَابَنَش)[69] | |||
| Trieste | Iṣṭājānku (إصطاجانكو)[30] or Isṭājānku (إسطاجانكو)[92] | |||
| Tropea | Atrabiyah (اتربية)[36] | |||
| Turin | Ṭarūnah (طَرُونَة)[46] | |||
| Tuscany | Tuskanah (تُسكانة)[93][94][95][96] or Ṭusqanah (طُسقانة)[97][98] | |||
| Tyrrhenian Sea | Baḥr Ṭrānah (بحر طرانة)[82] | |||
| Venice | al-Bunduqīyya (اَلْبُنْدُقِيَّةُ) | The etymology of al-Bunduqīyya is uncertain but probably derives from modification of Byzantine Greek Βενετικός and/or Venetian venedego under influence from Arabic bunduq (بُنْدُق, "hazelnut, pebble, bullet") + -iyya (ـِيَّة, "-ia"), ultimately derived from the ancient Greek Pontus, which abounded in hazels.[99] The name is attested from the early 10th century. | ||
| Vieste | Bistiyah (بستية)[100] | |||
| Villanova | Ballanūbah (بلنوبا) Bor illa Nūba (بيلّا نووِبا) | It was the home of the Siculo-Arabic poet known as al-Balnūbi, it was destroyed or deserted before the Norman conquest.[101] | ||
| Zisa | Qaṣr al-Azīz (قصر العزيز)[102] | The name Zisa derives from the Arab term al-Azīz, meaning "dear" or "splendid".[102]
The structure was conceived as a summer residence for the Norman kings, as a part of the large hunting resort known as Genoardo (Arabic: Jannat al-arḍ [جنة الأرض], literally "Earthly Paradise").[103] | ||
Indonesia
| Indonesia | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Indonesian Archipelago | Jazirah al-Jawi (جزيرة الجاوي) | Comes from Sanskrit exonym (Yavadvipa; Java Island), but in medieval times it generally refers to the Malay Archipelago or the Maritime Southeast Asia, as medieval Arab geographers often referred the whole region after a common place name (Pars pro toto).[104][105][106] | ||
Malta
| Malta | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Mdina | Madinat Mālṭah (مدينة مَالِطَةَ) | 'City of Malta'. | ||
Montenegro
| Montenegro | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Montenegro | al-Jabal al-'Aswad (الجبل الأسود) | 'The Black Mountain', like Montenegro a translation of the endonym Črna Gora | ||
Netherlands
Portugal
| Portugal | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Albufeira | al-Buḥayrah (البُحَيْرَة) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Lake'. | ||
| Alcácer do Sal | Qaṣr 'Abi Dānis (قصر أبي دانس)[108] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Castle of 'Abi Dānis | ||
| Alcoutim | al-Quṭāmi (القطامي)[109] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Falcon'. | ||
| Alfândega da Fé | al-Funduq (الفندق)[110] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Inn'. | ||
| Algarve | al-Gharb (الغرب)[111][112] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The West'. | ||
| Aljezur | al-Juzur (الجزر) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Islands'. | ||
| Almada | Ḥiṣn al-Mā'din (حصن المعدن)[113] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Metal Fortress'. | ||
| Almeirim | Madinah al-Māryām | Founded with Arabic name | ||
| Almodôvar | al-Mudawwar (المُدَوَّر)[114] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Round One'. | ||
| Beja | Bājah (باجة)[115] | The town was known during the times of the Visigoths as Paca, this was then Arabized into Bājah (باجة) during Umayyad times, and eventually turned into its modern form Beja when the Christians took over.[115] | ||
| Coimbra | Qulumriyah (قُلُمْرِيَة)[116][117][118] or Qulunbariyah (قلنبرية)[119] | Arabized form of its old Roman name Colimbria. | ||
| Faro | Shantamariat al-Gharb (شَنْتَمَرِيَّةُ الغرب)[120] | 'Santa Maria of the West'. | ||
| Fátima | Fāṭīmah (فاطمة) | Named after Fāṭīmah az-Zahra', the daughter of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. | ||
| Ossonoba | 'Akshūnbah (أكشونبة)[68][121] | Arabized form of its old Roman name Ossónoba. | ||
| Ourém | Abdegas | Abdegas was apparently the name of the Muslim village on which the city of Ourém was founded, the Arabic pronunciation of the word is unknown. | ||
| Sacavém | Shaqabān (شقبان) | |||
| Silves | Shilb (شِلْب)[121] | |||
| Tavira | Ṭabīrah (طبيرة)[122][123] | Founded with Arabic name | ||
Spain
| Spain | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | ||
| Name | Language | ||||
| Acered | al-Sirāṭ (السراط) | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Aguilar de la Frontera | Ḥiṣn Bulāy (حصن بُلَاي)[124] | 'The Fortress of Bulāy' | |||
| Albacete | al-Basīṭ (ﭐَلبَسِيط)[125] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Plain' or 'The Flat', referring to the flat plains around.[125] | |||
| Albaicín | al-Bayyāzīn (ٱلْبَيّازِينْ)[126] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Albaida | al-Bayḍā' (البيضاء)[126] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The White'. | |||
| Albalá | al-Balāṭ (البلاط)[127][circular reference] or al-Ballā'a (البَلَّاعة)[126] | Founded with Arabic name.
al-Balāṭ 'The Tiles' or 'The Stones', in reference to the Roman road nearby al-Ballā'a 'The Gutter'. | |||
| Albarracín | Banī Rāzin (بَنِي رَزِينٍ) or Sahlat Banī Rāzin (سَهْلَةُ بَنِي رَزِينٍ) or Shantamariat ash-Sharq (شَنْتَمَرِيَّةُ الشَّرْقِ)[128] | Named after the Hawwara Berber Banu Razin dynasty that ruled the Taifa of Albarracín in the early eleventh century, it was also known as 'Ibn Rāzin (ابن رزين)[126] or as-Sahlah (السَّهْلَةُ)[128]
Before it was ruled by the Banu Razin, it was known Shantamariah (شَنْتَمَرِيَّةُ)[129] or Shantamariat ash-Sharq (شَنْتَمَرِيَّةُ الشَّرْقِ),[128] i.e. 'Santa Maria of the East'. | |||
| Alberite | al-Baldah (البلدة) | 'The Town'.
This is one of two theories for the etymology of the town, the other one being the Latin Alber-iter. | |||
| Alburquerque | Abu al-Qūrq or Baladiyat Abī al-Qūrq (بَلَدِيَّةُ أَبِي القُرْقِ)[130] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Father of al-Qūrq' or 'The Town of the Father of al-Qūrq'. | |||
| Alcalá de los Gazules | Qal'at Jazūla (قلعة جزولة)[131][132] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Fortress of Jazūla'. | |||
| Alcalá de Guadaíra | Qal'at Jābir (قلعة جابر)[133][134] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Fortress of Jābir'. | |||
| Alcala de Henares | Qal'at Hināris (قلعة هنارس)[135] or Madīnat al-Mā'idah (مدينة المائدة)[135] | ||||
| Alcántara | Qanṭarat as-Sayf (قَنْطَرَة السَّيْفِ) or al-Qanṭarah (القنطرة)[136] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Arched Bridge of the Sword' or 'The Arched Bridge'. | |||
| Alcantarilla | Qanṭarat 'Ashkābah (قنطرة اشكابة) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Arched Bridge of 'Ashkābah' | |||
| Alcañiz | al-Kanā'is (الكنائس)[137] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Churches'. | |||
| Alcaraz | Jabal al-Karaz (جبل الكرز)[136] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Mountain of Cherry' | |||
| Alcaucín | al-Qawsayn (القَوْسَيْنِ) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Two Arches'. | |||
| Alcázar de San Juan | al-Qaṣr (القصر)[138] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Castle'. | |||
| Alcazarén | al-Qaṣrayn (القَصْرَين)[139] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Two Castles'. | |||
| Alcolea | al-Qulay'ah (القُلَيعة) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Little Castle'. | |||
| Alcúdia | al-Qudiah (القودية) or al-Kudiah (الكُدية)[140][141] | Founded with Arabic name, the name comes from the Maghrebi Arabic word al-Kidya (الكدية), which means 'The Plateau'. | |||
| Alcuéscar | Al-Qāwāsqar | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Alfambra | al-Ḥamrāʼ (الْحَمْرَاء)[142] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Red One'. | |||
| Alfamén | al-Ḥammām (الحمَّام)[142][143] or al-Fahīmn (الفهيمن)[144] | Founded with Arabic name, al-Ḥammām (الحمَّام) 'The Bathhouse'. | |||
| Alfarnate | al-Farnat (الفرنت)[145] | Founded with Arabic name, 'Flour Mill'. | |||
| Algaida | al-Ghaīḍah (الغَيضة)[112] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Grove'. | |||
| Algarrobo | al-Kharrūbah (الخَرُّوبة)[146] or al-Kharrūb (الخَرُّوب)[112] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Algeciras | al-Jazīrah al-Khaḍrā' (الجزيرة الخضراء)[147] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Green Island'. | |||
| Alhama de Murcia | al-Ḥammah (الحَمّة)[148] or Ḥammat Mursiyah (حَمّة مرسية) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Hot Springs' or 'The Hot Springs of Mursiyah'. | |||
| Alhambra | al-Ḥamrāʼ (الْحَمْرَاء) or al-Qalʻatu al-Ḥamrāʼ (الْقَلْعَةُ ٱلْحَمْرَاءُ)[149][150] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Red One' or 'The Red Fortress'. | |||
| Alhaurín de la Torre | Burj al-Ḥawrīn (برج الحَورِيِّين)[148] | Founded with Arabic name, 'Tower of the Hawwara'. | |||
| Alicante | Laqant (لقنت)[121][151][152][153] or al-Qant (القنت)[154] | Arabisation of the Latin Lucentum,[155] which comes from the Greek Leuké ("white"). | |||
| Almáchar | al-Makhar (المَخَر)[156] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Almadén | al-Mā'din (المعدن)[157][158][135][159] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Metal'. | |||
| Almansa | al-Manṣaf (المَنْصَف)[160][161] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The area half-way through the road'. | |||
| Almassora | al-Manṣūrah (المنصورة) or al-Maḥṣūrah (المحصورة)[162] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Victorious one'; named after the Andalusian military leader al-Manṣūr, while al-Maḥṣūrah translates to 'The Confined one'. | |||
| Almazán | al-Maḥṣan (المَحْصَن)[163] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Fortified'. | |||
| Almenar | al-Manār (المَنار)[162] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Illuminated one'. | |||
| Almensilla | al-Manzilah (الَمنزِلَة)[162] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The House'. | |||
| Almería | al-Mariyyah (المَرِيَّة)[164][165][121][162] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Almonacid de la Cuba | al-Munastīr (المُنَستير)[166][167] | Founded with Arabic name, Arabized form of the word monastery. | |||
| Almudaina | al-Mudainah (المُدَينة)[168] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Little City'. | |||
| Almuñécar | al-Munakkab (المُنَكَّب) or Ḥiṣn al-Munakkab (حصن المُنَكَّب)[169][168][170][171][172] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Alovera | al-Ḥuwayrah (الحُوَيْرَة)[173] | ||||
| Alpujarras | al-Busharāt (البُشارات)[170][174] | ||||
| Alquézar | al-Qaṣr (القصر)[175] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Castle'. | |||
| Alzira | Jazīrat Shaqr (جزيرة شَقْر)[176] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Island of Júcar/Xúquer', with Shaqr being the Arabic name for the Júcar/Xúquer river. | |||
| Andalusia | al-'Andalus (الأَنْدَلُس)[177][178][179] | al-Andalus is the name that the Muslims gave to the Iberian Peninsula, it is mainly used to refer to the Muslim ruled regions of Iberia during the Middle Ages, the name may be derived from the name of the Vandals.[180]
The modern autonomous community of 'Andalusia' is named after it. | |||
| Ardales | Arḍīṭ (أَرْضِيطُ)[181] or Ḥarshafa (حرشفة)[182] | According to 'A Dictionary of Spanish Place Names', the original name of Ardales was Cardales, which means 'Thistle fields', and later turned into Hardares. The Arabic version then became 'Harsafa' which means ‘edible thistle’.[181] ['Harsafa' is most likely referring to the singular form of Cardoon in Arabic, which is Ḥarshafa].
Arḍīṭ may have also originated from Hardares, however that is unconfirmed. | |||
| Arriate | ar-Rīyāḍ (الرِّيَاض)[183] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Gardens'. | |||
| Axarquía | ash-Sharqiyah (الشرقية) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Eastern One'. | |||
| Azofra | as-Sukhrah (السُّخرة)[184] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Azuqueca de Henares | as-Sukaykah (السُّكَيكة)[185] | Founded with Arabic name, comes from the Arabic word Sikah (سكة), and translates to 'The Little Lane'. | |||
| Badajoz | Baṭalyaws (بَطَلْيَوْس)[153][152] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Banyalbufar | Banī al-Baḥar (بني البحر) | A possible etymology, 'People of the Sea' or 'Tribe of the Sea'. | |||
| Belchite | Balshal or Bilshid | A possible etymology | |||
| Benacazón | Binā' Qassūm (بناء قَسّوم)[186] or Ibn/Banī Qassūm (ابن/بني قَسّوم) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Building of Qassūm'; Ibn/Banī Qassūm translates to 'The Son/Descendants of Qassūm'. | |||
| Benadalid | Ibn ad-Dalīl (ابن الدليل)[186] | Founded with Arabic name, 'Son of the Guide'. | |||
| Benaguasil | Ibn al-Wazir(ابن الوزير)[187] or Banī al-Wazir(بني الوزير) | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Son/Descendants of al-Wazir', al-Wazir was the family that founded the city over the ruins of a Roman villa. | |||
| Benahavís | Binā' Ḥabīsh (بناء حبيش)[187] | Founded with Arabic name, 'The Building of Ḥabīsh'.
The word Ḥabīsh could have come from the Arabic word Ḥabashi (حبشي), which meant Ethiopian, but was used to identify any dark-skinned African; this could indicate that the city was founded by a man of Sub-Saharan African descent. | |||
| Benalmádena | Binā' al-Ma'dānah (بناء المَعْدَانة)[187] or Ibn/Banī al-Ma'dan (ابن/بِنى المعدن) or Banī al-Madīnah (بِنى المدينة) | Founded with Arabic name.
Binā' al-Ma'dānah (بناء المَعْدَانة) translates to 'The Building of Metal', Ibn/Banī al-Ma'dan (ابن/بِنى المعدن) translates to 'Son/Descendants of Metal', Banī al-Madīnah (بِنى المدينة) translates to 'Descendants of the City'. | |||
| Benarrabá | Ibn ar-Rabāḥ (ابن الرَّبَاح)[188] or Banū/Banī ar-Rabāḥ (بنو/بني الرَّبَاح) | Founded with Arabic name.
Ibn ar-Rabāḥ (ابن الرَّبَاح) translates to 'Son of ar-Rabāḥ', Banū/Banī ar-Rabāḥ (بنو/بني الرَّبَاح) translates to 'Descendants of ar-Rabāḥ'. | |||
| Binissalem | Banī Sālim (بني سالم)[189] | Founded with Arabic name.
Banī Sālim (بني سالم) translates to 'Descendants of Sālim'. | |||
| Bufalí | Abū Khālid (أبو خالد)[190] | Founded with Arabic name.
Abū Khalid (أبو خالد) translates to 'Father of Khālid'. | |||
| Bujaraloz | Burj al-Arus | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Bujalance | Burj al-Ḥansh (بُرج الحنش)[190] | Founded with Arabic name
Burj al-Ḥansh (بُرج الحنش) translates to 'Tower of al-Ḥansh', al-Ḥansh is a type of snake known as the Eastern racer. | |||
| Cáceres | Qaṣrash (قصرش)[191] or Qaṣrāsh (قصرآش) | Arabisation of Latin Norba Caesarina or Castra Cæcilia | |||
| Cádiz | Qādis (قادِس) or Ghādish (غادِش) | Arabized form of its old Latin name Gades. | |||
| Cadrete | Qadrit | Arabized form of its old Latin name Cateracta, the Arabic pronunciation is unknown. | |||
| Calatañazor | Qal'āt An-Nusūr (قلعة النُسُور)[192][193][31][194] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of the Vultures' | |||
| Calatayud | Qal‘at ’Ayyūb (قلعة أيوب)[192][195][153] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of ’Ayyūb' | |||
| Calatrava la Vieja | Qalʿat Rabāḥ (قلعة رَبَاح)[196][197][198][199] | Founded with Arabic name: 'Fortress of Rabāḥ' | |||
| Cartagena | Qarṭājannah (قَرْطاجَنَّة)[200][201] | Arabized form of its Latin name Carthaginem | |||
| Caspe | Qaṣb (قصب)[202] or Qasb (قسب) | Possibly either an Arabized form of its original name or founded with an Arabic name.
The place name Casp was documented in Andalusi sources as "Qsp", "Qasp" or "Qasb", and has been related to the Arabic word "Casba".[202] [This could be referring to Qaṣba (قصبة), which translates to 'Rod'.] | |||
| Castile | al-Qashtālah (القشتالة)[203] or al-Qila' (القلاع)[203] | al-Qashtālah is the Arabized form of its original name Castille, while al-Qila' is a translation of the name to Arabic, and translates to 'The Castles'. | |||
| Castillo de Locubín | Ḥiṣn al-'Uqbān (حصن العِقْبَان) or Ḥiṣn al-'Uqab (حصن العُقاب) | Founded with Arabic name: Ḥiṣn al-'Uqbān translates to 'Fortress of the Eagles', while Ḥiṣn al-'Uqab translates to 'Fortress of the Eagle'
The Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa took place here, and is known in Arabic as The Battle of al-'Uqab, named after Ḥiṣn al-'Uqab. | |||
| Castillo de Montemayor | Ulyat Kanbaniya | ||||
| Cazarabet | Qaṣr Abbād | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Ceuta | Sabtah (سَبْتَة)[204] | The area was known as Septem Fratres (Seven Brothers)[205] in Latin, this would eventually be shortened to Septum[206] or Septa,[207] and would later become known as Sabtah in Arabic. | |||
| Cieza | Madinat Siyāsah (مدينة سياسة)[208][209][210] or Madinat as-Siyāsah (مدينة السياسة) | It is possible that the name Madinat Siyāsah (City of Siyāsah) is an Arabized form of the city's previous name, Segisa, which was mentioned by Ptolemy.[211]
The name Madinat as-Siyāsah may also be of Arabic origin, and would then translate to 'The City of Politics'. | |||
| Ciudad Real | Māslākha | ||||
| Ciutadella de Menorca | Madīnat al-Jazīra (مدينة الجزيرة) or Madīnat Menūrqah (مدينة منورقة) | 'The City of the Island' and 'The City of Menorca', respectively | |||
| Cordoba | Qurṭubah (قرطبة)[212][213] | Arabized form of its old Roman name Corduba, which in theory might be the Latinized form of the Phoenician-Punic qart ṭūbah meaning 'good town'. | |||
| Covadonga | Ṣakhrat Bilāy (صخرة بلاي)[214] | 'The Boulder of Pelagius'; named after the founder of the Kingdom of Asturias, who defeated the Arabs there in the first ever Christian victory in Iberia, known as 'Siege of the Boulder' (حصار الصخرة) in Arabic and as 'Battle of Covadonga' in English. | |||
| Cuarte de Huerva | Qūwart (قورت)[215][216] | ||||
| Cuenca | Quwanka (قُوَنْكَةُ)[217] or Quwanqa (قُوَنْقَةُ)[218] or Kuwanka (كونكة)[152][153][219] | Under the Arabs the castle of the city was known as 'qunka' which has no other feature than to reflect the previous Christian name, and so the name may be of Arabic origin.[220]
The name may also be an Arabization of the original Roman name, which derives from the Latin conca meaning "river basin", referring to the gorge of the rivers Júcar and Huécar. | |||
| Cuevas del Almanzora | Kuhūf al-Manṣurah (كهوف المنصورة)[221] | 'The Caves of al-Manṣurah'
al-Manṣurah translates to 'The Victorious one' and is named after the Andalusian military leader al-Manṣūr. | |||
| Cutanda | Qutunda (قُتُنْدَةُ)[222] | Possibly an Arabized form of its original name, which is Germanic kotta ‘heights’ echoed by Latin quota.[223] | |||
| Chiprana | Shibrānah (شبرانة)[224] | Possibly an Arabized form of its original Roman name Cipriano.[211] | |||
| Daroca | Qal'at Darūqah (قلعة دَرُوقَةَ)[225][226][122][195] | Qal'at Darūqah, which translates to 'Fortress of Darūqah', was given to the city after its conquest by the Arabs. | |||
| Deià | Ḍay'ah (ضيعة)[227] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Dénia | Dāniyyah (دانيّة)[228][152][153] | Arabized form of its Visigothic name Denia. | |||
| Ebro River | Nahr 'Ibrah (نَهْرُ إِبْرَةَ) or Nahr Ṭurṭūshah (نَهْرُ طَرْطُوشَةَ)[229] | Translates to "River of 'Ibrah" and "River of Tortosa" respectively | |||
| Écija | Istijjah (إِسْتِجَةُ)[230][82] or Isījjah (إسيجة)[170] | Arabized form of its Roman name Astigi. | |||
| Elche | 'Alsh (ألش)[152] | Arabized form of its Roman name Ilici or Illice. | |||
| Fabara | Ḥawwārah (حوارة)[231] or Fawārah (فوارة)[232] | The name comes from either the Hawwara Berber tribe, or from the Arabic Fawārah (فوارة), which translates to fountain, sparkling spring, or geyser.[233] | |||
| Faraján | Farḥān[234][circular reference][227] | Founded with Arabic name, translates to 'Happy' or 'Delightful' | |||
| Fuentes de Ebro | Funtush | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Gállego | Yalaq | ||||
| Genalguacil | Jannat Al-Wāzir | ||||
| Generalife | Jannat Al-Arīf | ||||
| Getafe | Al-Jādāfih | ||||
| Girona | Jarandah (جَرَنْدَةُ) or Jirūnah (جِيرُونَةُ)[235] | ||||
| Granada | Gharnāṭah (غرناطة)[236][237][238][239] | The meaning and origin of the name are unknown, it could be of Arabic, Berber, or Latin origin. | |||
| Guadalajara | Wādī Al-Ḥijārah (وادي الحجارة)[240][241] and Madinat al-Faraj (مَدِينَة الفَرَج) [240] | Founded with Arabic name.
Wādī Al-Ḥijāra translates to 'The Valley of Stones', and Madinat al-Faraj translates to 'The City of al-Faraj'. | |||
| Guadalcanal | Wādi Al-Khānnā | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Guadalcázar | Wādi Al-Qasr | ||||
| Guadalevín | Wadī Al-Libān | ||||
| Guadalquivir | Wādi Al-Qabīr | ||||
| Guadalope | Wādi Al-Lawh | ||||
| Guadasséquies | Wadi As-Sukkār | ||||
| Guadix | Wādi Al-Ash | ||||
| Huelva | Walbah (وَلْبَة) or 'Unbah (أونبة)[242] | Arabized form of its old Roman name Onuba. | |||
| Huerva | Warbah | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Huesca | Washqah (وشقة)[243][195] | Arabized form of its old Roman name Osca. | |||
| Igualeja | Balāt Al-Wālay | ||||
| Íscar | Hisn Al-Asqār | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Isla de Las Palomas | Jazīra Al-Tārif | ||||
| Jaén | Jayyān | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Jalón | Shalun (شَلوْن)[244] | ||||
| Jerez de la Frontera | Sharīsh (شَرِيش)[245][134] or Shirsh (شِرِش)[246] | ||||
| Jiloca | Shaluqah | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Júcar River | Nahr Shaqr (نهر شَقْر)[247][135][152][153] | Nahr Shaqr translates to 'The River of Shaqr', Shaqr is most likely an Arabized form of the river's original name.[248] | |||
| Lleida | Lāridah (لاردة)[228][135][243][195] | ||||
| Lucena | al-Yusānah (اليُسَانَة)[170] | Arabized form of its Hebrew name Eliossana. | |||
| Macharaviaya | Māšār Abu Yahyā | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Madrid | Mājriṭ (مجريط)[249][250] | Founded with Arabic name, comes from the Arabic word Majrā (مجرى), which means stream.[250] | |||
| Mairena del Aljarafe | Maharana | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Maluenda | Malwanda | ||||
| María de Huerva | Ḥiṣn Al-Mariyya | ||||
| Marratxí | Al-Murāqšī | ||||
| Medina Azahara | Madinah Az-Zāhra | ||||
| Medinaceli | Madinah As-Salīm | ||||
| Medina-Sidonia | Madinah Aš-Šadūna | ||||
| Mérida | Māridah (ماردة)[68][121][152][153] | Arabized form of its old Latin name Emerita. | |||
| Mequinenza | Miknāsa (مكناسة)[251][252][195] | The name comes from Miknasa, a Zenata Berber tribe, this was Latinized as Miquinencia and later turned into its modern Spanish name Mequinenza. | |||
| Morón de la Frontera | Mawrūr (مورور) | ||||
| Montañana | Munt Anyāt | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Monzalbarba | Manzil Barbar | ||||
| Muel | Muwīl | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Nájera | An-Nājarrah | ||||
| Navarre | Balāt Al-Baškans | ||||
| Orés | Warša | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Palma de Mallorca | Madinah Al-Mayūrqah | ||||
| Pechina | Bajjānah (بَجَّانَة)[253] | ||||
| Puebla de Almenara | Garīp al-Mānārah | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Ricla | Rikla | ||||
| Rueda de Jalón | Ḥiṣn Rūṭat al-Yahūd (حصن روطة اليهود)[254] | Founded with Arabic name, translates to 'The Fortress of the Jewish Rūṭah'. | |||
| Salobreña | Shlūbiniah (شلوبينية)[171] or Shalūbaniah (شَلُوبَنِيَة)[172] | ||||
| Santaella | Shant Yālah (شَنْتَ يَالَه) | ||||
| Santiago de Compostela | Shānt Yāqūb (شانت ياقوب)[255][75] | ||||
| Segovia | Shqūbiyah (شقوبيّة) or Shkūbiyah (شكوبية)[31][256] | ||||
| Segura | War Al-Abyād | ||||
| Seville | Ishbīliyyah (أشبيليّة)[257] | ||||
| Sierra de Alcaraz | Silsilat Jibāl al-Karaz (سلسلة جبال الكرز)[136] | 'The Cherry Mountain range' | |||
| Simancas | Sīmānqah (سيمانقة)[258] or Shānt Mānkash (شانت مانكش) | ||||
| Somed | Ḥiṣn Sumid | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Tarifa | Tarīfah | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Tarragona | Ṭarraqūnah (طَرَّكُونَةُ)[259][260][195] | Arabized form of its old Latin name Tarraconis. | |||
| Teruel | Ṭarwīl (طَرْوِيلُ)[261] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Toledo | Ṭulayṭulah (طُلَيْطِلَة)[262] | Arabized form of its old Latin name Toletum. | |||
| Torre Alháquime | Burj al-Ḥakīm (بُرج الحكيم)[263] | Founded with Arabic name, translates to 'The Tower of al-Ḥakīm'. | |||
| Tortosa | Ṭurṭūshah (طرطوشة)[264][195][153] | Arabized form of its old Latin name Dertusa or Dertosa. | |||
| Trafalgar | Ṭaraf al-Ghār (طرف الغار)[265][266][267] or Ṭaraf al-Gharb (طرف الغرب)[268][267] or al-Ṭaraf al-'Aghar (الطرف الأغر)[269] | Founded with Arabic name.
Ṭaraf al-Ghār (طرف الغار) translates to 'Edge/Cape of the Cave/Laurel', Ṭaraf al-Gharb (طرف الغرب) translates to 'Edge/Cape of the West'. In modern Arabic, the place is sometimes re-transcribed as al-Ṭaraf al-'Aghar (الطرف الأغر).[269] | |||
| Tudela | Tuṭaylah (تُطَيْلَة)[264][31][195] | Arabized form of its old Latin name Tutela. | |||
| Úbeda | 'Ubbdah (أُبَّدَةُ)[270][271][264] or 'Abbdat al-'Arab (أبّدة العرب)[270] | Founded with Arabic name | |||
| Valladolid | Balād al-Walīd (بلد الوليد)[272][273][274] | 'The Land of al-Walīd' (disputed) | |||
| Zafra | Ṣafra' (صفراء) | Founded with Arabic name, translates to 'The Yellow One'. | |||
| Zamora | Sammūrah (سَمُّورة)[264][275] or Zammūrah(زَمُّورَة)[276] | Arabized form of its old Visigothic name Semure. | |||
| Zaragoza | Saraqusṭah (سَرَقُسْطَةُ)[277] | Arabized form of its old Greco-Roman name Caesaraugusta (Καισαραυγοῦστα). | |||
| Zuera | Ṣukhayrah (بلدية صُخَيرة)[278] or Zuhayrah (زُهَيرة)[279] | Founded with Arabic name, Ṣukhayrah translates to 'Little Rock' while Zuhayrah translates to 'Little Flower'. | |||
Sweden
Turkmenistan
| Turkmenistan | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| English name | Arabic name | Endonym | Notes | |
| Name | Language | |||
| Ashgabat | 'Ishq Ābād (عشق أباد) | The literal name of the city is "city of love" or "city of devotion", and the name consists of the Arabic word 'Ishq (عشق), which means 'Love or Want', and the Persian suffix Ābād (أباد), which means 'City'. | ||