List of Latin place names in Africa

Latin Place Names
by country
Africa
Asia
Europe
by type
Cities
Countries
Islands
Lakes
Mountains
Regions
Rivers

This list includes African countries and regions that were part of the Roman Empire, or that were given Latin place names in historical references.

Background

Roman places in Africa

Until the Modern Era, Latin was the common language for scholarship and mapmaking. During the 19th and 20th centuries, German scholars in particular have made significant contributions to the study of historical place names, or Ortsnamenkunde. These studies have, in turn, contributed to the study of genealogy. For genealogists and historians of pre-Modern Europe, knowing alternate names of places is vital to extracting information from both public and private records. Even specialists in this field point out, however, that the information can be easily taken out of context, since there is a great deal of repetition of place names throughout Europe; reliance purely on apparent connections should therefore be tempered with valid historical methodology.

Caveats and notes

Latin place names are not always exclusive to one place — for example, there were several Roman cities whose names began with Colonia and then a more descriptive term. During the Middle Ages, these were often shortened to just Colonia. One of these, Colonia Agrippinensis, retains the name today in the form of Cologne.

Early sources for Roman names show numerous variants and spellings of the Latin names.

The modern canonical name is listed first. Sources are listed chronologically. In general, only the earliest source is shown for each name, although many of the names are recorded in more than one of the sources. Where the source differs in spelling, or has other alternatives, these are listed following the source. As an aid to searching, variants are spelled completely, and listed in most likely chronology.

Superscripts indicate:

  1. Latinized form of the Greek-derived name.
  2. Latinized form of the Asian-derived name via Greek.
  3. Altered Latinized form of the Greek-derived name.

Cities and towns in Algeria

Canonical Latin Name (source(s): variant(s)) English Name (native language(s)) - older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s)
Castellum Dimmidi Messaad
Cuicul Djemila
Hippo Regius or Hippone Annaba (or Bône)
Vescera Biskra
Cirta Constantine
Chullu Collo (wilaya Skikda)
Rusicade Skikda
Milev Mila
Mascula Khenchela

Cities and towns in Libya

Canonical Latin Name (source(s): variant(s)) English Name (native language(s)) - older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s)
Leptis Magna ruins near Tripoli

Cities and towns in Morocco

Canonical Latin Name (source(s): variant(s)) English Name (native language(s)) - older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s)
ad Mercurii, Augusta Zilil, Zilil near Asilah
Lixus Larache
Volubilis near Meknès
Chellah Rabat

Cities and towns in Tunisia

Canonical Latin Name (source(s): variant(s)) English Name (native language(s)) - older name(s), (other language(s)), location(s)
Bulla Regianear Jendouba
Carthago Carthage, near Tunis
Hadrumetum Sousse
Leptis MinusLamta - south west of Sousse
Municipum Julium Uticense older name: Utica - north west of Carthage, near Tunis
Mustis El Krib
SufetulaSbeïtla
Thuburbo Majus near Zagouhan
Thysdrus El Jem

See also

References

In order of likely publication:

External links

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