Maghreb placename etymology
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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),[where?] and Carthage, ultimately from Punic qrt-ḥdšt (