Spain debates removing Arabic place names
Analysis of the push to rename Spanish towns with pre-Roman origins, highlighting historical data and opposing views.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The crusade against Arabic place names: restore or erase?
Guadarrama once meant 'Dragon's Range'. Almería was Portus Magnus. Guadix was ancient Roman Acci. These facts are not nostalgia but the spearhead of a debate shaking certain circles for months: the proposal to de-Arabize Spanish place names to return them to their supposed pre-Roman or Roman origins. A growing current argues that Spain carries a cultural burden from the Muslim invasion and that it is time to restore previous names. The issue is not trivial: it implies rewriting the toponymy of hundreds of localities, from Alcalá to Almería, and reopening old historical wounds.
Lost names
Proponents of de-Arabization present lists of pre-Sarracinic names: Almería corresponds to its past as Portus Magnus and Urci; Granada to Florentia Iliberritana or Elvira; Jaén to Auringis; and Linares to Cástulo. Even Madrid, whose origin is debated between the Arabic Mayrit and a possible Romance root (Matrice, 'place of springs'), is subject to controversy. Supporters of the Romance thesis point out that there are no parallel Arabic place names throughout Al-Andalus and that 'Mayrit' is a phonetic adaptation of a prior term. Critics, however, recall that the city was founded by Emir Muhammad I in the 9th century, and that the Arabic name is well documented.
The eternal return of the Reconquista
The discussion does not stay within philology. Some propose renaming Andalusia as 'Castilla La Novísima', a politically charged joke revealing underlying tension. Opponents argue that erasing the Arab heritage denies a thousand years of history, and that names like Guadalquivir (from Arabic Wadi al-Kabir) or Alhambra are inseparable from Spanish identity. They also note that many place names believed to be Arabic are actually adaptations of pre-Roman or Latin words, such as Archidona (Arcis Domina) or Roquetas (from Catalan).
The lingering question is whether one can de-Arabize a country without denaturing it. The debate, far from closing, intensifies with each new proposal: is it a matter of identity, cultural hygiene, or a fleeting whim? For now, the names remain on the maps, but the discussion continues.
Related forum discussions
Guadarrama once meant 'Dragon's Range'. Almería was Portus Magnus. Guadix was ancient Roman Acci. These facts are not nostalgia but the spearhead of a debate shaking certain circles for months: the proposal to de-Arabize Spanish place names to return them to their supposed pre-Roman or Roman origins. A growing current argues that Spain carries a cultural burden from the Muslim invasion and that it is time to restore previous names. The issue is not trivial: it implies rewriting the toponymy of hundreds of localities, from Alcalá to Almería, and reopening old historical wounds.
Lost names
Proponents of de-Arabization present lists of pre-Sarracinic names: Almería corresponds to its past as Portus Magnus and Urci; Granada to Florentia Iliberritana or Elvira; Jaén to Auringis; and Linares to Cástulo. Even Madrid, whose origin is debated between the Arabic Mayrit and a possible Romance root (Matrice, 'place of springs'), is subject to controversy. Supporters of the Romance thesis point out that there are no parallel Arabic place names throughout Al-Andalus and that 'Mayrit' is a phonetic adaptation of a prior term. Critics, however, recall that the city was founded by Emir Muhammad I in the 9th century, and that the Arabic name is well documented.
The eternal return of the Reconquista
The discussion does not stay within philology. Some propose renaming Andalusia as 'Castilla La Novísima', a politically charged joke revealing underlying tension. Opponents argue that erasing the Arab heritage denies a thousand years of history, and that names like Guadalquivir (from Arabic Wadi al-Kabir) or Alhambra are inseparable from Spanish identity. They also note that many place names believed to be Arabic are actually adaptations of pre-Roman or Latin words, such as Archidona (Arcis Domina) or Roquetas (from Catalan).
The lingering question is whether one can de-Arabize a country without denaturing it. The debate, far from closing, intensifies with each new proposal: is it a matter of identity, cultural hygiene, or a fleeting whim? For now, the names remain on the maps, but the discussion continues.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (154 replies).
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