Al-Wahran
/al waħraːn/noun
Al-Wahran is the Arabic name for Oran, a major coastal city in northwestern Algeria.
Did you know?The Arabic name al-Wahrān is traditionally linked to two lions said to have inhabited the area, although scholars caution that this may be a later folk interpretation rather than the original etymology.
Etymological Timeline
Roman Era
Latin
Portus Magnus
““Great Harbor,” the Roman name for the ancient settlement associated with the site of modern Oran.”
10th Century
Arabic
وهران (Wahrān)
“The Arabic form of the place-name, recorded for the settlement founded or developed by Andalusian merchants.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
الـوهران (al-Wahrān)
““Al-Wahrān,” using al- (“the”) before Wahrān; later tradition interpreted Wahrān as “the two lions,” though the underlying name remains disputed.”
16th Century
Spanish
Orán
“The Spanish form adopted during Spanish rule, preserving the Arabic place-name in altered pronunciation.”
17th–19th Centuries
French
Oran
“The French form used during Ottoman and later French periods.”
Modern English
English
Oran / Al-Wahran
“Oran is the standard English name, while Al-Wahran is the Arabic form of the city’s name.”