Andalus
/ˈændələs/; Arabic /al.anˈda.lus/noun
A historical name for Muslim-ruled territories in the Iberian Peninsula, especially during the medieval period.
Did you know?The name’s origin remains unresolved: the traditional connection to the Vandals is influential, but many historians and linguists consider it unproven.
Etymological Timeline
Before the 8th Century
Uncertain
*Vandal- / *Wandal-
“A proposed source connecting Andalus with the Vandals, the Germanic people who entered Iberia; this derivation is debated rather than established.”
711–8th Century
Arabic
al-Andalus
“The Arabic name applied to the Iberian territories conquered and governed by Muslim powers.”
716
Arabic
al-Andalus
“The name appears on an early Islamic coin associated with the conquest period, providing one of its earliest surviving attestations.”
13th–15th Century
Old Spanish
Andaluzía
“The Romance form referring to the southern Iberian region under Christian rule after the gradual Christian reconquest.”
Modern English
English
Andalus
“A historical and scholarly name for Muslim Iberia, also appearing in phrases such as al-Andalus.”