Essaouira
/ˌɛs.əˈwɪə.rə/noun
A coastal city in western Morocco, formerly known in English as Mogador.
Did you know?Essaouira’s modern name is commonly explained from Arabic as a form related to *al-ṣuwwayra* / *al-ṣawīra*, meaning “the little rampart” or “the little fortified place,” reflecting its defensive role in Moroccan history.
Etymological Timeline
Arabic root
Arabic
ṣ-w-r
“A Semitic root associated with form, image, or shaping; later used in related place-naming and descriptive forms.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
al-ṣuwwayra / al-ṣawīra
“A diminutive place-name often interpreted as “the little fortified place” or “the little walled one.””
Portuguese era
Portuguese
Mogador
“European name used for the port and city in early modern trade and travel accounts.”
18th Century
Arabic
al-Ṣawīra
“Official Arabic name adopted for the planned port city founded under Sultan Muhammad III.”
Modern English
English
Essaouira
“The standard English spelling of the Moroccan city’s Arabic name.”