Ras Tanura
/rɑːs təˈnuːrə/noun
Ras Tanura is a coastal city and major petroleum-export terminal in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province.
Did you know?Ras Tanura’s name predates its modern petroleum fame; the Arabic word tanūr refers to a traditional oven or furnace, while ras means a headland or cape.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*raʔš-
“Head; by extension, the projecting end or top of something”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
raʾs
“Head; a headland or cape when used geographically”
Ancient Near East
Akkadian
tinūru
“Oven or furnace; an early form related to the widespread Near Eastern oven-word”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
tannūr
“A traditional clay or brick oven”
20th Century
Arabic/English
Raʾs Tanūrah / Ras Tanura
“The Cape of the Oven; the name of the Saudi coastal settlement and headland”
Modern English
English
Ras Tanura
“A Saudi Arabian city and major oil-export terminal”