Wahrān
/wɑːˈrɑːn/noun
Wahrān is the Arabic name for Oran, a major port city in northwestern Algeria.
Did you know?The lion interpretation is linked to an old tradition that two lions once inhabited caves near the city, although scholars dispute whether the name is genuinely Berber in origin.
Etymological Timeline
Antiquity
Berber
Uḥran / Uḥṛan
“A proposed Berber source for the place-name, traditionally connected with lions; the etymology remains uncertain.”
Medieval period
Arabic
وهران (Wahrān)
“Arabic name for the North African settlement and port.”
10th Century
Arabic
Wahrān
“The city appears in Arabic geographical and historical writing under this name.”
16th Century
Spanish
Orán
“Spanish form used during Spanish rule of the city.”
19th Century
French
Oran
“French colonial form of the city’s name.”
Modern English
English
Wahrān / Oran
“Wahrān is used as the Arabic transliteration, while Oran is the standard English name for the Algerian city.”