Zanjibar
/ˌzæn.dʒɪˈbɑːr/noun
An obsolete or historical variant spelling of Zanzibar, the East African island and archipelago.
Did you know?Medieval Arabic and Persian geographers used forms of Zanj for the East African coast and its inhabitants, linking the name to the major Indian Ocean trading world rather than to a single island alone.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Persian period
Middle Persian
zang-bar
“A compound interpreted as “coastland of the Zang,” with bar meaning “coast” or “shore.””
Early Islamic period
Arabic
Zanj
“A term used by Arabic writers for Black East Africans, especially peoples of the East African coast.”
Medieval period
Arabic/Persian
Zanjibar
“A place-name referring to the East African coastal region or islands associated with the Zanj.”
16th Century
Portuguese
Zanzibar
“The form used by Portuguese navigators for the island and its surrounding region.”
17th–19th Century
English
Zanjibar
“An English historical or variant spelling of Zanzibar, later largely displaced by Zanzibar.”
Modern English
English
Zanzibar
“The standard modern name for the Tanzanian archipelago in the Indian Ocean.”