Zenata
/zəˈnɑːtə/noun
A historical confederation of Amazigh (Berber) peoples associated mainly with the Maghreb and western Sahara.
Did you know?Zenata dynasties, including the Marinids and Zayyanids, ruled major parts of North Africa during the medieval period.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-Islamic period
Berber
Iẓnaten / Iznaten
“Amazigh ethnonym traditionally identified with the Zenata confederation; its deeper internal meaning is uncertain.”
Medieval period
Arabic
Zanāta / صنهاجة
“Arabic historical form referring to the Zenata tribal confederation; Arabic sources recorded and transmitted the name.”
11th–15th Centuries
Arabic
Banū Zannāta
“The Zenata peoples and dynasties described in medieval Maghrebi historical writing.”
16th–19th Centuries
Latin and European languages
Zenata / Zanata
“Transliterated forms used in European geographical and historical works about North Africa.”
Modern English
English
Zenata
“The conventional English name for the historical Amazigh confederation and its associated dynasties.”