Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Gibraltar” come from?

Gibraltar derives from Arabic جَبَل طَارِق, a name meaning "mountain of Tariq" that was applied to the rock by Arab forces during their conquest of the Iberian Peninsula.

Ancestry of “Gibraltar”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1SpanishGibraltar—
2Arabicجَبَل طَارِق—

Words derived from “Gibraltar”

  • Gibraltarian
  • 直布羅陀
  • Ĝibraltaro
  • ジブラルタル
Every word from Arabic جَبَل طَارِق →