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Arab Linguistic Impact on Medieval Switzerland
30 July 2023|Arab
In the 19th century, many scholars and writers started suggesting possible Arabic origins for the names of some places in Switzerland. This was because Medieval Arabs occupied the Alpine regions and many names of places and even families that still have Arabic links.
There are a large number of places in Switzerland that begin with the Arabic definite article Al like Almagell, Albula, Albris and Albana.
Many locations in southern Italy especially in the Anzasca Valley, southern Switzerland and southern France contain variations of the word moor (a term used by Europeans which included the Arabs) like Mont de Maures in southern France, and the Mont Moro on the border between Switzerland and Italy.
Several places which hold Arabic names were either military bases or fortresses or routes for the Saracens (Sharqiyin meaning the Easterners, another term used to denote Arabs).
Some of the words which suggest Arabic origins like Pontresina from Saracenrum and it is an important town on the Bernina Pass road. The origin of the name is from the Latin descriptive name of the bridge of the Saracens, as the Arabs have erected an important bridge in the area.
Another name is Almagell from Al Mahal (the place) which is the village in the Saas Valley near Monte Moro. Allalin or Allalain whose origin is Ala al-Ain and it is a mountain near the head of Saas Valley, a source of the Visp Mountain in Saas. Also, Alp Aien from Arabic Ain which is the Valley: source of the Visp. Mischabel from Mushbil meaning lioness with cubs. It is the Mountian group in the Saas Valley. Gstein-Gabi from Jabi which means to levy taxes. It is a village on the route to the Simplon Pass. The Arabic name of the Alpine was Jabal Monjaws derived from the Latin Mon Jovis (mountain of Jupiter).
There are numerous other places where the Medieval Arab presence left its mark such as Chateau Sarrasin, and Pont Sarrasin as well as dominant village names in Western Switzerland as far north as the Berner Jura (La Sarraz).
Adapted from
Manfred W. Wenner. The Arab/Muslim Presence in Medieval Central Europe. International Journal of Middle East Studies. Vol. 12, No. 1 (Aug. 1980), pp. 59-79
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source https://bibliotecanatalie.com/home/f/arab-linguistic-impact-on-medieval-switzerland