An exploratory study of place-names in Sinai Peninsula, Egypt: a spatial approach

Figures & data

Figure 1. The study area location map: Sinai Peninsula, Egypt.

Figure 2. Sample entries of Sinai toponomic database.

Figure 3. Research methodology.

Table 1. Percentage of Sinai composite and simplex place-names.

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Composite Place-Names	2198	90.7%
Simplex Place-Names	226	9.3%
Total	2424	100%

Table 2. Percentage of composite place-names with definite generic terms (stage one) according to the geographical-based approach.

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Definite Generic-Terms	2041	92.9%
Indefinite Generic-Terms	157	7.1%
Total	2198	100%

Table 3. Percentage of place-names with definite type (stage two) according to the geographical-based approach.

Place-Names Category	Composite Names		Simplex Names		Total	Percentage
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Definite Place-Type	2157	98.13%	149	65.9%	2306	95.13%
Indefinite Place-Type	38	1.73%	77	34.1%	115	4.74%
Reclassified Places	3	0.14%	-	-	3	0.13%
Total	2198	100%	226	100%	2424	100%

Table 4. List of reclassified place-names (stage two) according to the geographical-based approach.

Name of Place	First Classification (Stage One)	Second Classification (Stage Two)
Birkat al-Jamal	Pond	Wetland
Bi’r al-`Abd	Well	City
`Ilwet al-Markha	Hill	Plain

Table 5. Percentage of place-names with definite type (stage three) according to the geographical-based approach.

Place-Names Category	Composite Names		Simplex Names		Total	Percentage
	Number	Percentage	Number	Percentage
Definite Place-Type	2178	99.1%	184	81.4%	2362	97.4%
Indefinite Place-Type	20	0.9%	42	18.6%	62	2.6%
Total	2198	100%	226	100%	2424	100%

Figure 4. Comparison between the three stages of toponyms classification (geographical-based classification).

Table 6. Classification of some places based on their feature-type (geographical-based approach).

Name of Place	Place-Type	Place-Name Category
Qal`at al-Jindi	Castle	Archaeological & Historical Places
Mosque an-Nabi Salih	Mosque
Der Saint Catherine	Monastery
Khirbat al-`Ashush	Ruins
al-Jahamat	Cultivated Area	Cultivation/Grazing Area
Manjam al-Magharah	Mine	Economic Activity
Umm Bujmah
al-Turkmaniyah	Hill(s)	Landform
al-Madhunah	Wetland(s)
Ra’s Abu Jadal	Peak
Sahl al-Rahah	Plain(s)
Hidab al-Khayl	Plateau(s)
ar-Ruwaq	Lake
Jabal Madsus	Mountain
Sha`b `Ali	Reef(s)
Sayl Abu Rawthah	Stream(s)
al-Mudawwarah	Natural vegetation	Natural Vegetation
Rawd al-Ghadir
al-Amal	Settlement Centre	Settlement Centres
al-Masyadah	Village
Madinate Nuweiba`	City
Darb ash-Sharif	Pass/Road	Transport/Communication Networks
Mina’ at-Tulul	Harbour/Port
Yakhmum al-Dayah	Area	Unknown
al-Wgag
Bi’r Hamid	Well(s)	Water Sources
`Ayn al-Qatar	Spring(s)
Misik al-`Abd	Pool(s)
Haraba `Udah	Pond
Thumaylah Suwayr	Well(s)

Figure 5. Sinai place-names classification (geographical-based approach).

Table 7. Classification of Sinai place-names based on place-type (geographical-based approach).

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Landform	1694	69.9%
Water Sources and Channels	409	16.9%
Settlement Centers	117	4.8%
Unknown Features	62	2.6%
Archaeological and Historical Places	47	1.9%
Transport and Communication Networks	44	1.8%
Cultivation and Grazing Places	26	1.1%
Natural Vegetation	21	0.9%
Economic Activities	4	0.2%
Total	2424	100%

Table 8. Different forms from the basic root (brq).

Name of Place	Relationship Names	Place-Type	Governorate	Data Source (Topographic Maps-Scale 1:250,000)
				Sheet-Title	Sheet-No.
al-Burqah	Bi’r al-Burqah	Mountain	North Sinai	El-Quseima	NH 36 K
Jabal al-Burqah		Mountain	North Sinai	El-Quseima	NH 36 K
Jabal al-Burqah	Wadi al-Burqah	Mountain	South Sinai	El Aqaba	NH 36.H
Jabal al-Burqah	Ra’s al-Burqah	Mountain	South Sinai	El Aqaba	NH 36.H
Jabal al-Burqah	-	Mountain	South Sinai	Tur Sinai	NH 36 C
Jabal Umm Burqah	-	Mountain	South Sinai	Tur Sinai	NH 36 C
Jabal Burqah	Wadi Barqah	Mountain	South Sinai	Tur Sinai	NH 36 C
Ra’s al-Abraq	-	Peak	North Sinai	El-Quseima	NH 36 K
Wadi Sayl al-Abraq	-	Watercourse	South Sinai	Qal`et El-Nakhl	NH 366
Jabal al-Abeiriq	-	Mountain	North Sinai	El-Quseima	NH 36 K
Wadi Barq	Bi’r Barq	Watercourse	South Sinai	Tur Sinai	NH 36 C
Wadi al-Bayraq	-	Watercourse	North Sinai	El-Quseima	NH 36 K
Jabal al-Mutabrqah	-	Mountain	South Sinai	Tur Sinai	NH 36 C
Meaning	An area of rugged ground with stones, sand and earth, mainly white or dust-colored; a mountain with sand on it; a rocky hill partly covered by sand; land with black stones and white sand; Badlands.

Table 9. Classification of Sinai place-names meanings according to the name-giving approach.

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Mono-Meaning	1553	64.1%
Multi-Meaning	328	13.5%
Unknown Meanings	543	22.4%
Total	2424	100%

Figure 6. Place-names specifics classification (name-giving approach).

Table 10. Classification of mono-meaning Sinai place-names according to the name-giving approach.

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Landform	495	31.87%
Natural Vegetation	338	21.76%
Personal Names	318	20.48%
Water Source(s)	123	7.92%
Historical, Myth and Religious Places	92	5.92%
Land Use	59	3.80%
Wildlife	43	2.77%
Development-Oriented Names	29	1.87%
Location	25	1.61%
Transport and Communication Networks	17	1.09%
Climate and Hosting Places	14	0.90%
Total	1553	100%

Table 11. Classification of some places based on the meaning of the specific terms (name-giving approach).

Name of Place	Place-Type	Meaning of the Specific Term	Place-Name Category
al-`Afarah	Sand Area	Dust-coloured, inclining to whiteness.	Landform
al-Qur	Hill(s)	Small hills.
al-Madfunah	Cultivated Area	Buried in the ground.
Ra’s Abu Qurun	Peak	Horn-shaped Peak.
Jabal al-Manarish	Mountain	Area of dense palm trees and grapes.	Natural Vegetation
al-Erta	Sand-dune(s)	Plant/tree(s).
Kathib as-Sarb		Gum of Talh trees.
Bi’r al-Birat	Well(s)	Well; or rock cistern.	Water Sources
Bi’r Qatar		Drip-well or spring.
al-Kharbah	Village	Ruin(s).	Historical/Incident Names
Darb al-Hajj	Pass/Road	Pilgrim route.
Wadi Zuwayre`	Watercourse(s)	Cultivated area.	Land Use
az-Zuhriyat	Cultivated Area
Wadi Ghazala	Watercourse(s)	Gazelle.	Wildlife
Wadi Hadahid		Hoopoe.
Kathib Wasit	Sand-dune(s)	Middle	Location
Wadi al-Fawqiyah	Watercourse(s)	Above
Nuqtat ad-Darb	Pass/Road	Place of entrance, narrow pass, road, mountain path.	Transport and Communication Networks
Taba	City	Pleasant, and good place.	Climate and Hosting Places
Wadi Umm al-Bard	Watercourse(s)	Cold.

Table 12. Classification of Sinai place-names specifics according to the name-giving approach.

Place-Names Category	Number of Place-Names	Percentage
Descriptive Names	1114	45.96%
Historical/Incident Names	92	3.80%
Personal Names	318	13.12%
Development-Oriented Names	29	1.20%
Multi-Meaning Names	328	13.53%
Unknown Meaning Names	543	22.40%
Total	2424	100%

Table 13. Examples of descriptive Sinai place-names (name-giving approach).

Name of Place	Place-Type	Generic-Term	Meanings of Specific-Term
al-Hamzah	Area	-	Plant/tree(s).
Qaryat at-Tulul	Village	Settlement Centre	Small hills; or heap of sands.
al-Ghubayy	Cultivated Area	-	Area with much trees.
Qatar al-Malhah	Drip Spring(s)	Water source	Salty, briny.
Rishat al-Bahah	Hill	Landform	A place with a large number of palm trees.
Jabal Muqassab	Mountain	Landform	Curly mountain.
Jabal Manzur	Mountain	Landform	A place commanding a wide view, look-out, watch-tower.
Ra’s al-Ahmar	Peak	Landform	Tar, redness, red soil.
ash-Shulayl	Plain	-	The part of a valley in which the water flows; the middle of a valley.
Damath al-Fayhah	Plain	Landform	A wide, extensive place,
Sahl al-Munbatah	Plain(s)	Landform	Level land, plain.
Kathib as-Sarb	Sand-dune	Landform	Gum of Talh trees.
`Ayn Mulayhis	Spring	Water source	A tiny drip-spring in its midst visited only by birds, who ‘lick’ (lihis in Arabic) its splattered drops.
al-Maqdabah	Village	-	A place where clover grows; a place where Qadb trees grows.
al-Khatamiyah	Watercourse	-	The furthest parts of a valley.
Wadi Umm Hasah	Watercourse	Landform	Small stone and pebbles.
Wadi Umm `Izzah	Watercourse	Landform	Over-powering of a torrent.
Wadi `Arabah	Watercourse	Landform	A swift valley; containing abundant water.
Wadi Yaman	Watercourse	Landform	The location on the right; the south.
Bi’r al-Mushash	Well	Water source	Well, water-hole; a shallow, hand-dug well, water traces in sandy, soft ground.

Table 14. Examples of historical and incident Sinai place-names (name-giving approach).

Name of Place	Place-Type	Generic-Term	Meanings of Specific-Term
Jabal Mousa	Mountain	Landform	Moses’ Mountain.
Jabal al-Munajah	Mountain	Landform	Conversation with God.
Mamsha al-Hujjaj	Sand-dune(s)	Landform	Pilgrim route.
Jabal Sarabit al-Khadim	Mountain	Landform	The black stelae stones, resembling rows of standing black slave girls. May be corrupted from Sarabit al Qadim.
al-Fulusiyat	Ruin(s)	Historical Places	People found in this place much of the copper coins.
Jabal Mukattab	Mountain	Landform	Inscriptions.
Jabal Abu Khirbat	Mountain	Landform	A ruin, a waste; place, county or abode in the state of ruin and uninhabitable; a ruins site.
Jabal Abu Rujum	Mountain	Landform	Stones places on a grave; a grave; a tombstone.
Wadi al-Mulayz	Valley	Landform	Shelter, refuge.
Wadi Firan	Valley	Landform	May be corrupted from Pharan or Mice (houses of mice, a metaphor of the plenty of monks’ hermitages in mountains.

Table 15. Examples of personal names and development-oriented names (name-giving approach).

Name of Place	Place-Type	Generic-Term	Meanings Specific-Term
al-Jararat	Sand-dune(s)	-	The name of al-Jararat section of Suwarka tribe which inhabited the sand dune of that name.
Bi’r Salim Suwilam	Well	Water Source(s)	Salim Suwilam’s well.
Tallat at-Tarabin	Hill	Landform	at-Tarabin Tribe.
Jabal al-Huwaytat	Mountain	Landform	al-Huwaytat Tribe.
Qaryat az-Zuhur	Tourist Village	Settlement Centre(s)	Development-Oriented Names.
Qaryat al-Salam	Village	Settlement Centre(s)	Development-Oriented Names.
Qaryat Bint al-Sultan	Tourist Village	Settlement Centre(s)	Development-Oriented Names.
Qaryat Marina	Tourist Village	Settlement Centre(s)	Development-Oriented Names.

Figure 7. Distribution of settlement-based place-names (geographical-based approach).

Figure 8. Distribution of personal-based place-names (name-giving approach).

Figure 9. Distribution of cultivated and grazing areas (geographical-based approach).

Figure 10. Distribution of land-use-based place-names (name-giving approach).

Figure 11. Distribution of development-oriented names (name-giving approach).