Located in Jbayl, el Mashnqa contains a Roman temple and ancient tombs with reliefs, one of which depicts a woman breastfeeding.
Note: Mashnqa comes from Canaaniteβs ynq “to suck”. We see a pattern shift due to the reinterpretation to accommodate Lebanese Arabic word mashnqa which translates to gallows.
2. Maameltein, Arabic for β(the bridge of) the two administrative districtsβ
Located in Jounieh, this seaside area’s name refers to the bridge that connected the northern and southern administrative districts of Mount Lebanon under Ottoman rule.
Note: This the Arabic dual form of standard Arabic word muΚΏΔmala which means province or district.
3. Bikfaya, Aramaic for βthe place of the rocksβ
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In this town of Bikfaya, situated in the Metn region, there is a cliff that passes through most of the village, today over-shadowed by high buildings; the most dense and oldest parts of the village lie right below the cliff.
Note: BΙ is Aramaicβs short form bΙt which means house, temple, family, place. Kfayya is the plural of Aramaicβs kΔpΜ or kΔpΜΔ meaning rock or stone.
4. Bsharre, Aramaic for βthe place by the valleyβ
This village is situated on a ledge above Qadisha valley; hence, the meaning of its name: the place by the valley. It is Gibran Khalil Gibranβs residence, also known as that place where I was trusting (or crazy) enough to follow the Aussie – in his own words – on a few βmadcap adventuresβ¦ending up shivering in deserted snowfields and getting lost clambering over mountainsides in the darkβ!
Note: The b comes from Aramaicβs short form bΙt meaning house, temple, family, place, and sharra, an Aramaic word for valley.
5. Bourj Hammoud, Arabic for βthe tower, turret of Hammoudβ
Local tradition says that the ruler of Ehden offered the ancestors of those who settled in this locality a lot of land to keep their sheep and cattle. When they chose a small parcel of land between two rivers (Nahr Qadisha and Nahr Rashain), he said to their leader zeΔ‘Δ‘arta “you chose a small one [lit.: you made it small]”.
Note: This form, which is similar to Lebanese zΔ‘Δ«r, αΉ£ghΔ«r is a hybrid of Aramaic zΚΏr and standard Arabic αΉ£Δ‘r, both meaning small or young.
7. Jeita, Canaanite for β(the place of) roaringβ
Located in Keserwan, the river Nahr el Kalb is nearby and the inhabitants at times hear its βroar;β the village was much closer to the river, but with time moved to the top of the hill.
Note: Aramaicβs gΙΚΏΔ«, gΙΚΏΔ, Hebrewβs gΔΚΏΔ, and Syriacβs gΙΚΏo all mean “to roar, to low”. Canaaniteβs gΚΏ means lowing, roaring.
8. Beirut, Canaanite for β(the place of the) wellsβ
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If youβve lived in Beirut long enough, youβve been favored to experience the cityβs (and countryβs) infamous water issues. So ironic that a city that is named after its underground water reserves contains such major water supply cuts.
Note: Beirut comes from the plural of Canaaniteβs b2r βwell.β
The Crusaders, who also coined the place-name, founded a Cistercian abbey here in the Koura district. It is now an Orthodox monastery where the University of Balamand was established.
Note: Bala comes from Frenchβs bel which translates to handsome, beautiful and mand from Frenchβs mont which translates to mountain, hill.
10. Laqlouk, Lebanese Arabic for βthe glittering (place)β
Wardini was told that the name was given to this region, situated at an altitude of 1850 meters in Jbayl, because of its fine and pure weather, with seldom any fog; they say that the weather biylaqlΙq meaning it glitters. Tula Khandjian told the author that in her interviews a lady asked: “See the hills [that surround the region], are they straight?” The answer was: “Laβ luq“, translating to: “No they are crooked”.
Note: The name comes from Lebanese Arabic laqlaq meaning to glitter or shine.
