Onomastics in al-Andalus: Between Eastern Conformity and Andalusi Particularity

Abstract

This study sought to explore certain manifestations of onomastics within Andalusian civilization. In an effort to trace elements of imitation and innovation, the research examined the names of cities, the epithets of kings and poets, as well as the titles of selected works that prominently feature the term "Andalus." Employing a descriptive-analytical approach, the study arrived at several findings, most notably that the "Eastern" model in architecture, politics, and literature was strongly present in Andalusian writings, appearing in both positive and negative forms. Despite the dominance of this model, the study concludes that Andalusian onomastics nonetheless bore a distinct local character—one that any impartial scholar of Andalusia’s cultural and literary history cannot overlook.