Morocco

Meaning

Proper Noun

• country in northwestern Africa (continent)

Origin

• Earlier spelling Marocco, from Portuguese Marrocos and/or Spanish Marruecos, from Arabic مُرَّاكُش, from ⴰⵎⵓⵔ ⵏ ⴰⴽⵓⵛ. The word originally referred to the capital city of Marrakech (founded late 11th c.), but came to be used as a pars pro toto for the westernmost region of the Islamic world in European languages. Compare older Arabic مُرَّاكُش (now اَلْمَغْرِب), Persian مراکش, Medieval Latin Marrochium. Turkish refers to the country as Fas from Fez, another former capital. Marrakech.
• Probably a surname of Italian origin.