Do you know the origin of the name Zaragoza?

Many people know Zaragoza ‘s past through its culture, its traditions and its monuments. But how many people know the origin of its name? Although it may seem like a somewhat banal question, names mark an identity and are often the first step in a journey that gives purpose to everything in life.

A name gives light, hope and initiative to any of the terms we use on a daily basis; and precisely the name of Zaragoza is one that has been changing over the centuries. However, thanks to the study of etymology, we can obtain the true meaning of most of the words of our present day, and Zaragoza is no exception.

And it is a curious fact that the origin of the name Zaragoza is not the result of a single identity, but rather the result of the cultural legacy of societies such as the Iberians, the Celts or the Romans. In this way, Zaragoza has a historical conglomerate that has greatly influenced the choice of its name.

Therefore, if you want to know the origin of the name Zaragoza, as well as where it comes from, how it was incorporated into Castilian and the changes it has undergone over time, keep reading. Here begins a journey through the history of the Aragonese capital and a journey through Spanish etymological culture.

THE ROOTS OF THE ORIGIN IN THE NAME OF ZARAGOZA

We begin this journey in the second half of the 3rd century BC. The first origin that we find in the name of Zaragoza is in the Iberian city of Salduie, which we could consider the precursor of the Aragonese capital. According to historical records, the name “ Salduvia ” is documented on Iberian coins, which may suggest that both terms were used to refer to the city.

This name would last until 14 BC, with the conversion of Salduie into a Roman colony. The city would be refounded and baptized from then on as “ Caesar Augusta ” or “ Caesaraugusta ”, in honor of the emperor Caesar Augustus (known simply as Augustus or Octavian). So far, we find the oldest roots of the name of Zaragoza, let us now move on to the changes it has undergone and its incorporation into Castilian.

EVOLUTION OF THE NAME

When talking about the evolution of the name Zaragoza, we can use as a reference this account, ( @alexbengoaa ), specialized in the cultural analysis of different countries, and which summarizes the phonetic and etymological evolution of the word. In his video, the evolution of the name Zaragoza is explained as follows. 

With the arrival of the Arabs to the city, they would change the name to “ Sarqusta ”, which would also be known as Medina Albaida (“ white city ”). This effect would be caused by a fusion between Arabic and Latin, which would make the first “u” of “Saraugusta” disappear as it is the weak vowel of the diphthong, and would cause the “g” to become a voiceless occlusive “ q ” . 

 Centuries later, in the year 1118, the Christian Reconquista and the influence of Castilian would bring a new change to the name of “ Sarakusta ”, and it would be called “ Saregusa ”, with the “q” becoming a voiced occlusive “g” again. Likewise, the “t” would be lost in the process. This would be, officially, the first Castilian version of the word . 

Finally, around the 17th century, the “s” of “Saragusa” would end up advancing the alveolar position to a dental one, the “u” would become an “o” and, in this way, it would be transformed into the version that we all know: “ Zaragoza ”.  

Through this process of many centuries, the origin of the name Zaragoza began with an eminently Iberian root, and was absorbing the cultural divergences of societies such as the Romans, the Arabs and, finally, the 
Castilians. Through this multiculturalism, Zaragoza has been the nexus of many societies, which have only enriched our history, our heritage and, above all, made us feel proud of it.