Transliteration of Libyan placenames is the process of converting Libyan placenames written in the Arabic alphabet

Arabic alphabet

The Arabic alphabet or Arabic abjad is the Arabic script as it is codified for writing the Arabic language. It is written from right to left, in a cursive style, and includes 28 letters. Because letters usually stand for consonants, it is classified as an abjad.-Consonants:The Arabic alphabet has...

 into the Latin alphabet

Latin alphabet

The Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most recognized alphabet used in the world today. It evolved from a western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, which was adopted and modified by the Etruscans who ruled early Rome...

. Libyan places have in most cases no common English name so when they are referred to they need to be transliterated either directly from the Libyan Arabic

Libyan Arabic

Libyan Arabic is a collective term for the closely related varieties of Arabic spoken in Libya. It can be divided into two major dialect areas; the eastern centred in Benghazi and Bayda, and the western centred in Tripoli and Misrata...

 or standard Arabic. Over the decades a number of systems have been used result in locations having multiple transliterations in circulation.

Background

Writing names of Libyan places in Latin alphabet is a confusing dilemma. In the past, the colonist Italians tried, despite the constraints of their language, to write these names as accurate as the local Libyans pronounce them, that is, in Libyan Arabic

Libyan Arabic

Libyan Arabic is a collective term for the closely related varieties of Arabic spoken in Libya. It can be divided into two major dialect areas; the eastern centred in Benghazi and Bayda, and the western centred in Tripoli and Misrata...

, except for some places renamed by Roman, Greek, or Italian names, like (Al-Qubba-Giovanni Berta), (Shahat-Cirene), and (Sussa-Apollonia).

During World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the British used the Italian maps, so they used the names almost as the Italians has already written it, and so did the war’s historians.

However, almost Libyans weren’t acquainted of these previous experiments. Moreover, after the political change on September 1, 1969, any alphabet other than Arabic’s had been banned in writing any signs or tablet

Stele

A stele , also stela , is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief , or painted onto the slab...

s, so Libyan officials weren’t interested in writing tablets or signs in foreign alphabet, and the people who are interested, either Libyan or foreign, tried to write the names after bringing them back to their Standard Arabic (S.A.) origin, which is, sometimes, so far from reality. For example in a place is known in Standard Arabic as “Ajdabia”, in Libya Arabic (L.A.) “Jdabia”, and the Italian wrote it “Agedabia”. Another place named in S.A. “Marsa Al Burayqa”, in L.A. “Marsa El Breiga”, and the Italians wrote it Mersa Brega. A third example is “Al-Uqayla” in S.A., “El Agheila” in L.A., and like this Italians Wrote it.

There is no agreement on the Transliteration of Libyan placenames except for a few cities like Tripoli

Tripoli

Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...

, Benghazi

Benghazi

Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...

, and Tobruk

Tobruk

Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....

.

A list

Here is a list of selected Libyan cities and towns, shows how these places could be transliterated from Standard Arabic, and Libyan Arabic. It shows also how the Italians had already transliterated the names to Italian alphabet. However, none of the choices has been suggested to be used alone.

Note:Any (h) preceded by a vowel

Vowel

In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, such as English ah! or oh! , pronounced with an open vocal tract so that there is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis. This contrasts with consonants, such as English sh! , where there is a constriction or closure at some...

 is almost lightly pronounced or silent (like in Darnah).

Standard Arabic	Libyan Arabic Libyan Arabic Libyan Arabic is a collective term for the closely related varieties of Arabic spoken in Libya. It can be divided into two major dialect areas; the eastern centred in Benghazi and Bayda, and the western centred in Tripoli and Misrata...	Italian Italian language Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...	Page(s) in English Wikipedia
Ajdabia	Jdabia	Agedábia	Ajdabiya Ajdabiya Ajdabiya was one of the districts of Libya. It lay in the northeastern part of the country. Its capital was Ajdabiya. As of 2007 it was subsumed within the enlarged Al Wahat District....
Al Abraq	Labrag	Luigi di Savoia	Al Abraq
Al Abyar	Labiar	El Abiár	Aybar
Al ʿAziziyah	El Aziziyah	El Azizia	‘Aziziya
Al Baydaʾ	El Bayda	Beda Littoria	Bayda
Al Bardiya	El Bardiya or El Bûrdi	Bardia	Bardia Bardia Bardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
Al Jaghbub	El Jaghbub	Giarabub or El Giaghbub	Jaghbub
Al Khums	El Khums	Homs	Khoms
Al Makhili	El Mkhili	Mechili	Mechili Mechili Mechili is a small village in Cyrenaica, Libya and the former site of a turkish fort. It’s nearly east of Benghazi, and west of Timimi.-Geography:Because of its location in the desert, Mechili suffered in the past from isolation...
Al Marj	El Marj	Barce	Marj
Al Qubbah	El Gûbbah	Giovanni Berta	Al Qubah
Al Uqaylah	El Agheila	El Agheila	El Agheila El Agheila El Agheila is a coastal city at the bottom of the Gulf of Sidra in far western Cyrenaica, Libya. In 1988 it was placed in Ajdabiya District; between 1995 and 2001 the district name is not known; however, it was again placed into Ajdabiya District in 2001...
At Tamimi	Et Timimi	Tmimi	Timimi Timimi Timimi, At Timimi or Tmimi, is a small village in Libya about 75 km east of Derna and 100 km west of Tobruk. It is on the eastern shores of the Libyan coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.-Geography:...
Awjilah	Awjilah	Áugila	Awjila Awjila Awjila is a Berber-speaking oasis town in the Al Wahat District in the Cyrenaica region of northeastern Libya. It is the place after which the Awgila-Berber language, an Eastern Berber language, is named...
Az Zawiyah	Ez Zawiah	Ez Zauia	Zawiya
Bani Walid	Bani Wlid	Beni Ulid	Bani Walid Bani Walid Bani Walid or Ben Walid, prior to 2007, was one of the districts of Libya. In the 2007 administrative reorganization the territory formerly in Bani Walid District was transferred to Misrata District.Bani Walid bordered the following districts:...
Banghazi Bani Ghazi	Banghazi	Bengasi	Benghazi Benghazi Benghazi is the second largest city in Libya, the main city of the Cyrenaica region , and the former provisional capital of the National Transitional Council. The wider metropolitan area is also a district of Libya...
Darnah	Darnah	Derna	Derna
Daryanah	Deriana	Driána	Deriana Deriana Deriana or Daryanah is a town in the Benghazi District, of the Cyrenaica region in northeastern Libya. It is located 32 km east of Benghazi....
Ghadamis	Ghadamis	Gadames	Ghadames Ghadames Ghadames or Ghadamis is an oasis town in the Nalut District of the Fezzan region in southwestern Libya.-Geography:Ghadames lies roughly to the southwest of Tripoli, near the borders with Algeria and Tunisia. Ghadames borders Illizi Province, Algeria and Tataouine Governorate, Tunisia.The oasis...
Ghat	Ghat	Gat	Ghat
Gharyan	Ghiryan	Garian	Gharyan Gharyan Gharyan District or Garian District was one of the districts of Libya. It was located in the northwest part of the country and its capital was Gharyan. Under the 2007 reorganization of districts, it became part of Jabal al Gharbi District....
Jalu	Jalu	Giálo	Jalu Jalu Jalu, Jaloo, or Gialo is a town in the Al Wahat District in northeastern Libya in the Jalo oasis. From 2001 to 2007 it was part of Ajdabiya District. Formerly it was the administrative seat of Jalu District .... & Jalo oasis Jalo oasis Jalo Oasis is an oasis in Cyrenaica, Libya, located west of the Great Sand Sea and about 250 km south-east of the Gulf of Sirte. Quite large, long and up to wide, it supports a number of settlements, the largest of which is the town of Jalu...
Marsa Al Burayqah	Marsa El Breiga or El Breiga	Mersa Brega	Brega Brega Brega may refer to:*Brega , an inhabited location in Libya**Marsa Brega Airport, the airport for Brega-People:...
Maradah	Maradah	Maráda	Marada
Marawah	Marawah	Maraua	Marawa
Misratah	Misratah	Misurata	Misrata
Qaminis	Ghemines	Ghemínes	Qaminis Qaminis Qaminis or Ghemines is a small town adjacent to the Gulf of Sidra in the Cyrenaica region of northwestern Libya. It's located about 50 kilometers to the south of Benghazi - and 23 km west of Suluq....
Sabha	Sabha	Sebca	Sabha
Shahhat	Shahhat	Cirene	Shahhat Shahhat Shahhat is a town in the District of Jabal al Akhdar in north-eastern Libya. Cyrene was located in the same area in ancient times. It is located east of Bayda.... & Cyrene Cyrene, Libya Cyrene was an ancient Greek colony and then a Roman city in present-day Shahhat, Libya, the oldest and most important of the five Greek cities in the region. It gave eastern Libya the classical name Cyrenaica that it has retained to modern times.Cyrene lies in a lush valley in the Jebel Akhdar...
Suluq	Solug	Soluch	Suluq Suluq Suluq is a town in the Benghazi District of the Cyrenaica region in northeastern Libya. It is located about 53 kilometers to the south-east of Benghazi.-Italian Libya:...
Susah	Susah	Apollonia	Susa Susa, Libya Susa or Soussa is a town and seaside resort in the District of Jabal al Akhdar in north-eastern Libya. Susa stands by the ruins of Apollonia, Cyrenaica.The town contains the Apollonia Museum. It is located about 30 km northeast of Bayda.... , & Apollonia Apollonia, Cyrenaica Apollonia in Cyrenaica was founded by Greek colonists and became a significant commercial centre in the southern Mediterranean. It served as the harbour of Cyrene, to the southwest...
Tarabulus	Trablis	Tripoli	Tripoli Tripoli Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
Yifrin	Yifrin	Jefren	Yafran Yafran Yafran or Yifren was formerly one of the districts of Libya. It was located in the northwest part of the country and its capital was Yafran...
Zallah	Zallah	Zella	Zella
Zuwarah	Zwarah	Zuara	Zuwara