Carthago

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. An ancient city located in present-day Tunisia, renowned for its powerful maritime empire and rivalry with Rome
2. A prominent city of the ancient world that served as a major hub for commerce and trade in the Mediterranean
3. The historical center of a civilization known for its cultural advancements and significant military conflicts, particularly during the Punic Wars

Etymology: Carthage, the ancient city on the coast of modern Tunisia, takes its name from the Phoenician "qart-hadasht," meaning "new city" or "new town." The Phoenicians who founded it around 814 BCE gave it that name, and the Greeks and Romans later adapted it into forms such as "Karchedon" and "Carthago." The Latin version passed into English, where the name survives as a proper noun for the city itself. The name is a plain descriptive compound: "qart" meaning "city" or "town," and "hadasht" meaning "new," the same root that appears in the Hebrew word "hadash." Carthage was a Phoenician colony, so the name reflects its origin as a settlement founded from Tyre, the older mother city on the Lebanese coast.

Synonyms: carthage