(a.), usually written Tell in European geographical terminology, means in Arabic “hill, mound, tumulus”, but has in the Mag̲h̲rib a specific meaning unconnected with archaeology.

According to Maurer, in Troin (ed.), Le Maghreb , the primary meaning in Arabic dialect is said to be “marly, grey or darkish soil” (cf. W. Marçais and A. Guiga, Textes arabes de Takroûna . II Glossaire , i, Paris 1958, 495: “sol gras et argileux”). By extension, it designates the whole region where this type of soil is found, and is contrasted on one hand to the regions of the h…