Etymology[edit]

During the classical period, the Romans interacted with, and later conquered, parts of Mauretania, a state that covered modern Morocco, western Algeria, and the Spanish cities Ceuta and Melilla.^[9] The people of the region were noted inClassical literature as Mauri, which was subsequently rendered as "Moors" in English and in related variations in other European languages.^[10] Isidore of Seville, writing in the 7th century, claimed that the Latin word Maurus was derived from the Greek word for black, mauron (μαύρον).^[11]

In the 21st century, many people use the term of "Moor" or "Moors" for North Africans, especially Moroccans, although some find this derogatory.