Ljubljana

Ljubljana (IPA {{IPA|//}}), German Laibach ({{IPA|/'lɑɪbax/}}), Italian Lubiana ({{IPA|/lʊb'jɑ:na/}}) is the capital of Slovenia, situated on the outfall of the river Ljubljanica into the Sava, in central Slovenia, between the Alps and the Mediterranean. Population: 265,881 (2002).

Name

Historians disagree as to where the name comes from. Although it is commonly pointed out that it originates out of the Slovenian word ljubljena (a feminine form of beloved), this is not known for certain. The name may just as well have evolved from the Latin term for a flooding river, aluviana. Some also believe the source of the present-day name is Laburus, an old Slavonic deity and supposed patron of the original settlement. And Laibach, the German name for the city, may have borrowed itself from Laubach (a lukewarm beck, in German).

Related Topics:
Slovenian - Latin - Laburus - Slavonic - Beck

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