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proper noun

Álava

/ˈalaba/

proper noun/ˈalaba/

Álava (a province of the Basque Country, Spain; capital: Vitoria)

Related: alavés

Inherited from Old Spanish Alava (compare Basque Araba). Further etymology is uncertain. Possibilities include: *Related to a Roman mansion in ab Asturica Burdigalam, from Latin Alba. This name is possibly related to Albéniz (a hamlet in Álava). *From the Andalusian Arabic prefix ال (al-, “the”) + Basque laua (“plain, flat”). More at Álava.