The History of the Christian Visigoths

The Iberian peninsula was mostly under Muslim rule for several centuries. Many of these come from Arabic and have kept the Arabic definite article al as a first syllable. This former Roman province, the birthplace of no less a philosopher than Seneca, was taken by the Visigoths in the 5th century. The bulk of the invading forest that conquered modern day Spain and Portugal were Berbers who had been channelled into the conquest by Arab Muslims.