Editing Aleppo (section)

=== Proto-Semitic Origins ===
The etymology of the name '''Aleppo''' (Arabic: '''Ḥalab''', حلب) is ancient and rooted in the long history of the region.

The name ''Ḥalab'' is believed to originate from a [[Semitic languages|Semitic]] root, possibly the [[Proto-Semitic language|Proto-Semitic]] root '''ḥlb''', meaning “to milk” or “milk.” This connection might have arisen due to the area’s association with pastoralism and the production of milk. Another possibility is that the name refers to the color “white,” as the root '''ḥlb''' could metaphorically describe the pale or white hue of certain local soils or materials.<ref>{{Cite book |title=The semitic languages: an international handbook |date=2011 |publisher=De Gruyter Mouton |isbn=978-3-11-018613-0 |editor-last=Weninger |editor-first=Stefan |series=Handbücher zur Sprach- und Kommunikationswissenschaft; Handbooks of linguistics and communication science |location=Berlin ; Boston |editor-last2=Khan |editor-first2=Geoffrey |editor-last3=Streck |editor-first3=Michael P. |editor-last4=Watson |editor-first4=Janet C. E.}}</ref> Similarly, the modern-day nickname '''al-Shahbāʾ''' ({{langx|ar|الشهباء}}), meaning "the white-colored mixed with black", is said to be derived from its famed [[white marble]].<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ar:حلب الشهباء..معناها وأهميتها عند النبي العربي إبراهيم الخليل |url=http://www.hadhramautnews.net/news-4451.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706022148/http://www.hadhramautnews.net/news-4451.htm |archive-date=6 July 2018 |access-date=19 January 2019 |work=hadhramautnews.net |language=ar}}</ref>