Gender Feminine

Meaning & History

From the Punic name 饜饜饜饜饜饜 (峁panba士l) probably meaning "Ba'al conceals", derived from Phoenician 饜饜饜 (峁pan) possibly meaning "to hide, to conceal" combined with the name of the god Ba'al. Sophonisba was a 3rd-century BC Carthaginian princess who killed herself rather than surrender to the Romans. Her name was recorded in this form by Roman historians such as Livy. She later became a popular subject of plays from the 16th century onwards.

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Entry updated December 7, 2022