THE NAME OF PODGORICA (MEANING)

 

The name Podgorica means "under the Gorica" in Serbian language. Gorica (meaning "little hill" or hillock) is the name of the cypress-covered hill that overlooks the city centre.

Some three kilometres (1.9 miles) north-west of Podgorica lie the ruins of Doclea, a town known in Greek, pre-Roman and Roman times. The Roman Emperor Diocletian came from this region. In later centuries, Romans "corrected" the name to Dioclea, guessing wrongly that an "i" had been lost in vulgar speech. "Duklja" is the later (South Slavic) version of that word.

When founded (before the 11th century), the town was called Birziminium. In the Middle Ages, it was known as Ribnica(pronounced [rîbnitsa]). The name Podgorica was used from 1326. From 1946 to 1992, the city was named Titograd ([tîtoɡraːd]) in honour of Josip Broz Tito, the former President of Yugoslavia.