Etymology

The origin of the city's name is uncertain.^[1] Older spellings include Ulixbona and Ulixbuna (in the Visigothic era); Ὀλισσιπών (Olissipo) or Ὀλισσιπόνα (Olissipona) (by Greek writers), Olisippo (by Pliny the Elder), and Ulyssippo (by Pomponius Mela of Hispania), the last of which relates to the first-century Roman folk etymology that it was founded by and named after Ulysses; another common folk etymology is the Phoenician Alis-Ubo "safe harbour."

Another possibility, based on hydronomy of the area, derives the name from a pre-Roman substrate of Iberia's appellation for the Tagus, Lisso or Lucio.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈlɪzbən/