Awal
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- For the acronym meaning "Absent Without Authorized Leave", see AWOL
Awal (Arabic: أوال) is the ancient name of Bahrain, an island country in the Persian Gulf. The name Awal had remained in use, probably for eight centuries. Awal was derived from the name of an idol that used to be worshiped by the inhabitants of the islands before the advent of Islam. Awal resembled the head of an ox. As for the meaning of this name, there are[1] /ʔawwal/ 'first, first part, previous'; /ʔawwalan/ 'firstly, at first'; /ʔawwalī/ 'prime, primordial, original'.
Before Islam Bahrain's administrative name was Mishmahig [2] and it was also called Tylos by the Ancient Greeks. If the name /Tulos/ is related to /ṭiwal/ 'rope with which the feet of draught-cattle are tied together'[3], then the cattle-represention of this deity may be thus confirmed.
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