section_path: Etymology
section_name: Etymology
paragraph_text: Etymology
  
  The name "N'Djamena" is derived from the Arabic term "Niǧāmīnā" (نجامينا), meaning "place of rest" or "place of peace".
  
  Before its renaming in 1973, the city was known as Fort-Lamy, named after French army officer Amédée-François Lamy. The change to N'Djamena was part of a broader movement to replace colonial names with indigenous ones, reflecting the local Arabic heritage and cultural identity.
  
  The name itself reflects the blending of Arabic linguistic influence and local Chadian culture, illustrating the region’s complex historical and cultural interactions.