egypt

·Old French / Middle English·Established

Origin

Egypt comes from Greek Aigyptos, from Egyptian Hut-ka-Ptah, the temple of Ptah at Memphis.‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌ Egyptians themselves called it Kemet, the Black Land.

Definition

Egypt: the country in north-east Africa, home to one of the world's oldest civilisations.‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌

Did you know?

Egypt is named for one of its temples — Greeks took Hut-ka-Ptah, the temple of Ptah at Memphis, as the name of the whole country.

Etymology

Greek from EgyptianBronze Age / Classicalwell-attested

From Greek Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος), itself from Egyptian Hut-ka-Ptah, the temple of the soul of Ptah at Memphis — the city that gave the country its Greek name. The Egyptians themselves called the country Kemet, the Black Land, after the dark Nile silt. Key roots: Hut-ka-Ptah (Egyptian: "temple of Ptah's soul").

Ancient Roots

Hut-ka-Ptah (Egyptian: “temple of Ptah's soul”)

This Word in Other Languages

Égypte(French)Egitto(Italian)Miṣr (مصر)(Arabic)

Egypt traces back to Egyptian Hut-ka-Ptah, meaning "temple of Ptah's soul". Across languages it shares form or sense with French Égypte, Italian Egitto and Arabic Miṣr (مصر), evidence of a shared etymological family.

Connections

égypte

French

egitto

Italian

miṣr (مصر)

Arabic

Background

The Etymology of Egypt

Egypt is one of the oldest country-names still in everyday use, but its English form is a Greek loan, not a native term.‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‌‌‍‍‍‍‌ Greek Aigyptos (Αἴγυπτος), already attested in Homer, derives from the Egyptian phrase Hut-ka-Ptah, the temple of the ka (soul) of Ptah, the great craftsman-god of Memphis. Greek travellers, encountering Memphis as the country’s ancient capital, took the name of its principal temple precinct as the name of the entire land. The Egyptians themselves used a different name: Kemet, the Black Land, after the rich dark silt deposited annually by the Nile, contrasted with Deshret, the Red Land of the desert. Modern Arabic Miṣr (مصر) is yet another tradition — a Semitic name with cognates in Akkadian and Hebrew (Mitzrayim) — and is the country’s official name today. English Egypt arrived through Old French Egipte from Latin Aegyptus, faithful to the Greek throughout.