Aegyptian

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. Of or relating to Egypt, its people, or its culture ; a person born in or living in the North African country of Egypt
2. Belonging to or characteristic of the nation of Egypt ; an individual who is a native or resident of that country
3. Describing something connected with the land, history, or customs of Egypt ; someone who comes from or inhabits Egypt

Etymology: Before it named a people, "Aegyptian" was simply the Latin-influenced spelling of "Egyptian," and it carried the same meaning: a native of Egypt. The name traces back to Greek "Aigyptios," which came from "Aigyptos," the Greek name for Egypt. That name in turn likely derives from an Egyptian phrase meaning roughly "Hwt-ka-Ptah," the name of a temple complex at Memphis, which the Greeks heard as "Aigyptos." English writers used the "ae" spelling for centuries, following Latin conventions, and it appears in Middle English texts. The "ae" form largely fell out of use in the 18th and 19th centuries, when English spelling shifted toward the simpler "E," though "Aegyptian" survives in older dictionaries and in some scholarly or stylized writing.

Synonyms: Egyptian