ϯⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓ

Coptic

Coptic Cairo

Etymology

Derived either from ϯ (ti, feminine definite article) +‎ ⲕⲱϣ (kōš, “break”, verb) +‎ ⲣⲱⲙⲓ (rōmi, “man”, noun), lit. "the men breaker", a calque of Arabic القَاهِرَة (al-qāhira, “The Victorious”) or from Arabic قَصْر الرُوم (qaṣr ar-rūm, “the Roman castle”), another name of Qasr al-Sham which comprises the Old Cairo. First attested in the Martyrdom of John of Phanijoit (ⲫⲏⲉ̅ⲑ̅ⲩ̅ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲓⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲁⲛⲓϫⲱⲓⲧ), the beginning of the 13th cent.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /təkəʃˈɾoːmə/

Proper noun

ϯⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓ • (tikešrōmi) f

1. Cairo (the capital of Egypt)
   • The Martyrdom of John of Phanijoit

     "...ⲉⲑⲃⲉ ϫⲉ ⲛⲉ ⲟⲩⲣⲉϥϯⲙⲁϩⲓ ⲡⲉ ⲛⲁ ⲛⲓϩⲓⲟⲙⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ ⲑⲗⲁⲩⲣⲁ ⲙ̀ⲡⲓⲥⲉⲩⲉⲣϫⲓⲥ ϧⲉⲛ ϯⲕⲉϣⲣⲱⲙⲓ."

     "... for he was a flax merchant to the women from the avenue of Abu Jirjis in (Old) Cairo..."

   Synonyms: ⲭⲁⲓⲣⲟⲛ (khairon), ⲗⲓⲟⲩⲓ (lioui), ⲭⲏⲙⲓ (khēmi)

References

• ⲫⲏⲉ̅ⲑ̅ⲩ̅ ⲓⲱⲁⲛⲛⲏⲥ ⲡⲓⲉⲃⲟⲗϧⲉⲛ ⲫⲁⲛⲓϫⲱⲓⲧ
• Vycichl, Werner (1983) Dictionnaire Étymologique de la Langue Copte, Leuven: Peeters, →ISBN
• Casanova, P. (1901) Les noms coptes du Caire et localités voisines, BIFAO 1, Institut français d'archéologie orientale