ⲏⲓ

Coptic

Etymology 1

Modern Egyptian house

From Demotic ⁠⁠ (ꜥ.wy, “house”), from Late Period Egyptian (ꜥ, “house”), from earlier Egyptian (ꜥt, “room”) (or else a formation from the same root). Vycichl notes that the plural form ⲏⲟⲩ (ēou) is certainly an innovation rather than inherited.

Noun

ⲏⲓ • (ēi) m (plural ⲏⲟⲩ (ēou) or (A, B, F) ⲏⲩ (ēu)) (Sahidic, Bohairic, Akhmimic, Fayyumic, Old Coptic)

1. house
2. household, family

Alternative forms

• ⲏⲉⲓ (ēei) — Sahidic, Akhmimic, Lycopolitan

Etymology 2

From Demotic ⁠ (ꜥ.wy, “arms, pair”), from Egyptian (ꜥ, “arm, part, portion, pair, region”).

Noun

ⲏⲓ • (ēi) m (plural ⲏⲓ (ēi))

1. (Sahidic, Bohairic) pair, couple

Etymology 3

From Demotic j (“O!”), from Egyptian (j, “O!”).

Interjection

ⲏⲓ • (ēi)

1. (Old Coptic) O!

References

• Crum, Walter E. (1939) A Coptic Dictionary‎^[1], Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 66
• Černý, Jaroslav (1976) Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 41–42
• Vycichl, Werner (1983) Dictionnaire Étymologique de la Langue Copte, Leuven: Peeters, →ISBN, pages 52–53