ϣϫⲏⲛ

Coptic

ϣϫⲏⲛ.

Alternative forms

• ϣϭⲏⲛ (šcēn) — Bohairic
• ⳉϫⲁⲛ (xčan) — Oxyrhynchite

Etymology

From Demotic ḫḏn, from Egyptian (ḫṯn, “garlic”). Possibly the ultimate source is a Semitic language. Compare Hebrew חָצִיר (ḥāṣīr, “green grass, leek”), Ugaritic 𐎃𐎒𐎆𐎐 (ḫswn, “lettuce; garlic”), Akkadian 𒋧𒋀𒊬 (ŠUM₂.SES^SAR /⁠(ḫ)azannu⁠/, “an alliaceous vegetable”).

Maybe also Aramaic חַסָּא (ḥassā) and Hittite 𒄩𒋗𒍑𒊭𒊏𒀀𒀭 (ḫa-šu-uš-ša-ra-a-an /⁠ḫašuššara-⁠/, “a green vegetable”) are related to this word.

Noun

ϣϫⲏⲛ • (ščēn) m (uncountable)

1. (Sahidic) garlic

References

• Crum, Walter E. (1939) A Coptic Dictionary‎^[1], Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 615b
• Černý, Jaroslav (1976) Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 263