Ἀζανία
Ancient Greek edit
Etymology 1 edit
Possibly from Ζάν (Zán, “Zeus”) — Doric + -ία (-ía).
Proper noun edit
Ἀζανία • (Azanía) f (indeclinable)
- (historical) a subregion of Arcadia.
Etymology 2 edit
Two possibilities: 1. Related to Somali san (“nose”), referring to the Horn of Africa; (Cushitic languages like Somali have been spoken there for many thousands of years). 2. Related to Arabic عَجَمِيّ (ʕajamiyy, “foreign, barbarian”). The Greeks likely remoulded whichever word to a familiar form (Etymology 1). Probably not related to Ζήγγισα.
Proper noun edit
Ἀζανία • (Azanía) f (indeclinable)
- (historical) The region of East Africa as known by the Ancient Greeks and Romans.
References edit
"AZANIA, SOME ETYMOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS", John Hilton, Acta Classica, vol.35