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.

     ...ethbe če ne oureftimahi pe na nihiomi ebolxen thlaura m̀piseuerčis xen tikešrōmi.

     ...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