pschent

English

A gold ring with an engraved portrait of Ptolemy VI Philometor (c. 186–145 BCE), a king of Egypt of the Ptolemaic dynasty, wearing the pschent. The ring dates to between the 3rd and 2nd centuries BCE.

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ψχέντ (pskhént), from Late Egyptian pꜣ-sḫmtj (“the two powerful ones”), from pꜣ (“definite article”) + sḫmtj, dual of sḫmt (“powerful one”), from sḫm (“to be powerful, to have power over”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /skɛnt/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛnt

Noun

pschent (plural pschents)

1. The double crown of ancient Egypt, combining the white crown of Upper Egypt with the red crown of Lower Egypt, worn by pharaohs after the union of the two kingdoms in around 3000 BC.
   • 1922, James Joyce, Ulysses:

     In his left eye flashes the monocle of Cashel Boyle O’Conner Fitzmaurice Tisdall Farrell. On his head is perched an Egyptian pshent. Two quills project over his ears.

   • 1943, H. P. Lovecraft, The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath:

     […] a tall, slim figure with the young face of an antique Pharaoh, gay with prismatic robes and crowned with a golden pshent that glowed with inherent light.

Translations

the double crown of ancient Egypt

• Greek:

  Ancient: ψχέντ (pskhént)

• Portuguese: pschent m

Further reading

• pschent on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

French

Noun

pschent m (plural pschents)

1. pschent

Further reading

• “pschent”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Portuguese

Noun

pschent m (plural pschents)

1. pschent (the double crown of ancient Egypt)