In this paper, it will be argued that the Greek word Νεῖλος (“Nile”) was derived from */'neħl/, the latter being a Phoenician term denoting a water stream, a river valley, a trench/tunnel, a seasonal riverbed ( وادِي ), and, like its Biblical Hebrew cognate נַ֫חַל , the Nile itself. This new insight could prove useful for shedding some light on the Graeco-Egyptian interactions during the so-called Dark Age of Greece, i.e. from the early Iron Age (12th century BCE) down to the early Archaic Period (8th century BCE), a stage corresponding to the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt.
On the Source of the Νεῖλος / Piccolo, Alessandro. - In: AEGYPTUS. - ISSN 0001-9046. - 103:(2023), pp. 221-230. [10.26350/001217_000120]
On the Source of the Νεῖλος
Alessandro Piccolo
2023
Abstract
In this paper, it will be argued that the Greek word Νεῖλος (“Nile”) was derived from */'neħl/, the latter being a Phoenician term denoting a water stream, a river valley, a trench/tunnel, a seasonal riverbed ( وادِي ), and, like its Biblical Hebrew cognate נַ֫חַל , the Nile itself. This new insight could prove useful for shedding some light on the Graeco-Egyptian interactions during the so-called Dark Age of Greece, i.e. from the early Iron Age (12th century BCE) down to the early Archaic Period (8th century BCE), a stage corresponding to the Third Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
