ⲓⲁⲣⲟ

Coptic

Alternative forms

• ⲉⲓⲉⲣⲟ (eiero) — Sahidic
• ⲓⲉⲣⲟ (iero) — Sahidic, Akhmimic
• ⲓⲉⲣⲁ (iera) — Fayyumic

Etymology

From Demotic yr-ꜥꜣ (“Nile”), from Egyptian jtrw ꜥꜣ (“Nile”, literally “great river”), from jtrw (“river”) + ꜥꜣ (“great”). By surface analysis, ⲓⲟⲣ (ior, “canal”) +‎ ⲟ (o, “great”).

Pronunciation

• (Old Bohairic) IPA^(key): /jaˈɾoʔ/
• (Late Bohairic) IPA^(key): /jaˈɾuʔ/, /jæˈɾuʔ/
• (Greco-Bohairic) IPA^(key): /ˈjaro/

Noun

ⲓⲁⲣⲟ • (iaro) m (plural ⲓⲁⲣⲱⲟⲩ (iarōou))

2. (Bohairic) river

Proper noun

ⲫ̀ⲓⲁⲣⲟ • (ph̀iaro) m

2. (Bohairic) the Nile river

References

• Crum, Walter E. (1939), A Coptic Dictionary‎, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 82
• Černý, Jaroslav (1976), Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN