Aksum
/ˈæk.səm/noun
An ancient city and archaeological site in northern Ethiopia that was the center of the Aksumite Empire.
Did you know?Aksum was the capital of a powerful kingdom that minted its own coins and adopted Christianity in the fourth century, making it a major bridge between Africa, Arabia, and the Mediterranean.
Etymological Timeline
1st–2nd Century CE
Greek
Αξώμις (Axōmis)
“A Greek form of the place-name recorded in descriptions of the Red Sea region.”
3rd–4th Century CE
Ge'ez
አክሱም (ʾAksum)
“The name of the city in the language of the Aksumite kingdom.”
4th–7th Century CE
Greek and Latin
Axomis / Auxumis
“Classical forms used by external writers for the Ethiopian royal center.”
19th Century
English
Axum
“The common English spelling used in historical and archaeological literature.”
Modern English
English
Aksum
“The standard modern spelling for the ancient city and archaeological site; the name’s deeper origin remains uncertain.”