Axum
/ˈæk.səm/noun
Axum is an ancient city and archaeological site in northern Ethiopia, formerly the center of the Aksumite Empire.
Did you know?The meaning and ultimate origin of the name Axum remain uncertain; proposed connections to ancient South Arabian languages exist, but no single etymology is accepted by scholars.
Etymological Timeline
1st Millennium BCE–1st Century CE
Ge'ez/South Arabian context
ʾksm / Aksum
“The earliest form of the name is associated with the emerging Aksumite polity, but its literal meaning is uncertain.”
1st Century CE
Greek
Αξωμίται (Axōmîtai)
“The Aksumites, mentioned in the Greek travel account known as the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.”
4th Century CE
Ge'ez
Aksum
“The royal city and political center of the Christianizing Aksumite kingdom.”
6th Century CE
Greek/Latin tradition
Axomis / Auxumis
“Aksum appears in Classical and late antique geographical traditions as a major Ethiopian imperial capital.”
Modern English
English
Axum
“The conventional English spelling for the historic Ethiopian city; Aksum is also widely used.”