Faiyum
/ˈfaɪ.juːm/noun
A fertile region and city in central Egypt, southwest of Cairo, associated with a large ancient lake and oasis.
Did you know?The Faiyum’s ancient lake once covered far more land than today, and its distinctive mummy portraits preserve some of the most lifelike faces from the ancient world.
Etymological Timeline
Middle Kingdom Egypt, c. 2000 BCE
Egyptian
pꜣ-yꜣm
“The lake; a name referring to the great lake in the region.”
Greco-Roman Egypt
Greek
Arsinoītēs
“The Arsinoite district, named after Queen Arsinoe II; the region was also connected with Lake Moeris.”
Late Antique Egypt
Coptic
ⲡⲓⲱⲙ (p-iōm)
“The lake; a Coptic continuation of the ancient Egyptian place-name.”
Medieval Arabic
Arabic
الفيوم (al-Fayyūm)
“The Fayyum, the Arabic form of the regional name.”
Modern English
English
Faiyum
“The modern English spelling for the Egyptian region and city.”