Nicomedia
/ˌnaɪ.kəˈmiː.di.ə/noun
An ancient city in Bithynia, now İzmit in Turkey, and the name of a historical metropolis of the Roman and Byzantine world.
Did you know?The name is traditionally explained as Greek Nike + medomai, meaning something like “victory” + “to plan/counsel,” so even the city’s name carries a built-in aura of strategic triumph.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
Νικομήδεια
“A city name in Bithynia, associated with King Nicomedes I and often analyzed as a Greek compound”
Hellenistic Period
Greek
Νικομήδης
“Nicomedes, a royal name borne by kings of Bithynia”
Classical Greek
Greek
νίκη
“victory”
Classical Greek
Greek
μήδομαι
“to plan, devise, counsel”
Latin
Latin
Nicomedia
“The Latinized name of the city used in Roman administrative and historical texts”
Modern English
English
Nicomedia
“The historical name of the ancient city, especially in classical and Byzantine contexts”