Soknopaiou Nesos
/sɒk.nəˈpaɪ.uː ˈniː.sɒs/noun
An ancient Egyptian settlement and temple site in the Faiyum, known in antiquity as the island of the god Soknopaios.
Did you know?Soknopaios was a local form of the crocodile god Sobek, whose worship connected divine power with the dangerous waters and fertility of the Faiyum.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*néh₂sos
“Island or land surrounded by water; the ancestral root behind Greek nēsos.”
Ancient Egyptian
Egyptian
Sobek
“Crocodile deity associated with fertility, royal power, and the Nile’s life-giving waters.”
Ptolemaic Period
Greek
Soknopaios
“Greek rendering of the local crocodile god’s name, generally understood as “Sobek of Pai.””
Ptolemaic Greek
Greek
Σοκνοπαίου νῆσος
““Island of Soknopaios”; nēsos means “island,” while Soknopaiou is the possessive form.”
Roman Period
Greek
Soknopaiou Nesos
“The established name of the Faiyum settlement and its temple complex in documentary and religious texts.”
Modern English
English
Soknopaiou Nesos
“The archaeological site commonly called Dime or Dime es-Siba, in Egypt’s Faiyum oasis.”
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