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Etymology

Egyptology

/ˌiːdʒɪpˈtɒlədʒi/

noun

Origin

Ancient Greek

Aigyptos — Egypt

Overview

Meaning Now

  • The branch of archaeology concerned with the study of ancient Egypt and its antiquities.

Literal older meaning

The study of Egypt

Language path

Ancient Greek → Latin → English

Earliest form

Egyptology

Earliest period

19th century

Journey

The discipline of Egyptology emerged following the Napoleonic expedition to Egypt (1798–1801) and the subsequent decipherment of the Rosetta Stone by Jean-François Champollion in 1822, which allowed scholars to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

Evolution

  1. Ancient Greek

    Aigyptos

    “Egypt”

  2. Latin

    Aegyptus

    “Egypt”

  3. French

    Égyptologie

    “The study of Egypt”

    Transitionary form influencing the English suffixation

  4. 19th Century English

    Egyptology

    “The scientific study of ancient Egypt”

Connections

Word parts

Egypt

root

Ancient Egypt

-o-

other

connecting vowel

-logy

suffix

the study of

Related across languages

  • French

    Égyptologie

    Egyptology

  • German

    Ägyptologie

    Egyptology

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External references use DefinedTerm semantics.