English
Meroe
Meroe comes from Ancient Greek Μερόη, and goes back to Meroitic 𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢.
- Meroiticmodern𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢medewi /məɾəwi/
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜερόηMeróē
- Englishearliest quotation 1981Meroe
attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed
Lineage
- Meroiticmodern𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢medewi /məɾəwi/
- Ancient Greekc. 800–300 BCEΜερόηMeróē
- Englishearliest quotation 1981Meroe
Earliest quotation: 1981, Thomas T. Spear, Kenya's past: an introduction to historical method in Africa: “The ultimate origins of iron in east Africa, then,…”
The story
Possibly related to Old Nubian ⲙⲓⲇⲇ (midd, “to be ready”) (also ⲙⲉⲇⲇ (medd) or ⲙⲉⲣⲁ (mera)), hence meaning “alert”.
Every English word from Meroitic 𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢
Today it means
name An ancient city on the east bank of the Nile.
Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.
Etymograph / Meroitic 𐦨𐦡𐦷𐦡𐦥𐦢 / Meroe