Egyptian

Alternative forms

• Ægyptian (archaic)
• Ægiptian, Aegiptian (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English Egipcien, egyptiane. Displaced Old English Egyptisċ. By surface analysis, Egypt +‎ -ian.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɪˈd͡ʒɪp.ʃən/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

Adjective

Egyptian (not comparable)

1. Of, from, or pertaining to Egypt, the Egyptian people or the Egyptian language.

Noun

Egyptian (plural Egyptians)

1. A person from Egypt or of Egyptian descent.
2. (dated) A gypsy.
   • 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 457:

     The people then assembled in this barn were no other than a company of Egyptians, or, as they are vulgarly called, gypsies, and they were now celebrating the wedding of one of their society.

   • 1968, Little Brother Montgomery, Bruce Saunders, "Prescription for the Blues", Like to Get to Know You (Spanky & Our Gang):

     I went to see the Egyptian, and the Hoodoo doctors too. They shook their heads, and told me there was nothing they could do.

Proper noun

Egyptian

2. The Afroasiatic language spoken (and written) in ancient Egypt

   Synonym: Ancient Egyptian

Further reading

• Ethnologue entry for Egyptian, egy ⁠

Anagrams

• aegyptin