Speaker Details

Dr Ibrahim Abd El-Sattar,  Osama Ibrahim
Faculty of Archaeology, Fayoum University/ Faculty of Tourism and Hotels, Fayoum University

Presentation Abstract:

Philological Study on Names Allocated to the Fayoum and Their Significances

 A variety of names were allocated to the Fayoum through history. These names bore profound significances mostly connected with Qarun Lake existance. The name ‘Fayoum’ itself, which is derived from the ancient Egyptian word ‘pA-ym’ meaning ‘the Lake’, is a clear example. This paper aims to investigate the names of the Fayoum during the Pharaonic Period in terms of their etymologies, determinatives’ significances, and historical extension of each name. The research also finds out whether there is any link between these names and Qarun Lake’s fluctuation. Moreover, it investigates if these names were chronologically replacing each other or some of them were contemporary to each other. This paper develops an inventory of the ‘Pharaonic’ names of Fayoum known from monuments and Hieroglyphic dictionaries. It studies the texts in which these names occured, their historical extension, their determinatives and finally discusses the resulted outcomes. It is concluded that Qarun Lake fluctuation infuenced the occurance of certain names in specific periods and the determinatives’ natures of these names.