from Egypt, and Chaldea. Indeed, most of the irregular degrees of comparison are from that quarter; being derived from the Sun, the great Deity of the Pagan world, and from his titles and properties. Both agaw and agros were from αρείων agns, the Arez of the east. From Bel, and Baaltis, came βελτιών, and βελτιςος : αμείνων is an infection from Amon. From the God Aloeus came awios, λωιτερος, and λωιςος : from κερεν changed to κέρας, κερατος, were formed κρέσσων, κρείσσων, κρατερός, and

κράτισος.

PHI.

Phi signifies a mouth; also language, and speech. It is used by the Amonians particularly for the voice and oracle of any God; and subjoined to the name of that Deity. The chief oracle in the first ages was that of Ham, who was worshipped as the Sun, and styled El, and Or. Hence these oracles are in consequence called Amphi, Omphi, Alphi, Elphi, Urphi, Orphi. It is made to signify, in the book of 35 Genesis, the voice, or command of Pharaoh. From Phi, in this acceptation, came onus, onin, φημος, φασκω, φατις, fama, fari,ita farier inft.

35 Genesis. c. 45. v. 21.

I imagine that the term Pharaoh itself is compounded of Phi-Ourah, Vox Cri, sive Dei. It was no unusual thing among the antients to call the words of their prince the voice of God. Josephus informs us, that it signified a king: 30 Ὁ Φαραων παρ' Αιγυπτίοις βασιλεα σημαίνει: and Ouro in the Copto-Arabic Onomasticon is said to signify the same: but I should think, that this was only a secondary acceptation of the original term.

Phi is also used for any opening or cavity: whence we find the head of a fountain often denominated from it; at least the place, whence the fountain issued forth, or where it lost itself. And as all streams were sacred, and all cavities in the earth looked upon with a religious horror, the Amonians called them Phi-El, Phi-Ainon, Phi-Anes; rendered by the Greeks Phiale, Phænon, Phanes, Phaneas, Paneas. The chief fountain of the river Jordan lost itself underground, and rose again at some miles distance. It sunk at Phiale, and rose again at " Paneas. Pliny speaks of a place of this sort at 38 Memphis, called Phiala; and, as he imagines, from

37

36 Josephus. Antiq. Jud. 1. 8. c. 6.

37 See Relandi Palæstina. vol. 1. c. 41. p. 265.

38 Plin. 1. 8. c. 46.

its figure but it was undoubtedly a covert aquæduct, by which some branch of the river was carried. The Nile itself is said to be lost underground, near its fountains; and that place also was called Phiala. 39 Phialam appellari fontem ejus, mergique in cuniculos ipsum amnem. There was also a fountain of this name at 4° Constantinople. Sometimes it occurs without the aspirate, as in Pella, a city of Palestine, named, undoubtedly, from its fountains: for Pliny calls it Pellam aquis 4 divitem.

41

40

Mines were held sacred; and, like fountains, were denominated from non, and Hanes, those titles of the Sun. In Arabia, near Petra, was a mine, worked by condemned persons, which was named + Phinon, and Phænon. Epiphanius mentions 43 anos paraλλa, or the mines of Hanes; to which Meletius, a bishop of the Thebaïs, was condemned.

42

AI.

Ai, and Aia, signifies a district or province;

39 Plin. 1. 5. c. 9.

40 Ευρύτατη φιάλη τις ιασπιδος εκτομος άκρης,

Paulus Silentiarius. part 11. v. 177. See Relandus above.

41 Plin. 1. 5. c. 18.

42 Athanasii Epist. ad solitariam vitam agentes. p. 658. 43 Epiphanius adversus Hæres. 1. 2. tom. 2.

p. 719.

and, as most provinces in Egypt were insular, it is often taken for an island. In other parts it was of much the same purport as aa of the Greeks, and betokened any region or country. It was from hence that so many places have been represented by the Greeks as plurals, and are found to terminate in ai; such as Athenai, Thebai, Pherai, Patrai, Amyclai, Therapnai, Clazomenai, Celanai. There are others in eia; as Chæroneia, Coroneia, Eleia. In others it was rendered short; as in Oropia, Ellopia, Ortygia, Olympia, Æthiopia, Scythia, Cænia, Icaria. It is likewise found expressed by a single letter, and still subjoined to the proper name: hence we meet with Etna, Arbela, Larissa, Roma, Himera, Hemera, Nusa, Nyssa, Patara, Arena, 45 Cabasa, and the like. We may from hence prove, and from innumerable other instances, that among the people of the east, as well as among other nations, the word in regimine was often final. Thus the land of Ion was termed Ionia; that of Babylon, Babylonia ; from Assur came Assyria; from Ind, India; from Lud, Ludia; in all which the region is specified by the termination. To say Lydia tellus, Assyria

44 See the learned Professor Michaelis in his Geographia Extera Hebræor. p. 134, 135.

45 The Ionians changed this termination into r. Hence Arene, Camissene, Cyrene, Arsace, Same, Capissene, Thebe, &c.

VOL. I.

I

tellus, is in reality 46 redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded, that country being styled Ai-Gupt, Aryurros, the land of the Gupti, called afterwards Cupti, and Copti.

COMMON NAMES RELATING TO PLACES.

As to the common names, which are found combined with additional terms, in order to denote the nature and situation of places; they are, for the most part, similar to those in the antient Chaldaic, and admit of little variation.

Air is a city; often expressed Ar, and Ara. Hence Arachosia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha (Ar-Ham-aith), Archile, Arzilla, Arthedon all which were cities, or else regions denominated from them.

Kir, Caer, Kiriath, are words of the like purport. We read in the Scriptures of Kiriath Sepher, Kiriath Arba, Kiriath Jearim. It was in some parts pronounced Kirtha, and Cartha. Melicar

46 Colchis was called Aia simply, and by way of eminence: and, probably, Egypt had the same name; for the Colchians were from Egypt. Strabo mentions Ιάσονος πλεν τον εις Αιαν. 1. 1. p. 38. And Apollonius styles the country of Colchis Aia.

Δια γεμην ετι νυν μενει εμπεδον, υιωνοιτε

Των δ' ανδρων, ὡς ὁςγε καθίςατο ναιεμεν Αιαν. 1. 4. ν. 277.