The Origin of the Name, "Egypt"
		The question is often asked "Why is it called Egypt?" This question can best be answered correctly by first remembering that the Ancient Egyptian language is NOT a dead language. It not only survives as Coptic Egyptian, but also in related languages such as Wolof(Senegal) and Yoruba(Nigeria). If this fact is kept in mind, one cannot drift into spurious speculations. Kemet: The Original Name of Egypt The oldest, official name for Egypt, by the Ancient Egyptians themselves, is Kmt (Keme) or Black. The contemporary Egyptian (Coptic) words for Egypt are (depending on the particular dialect): Kame, Keme, Kimi, and Kheme - all of which mean Black.  Also in Coptic Egyptian we have, kem, kame, kmi, kmem, kmom or "to be black." The Ancient Egyptians referred to themselves as Kmtjw (Kemetu) and Kmmw (Kmemu) or Black people (In contemporary Egyptian: Kmemou=Black people). In Wolof, Khem means "burnt to black." "Egypt": Greek Corruptions The Greeks corrupted an Ancient Egyptian name for Memphis - Ht-Ki-Pth (hay-gip-Toh), "The Temple of Ptoh's Essence," to Aigyptos.  Keeping in mind that the Greeks had a convention of adding an 's' to Ancient Egyptian proper nouns:    Osiri  (Usiri in contemporary Egyptian) > Osiris    Isi  (Ese in contemporary Egyptian) > Isis    Pth(Toh) > Tos "Misr" and "Mizraim": Semitic Corruptions British Egyptologist E.A.W. Budge was one of the first to remark that "The name Mizraim may have been given Egypt (by foreigners) in respect of its double wall." The name Misr is indeed a Semiticized form of Ancient Egyptian:    Medjr = walled district    Medjre = tower, fortress These Ancient Egyptian words became Meetsrayeem (Egypt) and Meetsree (Egyptian) in Hebrew, and in Arabic; Misr and Masri respectively. It is the same as Westerners calling China, "China," after the original Qin dynasty emperor ("Tschina" in Indo-European).  The Chinese, however, call their country Zhongguo or 'the Middle Kingdom.' Ancient Egyptian glossary 'Egypt'           [ ] = Contemporary Egyptian (Coptic) words Eturmeh..........North river (Lower Egypt) [Eioor - river] Etures.............South river (Upper Egypt) Hedje..............White Crown country (Upper Egypt) Keme..............Black (All of Egypt) [Keme - Black] Kemi..............."Southern" country (Upper Egypt) Pasheti............The two divisions of Egypt; one belonging to Horus and the other to Set  [Pashe - boundary] Res.................the South (Upper Egypt)  [Res - south] Shmo..............the South (Upper Egypt) Sonti..............."the two halves of Egypt" (Upper and Lower Egypt) TaMera...........Land of the Inundation TaMeri............My beloved land Tawi...............the Two lands (Upper and Lower Egypt) 'Egyptians' Kemetu............Black's peoples (Egyptian citizens) Kmemu............Black people (the Egyptian people) Resu................Southern people (Upper Egyptians) Ret..................The Men [Rot - men] Ret na Romé....We Men above mankind [Romé - men;mankind] Romé n Keme..Men of Black ("Egyptians") TaMeru...........Land of the Inundation people (Egyptians) Tawiu..............The Two Lands people (Egyptian) [Ta;to - land]