The name Ethiopia derived, from the Greek form, aithiopia, from the two words aitho, “I burn”, and ops, “face”. It would hence mean the colored man’s land — the land of the scorched faces.
The Greeks called all peoples south of Egypt (particularly the area now known as Nubia; modern usage has transferred this name further south to the land and peoples known in the late 19th and early 20th century as Abyssinia) Ethiopians.
The former name of Ethiopia is Abyssinia, a word of uncertain origin. Some people consider it comes from an Arabic word meaning “mixed” - a reference to the country’s many ethnic groups; others believe that the name belonged to an early Ethiopian tribe.
However other origin is claimed for the name by many modern writers, some of whom say that the Greeks borrowed the word from the Egyptians, and that as early as the Twelfth Dynasty the Egyptians knew the land under the name Ksh, or Kshi.
One form of this word, with the aleph prefix, Ekoshi (the Coptic eshoosh, eshôsh, ethosh) would hence be the real root-word.
Others consider that it is derived from the Arabic word atyab, the plural form of tib, which means “spices”, “perfumes” (Glaser, “Die Abissinier in Arabien und Afrika”, Munich, 1895), or from an Arabo-Sabean root word, atyub, which has the similar meaning.
Keywords: Ethiopia, aithiopia, aitho, ops, Ksh, Kshi, Ekoshi, eshoosh, eshôsh, ethosh, atyab, tib, atyub, Nubia,
21 responses so far ↓
1 Ethiopia in Africa // Nov 16, 2007 at 12:10 pm
[...] Ethiopia is the oldest of the independent states grouped in the OAU (which now AU), and has provided the seat of the headquarters of the Organization in her capital city, Addis Ababa. [...]
2 Drainage and river basins // Nov 16, 2007 at 1:08 pm
[...] Ethiopia is naturally endowed with rivers of considerable number and size. The major rivers are international. They flow beyond the boundaries of the country to the arid regions of neighbouring countries carrying not only water, but also fertile soil. [...]
3 Ethiopia’s policy of anti-imperialism and African liberation // Nov 16, 2007 at 1:53 pm
[...] confrontation with the allied international forces of imperialism, the people and government of Ethiopia became the most persistent and uncompromising anti-imperialist conscience and spirit of [...]
4 Konso People // Nov 19, 2007 at 2:09 pm
[...] people are located in the arid highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. Their sharply delimited traditional territory is bounded by lands of Oromo peoples, to whom the [...]
5 Dempsey Haupt // Jan 6, 2008 at 4:23 am
The words mentioned here “Ksh, Kshi” must be the same as in the Bible “Cush”. Biblical scholars say that Cush refers to Ethiopia (generally).
6 Randall Carter Gray // Jan 30, 2008 at 7:06 pm
If the name Abyssinia means “mixed,” and if this refers a wide variation of races in ancient Ethiopia — including both white and black — how did that happen? Does this suggest to us that we indeed originated from one source namely Adam, a man of all colors, hence black, and Eve, who being created from a bone … was therefore white?!
Can the Genesis story of creation be literally correct after all?
Did we evolve not from apes, but from two original parents, one white and one black? It makes a lot more sense than evolution, although I’m open to other interpretations. Come and visit us at TANATA: Things (often) Are Not As They Appear
7 hana // Jan 31, 2008 at 3:52 pm
i wont to now for ethiopia and my cantery
8 hana // Jan 31, 2008 at 3:56 pm
i gatete it ethiopia in this chapetere tank yoa
9 hana // Jan 31, 2008 at 3:57 pm
i sayd live it
10 hana // Jan 31, 2008 at 3:58 pm
tank you I am hana for koria
11 D. Sr. // Mar 10, 2008 at 6:33 am
I never heard of Oromo until I had a dream.
The dream impacted me enough to find out if
the name existed, and here I am from a dream.
I want to know more about this Biblical/ spiritual connection I just encountered.
Anyone…..
12 Teru Minilik // Oct 9, 2008 at 2:17 am
80 different ethnic groups in Abyssinia and you only report about TWO? Come on! Why are you holding out!
13 Debisa // Feb 12, 2009 at 8:29 pm
Oromo is the largest and more politically dominant, initially had Gada system(8-year transfering democracy structure) tribe.emperior Hailesilasse was Oromo, even his wife was wollo Oromo.Gonder had once under Oromo’s Control(During Susinyos). Oromo once could defeat Semen tribes and easily extend to Wollo and Raya(South Tigray).Minilik’s wife was Oromo.Kenenissa Bekele, Trunesh Dibaba eve H/Gebresilasse are Oromos.Tilahun Gessese(Well Known artist), the first inventor of Amharic type writer and General Taddesse Birru(Friend and Trainer of Nilson Mandela) were Oromos. Decendants of first civilized Kushitc communities along Nile(Nubia-Egypt) are these Oromos.Still highly interfering tribe in the politics of Ethiopia are these Oromos,etc .So,shame on you for those hating Oromo.History is winner not your ugly backward perception.
14 Mustafa // Jun 24, 2009 at 8:37 pm
You Ethiopians sicken’ me! You guys have no right to enter another country, called somalia, because we speak 500 languages, while you guys speak only 80, and we have 900,000,000 people while you guys only have 75,000,000 people, we have 185,685,585 Amhara, while you guys only have around 13 million Amhara. Just surrender U Guys! You guys a just pieces of Shit, knowing that you guys are useless cpoy-cats, cpoying our languages, and copying our ethnic groups! And about your prime minister, Melestor penis sucking Zenawi, only knows how to send troops into somalia to rape women and little children…U fuckin’ faggots.. Saying he was born i Adwa, Tigray, He’s not Somalian, Somalians are to good for all y’all!So don’t even try being better than us, even though i have Ethiopian friends, u guys better not come into somalia again, or else i will knock all of you out, with retarded AIDS selves! B>I>T>C>H>E>S!!!!!!
15 Bryan D // Sep 8, 2009 at 8:16 am
USA!!!
16 ade // Dec 7, 2009 at 7:21 pm
I need someone who is rooted in deep knowledge of prehistoric Ethiopia to help because what I discovered from research is having a close affinity with a nation of west Africa known globally as Yorubas. These are my findings:
1. the word amhare/amhara seems to me a conjoined word from ‘am’ and ‘hara’meaning the free , the soldier or the beautiful one as interpreted on the internet.Yoruba has the same as ‘Omo’ ‘Ore’ ‘The sacred people’ Omo meaning people or child and Ore meaning a sort of a prehistoric deity prevalent in the present Yoruba world.
2.Zemene Mesafin meaning the princes, is of exact meaning in the Yoruba world, bearing it as ‘Osinmole M’olaafin’ . Osin is a royal cognomen and Alaafin is also same in Yoruba world
3. Oranmiyan is the most popular and the most successfull of Oduwa’s children. He was even the founder of the great Oyo empire of Yoruba nation but i just discovered Oromiyan tribe in ethiopia in fact the Oyo people of the Yoruba sometimes pride themselves as ‘Oromo Jogbo’
4. A major prehistoric spot in the highlands of northcentral ethiopia is called Adwa. In fact there was a major battle fought here. The name of the founder of Yoruba race is OOduwa. His statue bear a striking resemblance with the Ahmore pple of ethiopia in an amazing arrangement of beads in style and shapes . Adwa statue has 2 ring brass around the neck followed by arrays of big ball of beads and a wedge of cowry chain! ( google Ife Art of the Yorubas)
5. One of Odwa children who eventually became a king even decided to be called the king of kozo and the Ifa deity emphasized on this. His name Shango coincides with a prehistoric settlement between congo and Uganda border known as Ishango which might actually be a lost fragment of the ancient kush because it’s close to southern ethiopia still!
6. This deified king Shango is very popular with his dressing holding a wand called Ose that bears an etymological traces to the ancient ethiopian cross! (i found one in the brooklyn museum!)
7.Food in Yoruba language is called ‘Ounje ‘ and soup or stew is ‘Obe’ Infact there is a sort of food called “Akara” and ‘Ojojo’ fries which i found out is common in names only to both culture.
8. A lot of indigenous Ethiopian names are of unprecedented similarities to Yorubas
I have traced this amazing closeness to southern Sudan where they used to have the Meroitic dynasty and way back to ancient Egypt! There are even a strong possibility i may employ a form of forensic investigation in the future.
17 Andy // Dec 20, 2009 at 5:19 am
Mustafa,
You are ignorant.
18 DANIEL // Dec 26, 2009 at 12:42 am
OROMO WILL BE A LEADER OF ALL NATIONS AND NATIONALITIES.
19 LOL@ misunderstanding // Jan 12, 2010 at 11:55 am
Too much Ignorance…..let’s see the ignoranace “The former name of Ethiopia is Abyssinia, a word of uncertain origin. Some people consider it comes from an Arabic word meaning “mixed” - a reference to the country’s many ethnic groups; others believe that the name belonged to an early Ethiopian tribe.”…….Abyssinians are not Ethiopians. Sabeans are not ethipians. Queen sheaba was not ethiopian’s Queen. ethiopians are Cushite people who live in north eastern africa. Ethiopia were there before 3000 yrs ago. So u failed to define Ethiopia? Abyssinia is English or Portugese name of Habesha…… Ye Teje bet terate yezachuhe, endesewe wetechu mawerate amarchu!!…..ur ignorance is inherated from your forefathers who dare to write Qemante tribe is formed “Girare” wood.
20 edgar hodgson // Mar 8, 2010 at 7:56 pm
anybody can tell me if in ethiopia the goverment respect human rights?
21 stop // Mar 9, 2010 at 2:03 am
You gallas need calm down or else I will cool your head down by any means.
Leave a Comment