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 [[344]]Genesis, the voice, or command of Pharaoh. From Phi, in this acceptation, came φημι, φημη, φημυς, φασκω, φατις, fama, fari,—ita farier infit. I imagine that the term Pharaoh itself is compounded of Phi-Ourah, Vox Ori, 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: [[345]]Ὁ Φαραων παρ' Αιγυπτιοις βασιλεα σημαινει: 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 [[346]]Paneas. Pliny speaks of a place of this sort at [[347]]Memphis, called Phiala; and, as he imagines, from 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. [[348]]Phialam appellari fontem ejus, mergique in cuniculos ipsum amnem. There was also a fountain of this name at [[349]]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 [[350]]divitem.
Mines were held sacred; and, like fountains, were denominated from Ænon, and Hanes, those titles of the Sun. In Arabia, near Petra, was a mine, worked by condemned persons, which was named [[351]]Phinon, and Phænon. Epiphanius mentions [[352]]Φανησια μεταλλα, or the mines of Hanes; to which Meletius, a bishop of the Thebaïs, was condemned.
AI.
Ai, and Aia, signifies a district or province; 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 αια of the Greeks, and betokened any [[353]]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, Celænai. 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 Ætna, Arbela, Larissa, Roma, Himera, Hemera, Nusa, Nyssa, Patara, Arena, [[354]]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 tellus, is in reality [[355]]redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded, that country being styled Ai-Gupt, Αιγυπτος, 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. Melicartus, the Hercules of the Phenicians and Cretans, was, properly, Melech-Carta, the Deity of the place. The city of Tigranes, in Armenia, was called Tigranocerta. One name of Carthage was Καρχηδων, from Car-Chadon, the same as Adon. It was also called Carthada, from Cartha-Ada, the city of the queen or Goddess, who was by the Romans supposed to be Juno, but was, properly, the Amonian Elisa. Caer, among many antient nations, signified a city, or fortress; as we may learn from the places called Carteia, Carnaim, Caronium, Caroura, Carambis. Among the Britons were, of old, places exactly analogous; such as Caerlisle, Caerdiff, Caerphilly, Caernarvon, and Caeruriah in Cornwall.