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The Name of Ethiopia

Question

What is the meaning of the name Kush (Ethiopia)?

Answer

The word “Kush” doesn’t seem to have an etymological explanation; Ethiopia was called by that name in Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Persia.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, some people believe that “Ethiopia” is derived from “aith” (burnt) and “ips” (face), referring to the fact that that the people who lived there had dark (“sunburned”) faces.