ϣϫⲏⲛ

Coptic

ϣϫⲏⲛ.

Alternative forms

ϣϭⲏⲛ (šcēn) – Bohairic
ⳉϫⲁⲛ (xčan) – Oxyrhynchite

Etymology

From Demotic ḫḏn, from Egyptian

(ḫṯn, “garlic”). Possibly the ultimate source is a Semitic language. Compare Hebrew חָצִיר‎ (ḥāṣīr, “green grass, leek”), Ugaritic 𐎃𐎒𐎆𐎐 (ḫswn, “lettuce; garlic”), Akkadian 𒋧𒋀𒊬 (ŠUM₂.SES^SAR /(ḫ)azannu/, “an alliaceous vegetable”).

Maybe also Aramaic חַסָּא‎ (ḥassā) and Hittite 𒄩𒋗𒍑𒊭𒊏𒀀𒀭 (ḫa-šu-uš-ša-ra-a-an /ḫašuššara-/, “a green vegetable”) are related to this word.

Noun

ϣϫⲏⲛ • (ščēn) m (uncountable)

(Sahidic) garlic

References

Crum, Walter E. (1939) A Coptic Dictionary‎, Oxford: Clarendon Press, →ISBN, page 615b
Černý, Jaroslav (1976) Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 263