ankh (English)

Where does "ankh" come from?

The English noun 'ankh' was borrowed directly from the Egyptian word 'anx-Z1', which is written as 'ꜥnḫ'[1]. In Egyptian, this term means 'life, to live, symbol for life'[1], serving as a hieroglyph that represents life and was frequently used as an amulet or charm.

Full etymology tree

• ankh (English), 'A cross shaped like a T with a loop at the top, the Egyptian hieroglyph representing the Egyptian triliteral ꜥnḫ (“life”) and often used as an amulet or charm for this concept.'
  • inherited ꜥnḫ (Egyptian), 'to live, to be(come) alive'

Ancestors

• ꜥnḫ (Egyptian)

Sources

1. ankh (English) - Wiktionary

Updated October 2026

More words starting with A

Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris