Etymology
The English word 'papyrus' derives, via Latin, from Greek πάπυρος (papuros). Greek has a second word for it, βύβλος (bublos, said to derive from the name of the Phoenician city of Byblos). The Greek writer Theophrastus, who flourished during the 4th century BC, uses papuros when referring to the plant used as a foodstuff and bublos for the same plant when used for nonfood products, such as cordage, basketry, or writing surfaces. The more specific term βίβλος biblos, which finds its way into English in such words as 'bibliography', 'bibliophile', and 'bible', refers to the inner bark of the papyrus plant. Papyrus is also the etymon of 'paper', a similar substance.
Egyptians may have referred to papyrus as pa-per-aa (that which is of Pharaoh), apparently denoting the Egyptian crown as owning a monopoly on papyrus production. However, no actual ancient text using this term is known. In the Egyptian language, papyrus was known by the terms wadj, tjufy, and djet . The Greek word papyros has no known relationship to any Egyptian word or phrase.
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