Editing Beirut (section)

==Etymology==
The [[English language|English]] name Beirut is an early transcription of the [[Arabic language|Arabic]] name {{lang|ar-latn|Bayrūt}} ({{lang|ar|بيروت}}). The same name's transcription into [[French language|French]] is {{lang|fr|Beyrouth}}, which was sometimes used during [[French occupation of Lebanon|Lebanon's French mandate]]. The Arabic name derives from [[Phoenician language|Phoenician]] ''bēʾrūt'' ({{lang|phn|𐤁𐤀{{rlm}}𐤓𐤕{{lrm}}}} {{lang|phn-Latn|bʾrt}}). This was a modification of the [[Canaanite languages|Canaanite]] and Phoenician word {{lang|phn-Latn|bīʾrōt}} later ''bēʾrūt'', meaning "[[water well|wells]]",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beirut {{!}} Etymology of Beirut by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/Beirut |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}</ref> in reference to the site's accessible [[water table]].<ref>''The New Encyclopædia Britannica'' (1993), ''Macropædia'', volume 14, 15th edition, Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., Chicago.</ref><ref name="LebEmbU.S.">[https://web.archive.org/web/20071015223704/http://lebanonembassyus.org/country_lebanon/history.html ''Profile of Lebanon: History''], on the former website of the Lebanese Embassy of the U.S.</ref> The name is first attested in the 14th{{nbsp}}century{{nbsp}}BC, when it was mentioned in three [[Akkadian language|Akkadian]] [[cuneiform]]<ref name="LebEmbU.S."/> tablets of the [[Amarna letters]],<ref>EA 141-43.</ref> letters sent by [[Ammunira|King Ammunira]] of ''Biruta''<ref>[http://www.case.edu/univlib/preserve/Etana/encyl_biblica_l-p/philologus-pildash.pdf ''Phoenicia''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090325132551/http://www.case.edu/univlib/preserve/Etana/encyl_biblica_l-p/philologus-pildash.pdf |date=25 March 2009 }}, in ''[[Encyclopaedia Biblica]]'', Case Western Reserve University.</ref> to {{nowrap|[[Amenhotep III]]}} or {{nowrap|[[Amenhotep IV]]}} of [[ancient Egypt|Egypt]].<ref>{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Phoenicia|volume=21|page=451|first=George Albert|last=Cooke}}</ref> ''Biruta'' was also mentioned in the Amarna letters from [[Rib-Hadda|King Rib-Hadda]] of [[Byblos]].<ref>E.g., EA 105, where he complains to the pharaoh that Beirut's king had stolen two of his merchants' ships.</ref>

The [[Ancient Greek geography|Greeks]] [[hellenised]] the name as {{lang|grc-Latn|Bērytós}} ({{langx|grc|Βηρυτός}}), which the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] [[latinization of names|latinised]] as {{lang|la|'''Berytus'''|italics=no}}.{{efn|The Roman name was taken in 1934 for the archaeological journal published by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at the [[American University of Beirut]].<ref>[http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/archaeology/berytus-back/berytus39/ ''Berytus Archeological Studies''] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023222512/http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/archaeology/berytus-back/berytus39 |date=23 October 2007}}, American University of Beirut (AUB).</ref>}} When it attained the status of a [[Colonia (Roman)|Roman colony]], it was notionally refounded and its official name was emended to {{lang|la|Colonia Iulia Augusta Felix Berytus}} to include its imperial sponsors.

At the time of the [[crusades]], the city was known in French as '''Barut''' or '''Baruth'''.