Editing Papyrus (section)

== Etymology ==
The [[English language|English]] word "papyrus" derives, via [[Latin]], from [[Greek language|Greek]] πάπυρος (''papyros''),<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dpa%2Fpuros πάπυρος], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus</ref> a loanword of unknown (perhaps [[Pre-Greek]]) origin.<ref>{{cite book|author-link=Robert S. P. Beekes|first=R. S. P.|last= Beekes|title=Etymological Dictionary of Greek|publisher= Brill|date= 2009|page= 1151|isbn = 9789004174191}}</ref> Greek has a second word for it, βύβλος (''byblos''),<ref>[https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.04.0057%3Aentry%3Dbu%2Fblos βύβλος], Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, ''A Greek-English Lexicon'', on Perseus</ref> said to derive from the name of the [[Phoenicia]]n city of [[Byblos]]. The Greek writer [[Theophrastus]], who flourished during the 4th century BCE, uses ''papyros'' when referring to the plant used as a foodstuff and ''byblos'' 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.

In the [[Egyptian language]], papyrus was called ''wadj'' (''w3ḏ''), ''tjufy'' (''ṯwfy''){{r|inaguralLetter|p=5}}, or ''djet'' (''ḏt'').