Ai, and Aia, signifies a district or province; and, as most provinces in Egypt were insular, it is often taken for an island. In other parts it was of much the same purport as αια of the Greeks, and betokened any [353]region or country. It was from hence that so many places have been represented by the Greeks as plurals, and are found to terminate in _ai_; such as Athenai, Thebai, Pherai, Patrai, Amyclai, Therapnai, Clazomenai, Celænai. There are others in _eia_; as Chæroneia, Coroneia, Eleia. In others it was rendered short; as in Oropia, Ellopia, Ortygia, Olympia, Æthiopia, Scythia, Cænia, Icaria. It is likewise found expressed by a single letter, and still subjoined to the proper name: hence we meet with Ætna, Arbela, Larissa, Roma, Himera, Hemera, Nusa, Nyssa, Patara, Arena, [354]Cabasa, and the like. We may from hence prove, and from innumerable other instances, that among the people of the east, as well as among other nations, the word in regimine was often final. Thus the land of Ion was termed Ionia; that of Babylon, Babylonia; from Assur came Assyria; from Ind, India; from Lud, Ludia; in all which the region is specified by the termination. To say Lydia tellus, Assyria tellus, is in reality [355]redundant. In the name of Egypt this term preceded, that country being styled Ai-Gupt, Αιγυπτος, the land of the Gupti, called afterwards Cupti, and Copti. COMMON NAMES RELATING TO PLACES. As to the common names, which are found combined with additional terms, in order to denote the nature and situation of places; they are, for the most part, similar to those in the antient Chaldaic, and admit of little variation. Air is a city; often expressed Ar, and Ara. Hence Arachosia, Arachotus, Aracynthus, Arambis, Aramatha (Ar-Ham-aith), Archile, Arzilla, Arthedon: all which were cities, or else regions denominated from them. Kir, Caer, Kiriath, are words of the like purport. We read in the Scriptures of Kiriath Sepher, Kiriath Arba, Kiriath Jearim. It was in some parts pronounced Kirtha, and Cartha. Melicartus, the Hercules of the Phenicians and Cretans, was, properly, Melech-Carta, the Deity of the place. The city of Tigranes, in Armenia, was called Tigranocerta. One name of Carthage was Καρχηδων, from Car-Chadon, the same as Adon. It was also called Carthada, from Cartha-Ada, the city of the queen or Goddess, who was by the Romans supposed to be Juno, but was, properly, the Amonian Elisa. Caer, among many antient nations, signified a city, or fortress; as we may learn from the places called Carteia, Carnaim, Caronium, Caroura, Carambis. Among the Britons were, of old, places exactly analogous; such as Caerlisle, Caerdiff, Caerphilly, Caernarvon, and Caeruriah in Cornwall.