Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia ancient name for the land that lies between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (in modern Iraq), from Gk. mesopotamia (khora), lit. "a country between two rivers," from fem. of mesopotamos, from mesos "middle" (see MEDIAL (Cf. medial) (adj.)) + potamos "river" (see PETITION (Cf. petition)).
In 19c. the word sometimes was used in the sense of "anything which gives irrational or inexplicable comfort to the hearer," based on the story of the old woman who told her pastor that she "found great support in that comfortable word Mesopotamia" ["Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase & Fable," 1870]. The place was called Mespot (1917) by British soldiers serving there in World War I. Related: Mesopotamian.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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  • Mesopotamia — (griechisch Μεσοποταμία „zwischen Flüssen“) ist die geografische Bezeichnung für eine Landschaft im Vorderen Orient, das Mesopotamien im Altertum ein albanisches Dorf, siehe Mesopotam eine römische Provinz an der Grenze zum Partherreich, siehe… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Mesopotamia — (del griego: Μεσοποταμία, traducido del antiguo persa Miyanrudan, la tierra entre los ríos , o del arameo Beth Nahrin, dos ríos ) es el nombre por el cual se conoce a la zona del Próximo Oriente ubicada entre los ríos Tigris y Éufrates, si bien… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Mesopotamia — [mes΄ə pə tā′mē ə] [Gr mesopotamia(chōra), lit., (land) between rivers < mesos,MID1 + potamos, river, orig., rapids < IE base * pet , to fall, rush at > FEATHER] 1. ancient country in SW Asia, between the upper Tigris & Euphrates rivers …   English World dictionary

  • MESOPOTAMIA — regio Asiae latissima, Tigrim habens ab Oriente, Euphratem ab Occidente, a Meridie Babyloniam, a Septentrione Caucasum. Sic dicta, quod sit inter 2. fluv. tigrim et Euphratem: Hinc Arab. Al Gezira, i. e. insula. Ab Hebraeis dicitur Aram Naharaim …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • mesopotâmia — s. f. Região situada entre dois rios …   Dicionário da Língua Portuguesa

  • Mesopotamia — For other uses, see Mesopotamia (disambiguation). Ancient Mesopotamia Euphrates · …   Wikipedia

  • MESOPOTAMIA — The original article in the first edition of the Encyclopaedia Judaica traced Mesopotamian history to its earliest beginnings and provided a detailed survey of Mesopotamian literature and institutions. With the availability of such tools as J.… …   Encyclopedia of Judaism

  • Mesopotamia — Situación de las ciudades de la antigua Mesopotamia …   Wikipedia Español

  • Mesopotamia — Mesopotamian, adj., n. /mes euh peuh tay mee euh/, n. an ancient region in W Asia between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers: now part of Iraq. * * * Region between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East, constituting the greater part of …   Universalium

  • Mesopotamia — Original name in latin Mesopotama Name in other language Mesopotamia, Mesopotama, Tseteraki, Tseterki State code GR Continent/City Europe/Athens longitude 40.5 latitude 21.16667 altitude 690 Population 1812 Date 2012 05 06 …   Cities with a population over 1000 database

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