How Do You Spell SOTHIC YEAR?

Pronunciation: [sˈɒθɪk jˈi͡ə] (IPA)

The term "Sothic year" is often spelled "Sotic year" due to confusion over the pronunciation of the first syllable. However, the correct pronunciation is /ˈsɔːθɪk jɪər/. The first syllable is pronounced like the word "so," not "sot." The Sothic year is an ancient Egyptian calendar year based on the rising of the star Sirius, known as Sothis in Greek. It has a length of approximately 365.25 days, and was used for dating purposes in ancient Egypt.

SOTHIC YEAR Meaning and Definition

1. A Sothic year refers to the ancient Egyptian calendar system, specifically denoting the length of time it takes for the star Sirius to complete one full cycle and return to the same point in the sky. It is named after Sothis, the Greek name for Sirius, which was highly significant in Egyptian culture.

   The Sothic year is approximately 365.25 days in duration, resembling an entire solar year. This alignment occurs due to the phenomenon called "heliacal rising," where the star Sirius becomes visible just before sunrise during a particular time of the year. The Sothic year is closely associated with the Egyptian New Year, as it marked the beginning of the inundation season, important for agricultural purposes.

   Understanding the length of the Sothic year was crucial for Egyptian astronomers and calendar makers. However, it is important to note that the Sothic year is slightly longer than the mean tropical year, resulting in a gradual shift in the calendar year over centuries. For this reason, Sothic cycles were used to periodically synchronize the Egyptian calendar with the solar year.

   Due to the precision and significance attached to the Sothic year, it reveals valuable insights into ancient Egyptian astronomy, mathematics, and cultural practices. The study of Sothic years sheds light on the methods and knowledge of the ancient Egyptians, allowing us to understand their temporal perception and the complexities of their calendar system.

2. The anc. Egyptian year of 365 days, 6 hours.

   Etymological and pronouncing dictionary of the English language. By Stormonth, James, Phelp, P. H. Published 1874.

Common Misspellings for SOTHIC YEAR

• aothic year
• zothic year
• xothic year
• dothic year
• eothic year
• wothic year
• sithic year
• skthic year
• slthic year
• spthic year
• s0thic year
• s9thic year
• sorhic year
• sofhic year
• soghic year
• soyhic year
• so6hic year
• so5hic year
• sotgic year
• sotbic year

Etymology of SOTHIC YEAR

The term "Sothic year" is derived from the ancient Egyptian term "Sḏd(w)-t", pronounced as Sothis.

Sothis refers to the star Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. In ancient Egypt, the heliacal rising of Sirius, which means it becomes visible just before sunrise after a period of being obscured by the sun's glare, coincided with the annual flooding of the Nile River. This event marked the beginning of the Egyptian calendar year and was of great significance to the people of ancient Egypt.

The Sothic year, therefore, is the length of time between two consecutive heliacal risings of Sirius, which is approximately 365.25 days. This is slightly longer than a tropical year, which is the time it takes for the Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun.

Plural form of SOTHIC YEAR is SOTHIC YEARS