NAPHTUHIM năf’ tə hĭm. נַפְתֻּחִֽים, a pl. noun, the proper name of a people of Egyp. descent, mentioned as the sons of מִצְרַ֡יִם, “Egypt” (Gen 10:13; 1 Chron 1:11). The term is of Egyp. origin. Two possible etymologies have been proposed: (1) The gentilic formed from the name of the Egyp. city of Noph (Heb. נֹ֑ף, Isa 19:13 et al.); (2) A compound name derived from the Egyp. phrase p³-t³-mḥw, consisting of the definite article plus a generic name for foreign tribute-bearing countries plus word for the direction “north,” thus “the country of the north,” most likely the delta of the Nile. The Heb. would then indicate that the Egyp. was to be pronounced na-/pa-toḥ-îm, which could be tr. “those of the Delta.” Cf. W. Spiegelberg, “נַפְתֻּחִֽים (Gen X, 13)” Orientalistische Literatur-Zeitung, 9 (1906), 276-279.