Old Kingdom

proper noun

Egypt from the start of the 3rd Dynasty to its disintegration into regional states at the end of the 6th Dynasty.

OriginGerman Altes Reich →
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Meanings

proper nounthe Old Kingdom
  1. historicalEgypt from the start of the 3rd Dynasty to its disintegration into regional states at the end of the 6th Dynasty.

Origin

  1. GermanAltes Reich
  2. EnglishOld Kingdom

Calque of German Altes Reich, eventually displacing Old Empire, an older calque of the same term. Coined in the 1840s as part of a periodization of Ancient Egyptian history into Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish Det gamle Rige
  • Det gamle RigeEgypt from the 3rd Dynasty through the 6th
German Altes Reich
  • Altes ReichEgypt from the 3rd Dynasty through the 6th
Hungarian Óbirodalom
  • ÓbirodalomEgypt from the 3rd Dynasty through the 6th
Polish Stare Państwo
  • Stare PaństwoEgypt from the 3rd Dynasty through the 6th
Cite this entry
APA

Old Kingdom. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Kingdom

MLA

“Old Kingdom.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Kingdom. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Old Kingdom,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Old%20Kingdom.

Source: Old Kingdom on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.