According to the Egyptologist Wallis Budge, the Arabic word ʾ actually means "the Egyptian [science]", borrowing from the Coptic word for "Egypt",  (or its equivalent in the Mediaeval Bohairic dialect of Coptic, ).
ɐkˈoːɹdɪŋ tə ðɪ ˌiːdʒɪptˈɑːlədʒˌɪst wˈɔliz bˈʌdʒ, ðɪ ˈæɹɐbˌɪk wˈɜːd lˌɛɾɚtˈuːbˈiːˈiː ˈæktʃuːəli mˈiːnz "ðɪ ɪdʒˈɪpʃən sˈaɪəns", bˈɑːɹoʊɪŋ fɹʌmðə kˈɑːptɪk wˈɜːd fɔːɹ "ˈiːdʒɪpt",  ɔːɹ ɪts ɪkwˈɪvələnt ɪnðə mˌɛdɪˈiːvəl boʊhˈɛɹɪk dˈaɪəlɛkt ʌv kˈɑːptɪk,.