A horse of another color: the name of Phillip

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Acts 8:29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. [kjv]

… φιλιππω … [gnt]

The modern Greek word "Φίλιππος" (FEE-leep-pos) ≈ "Philip" as a name is, literally, a "lover of horses". This name was popular in Bible times. There is more happening here that is interesting.

The modern Greek word "φίλος" (FEE-los) ≈ "friend, affection, love". The English word "philanthropy" is an "affection or love for man", "Philadelphia" is the "friendship of brothers" or "brotherly love".
The modern Greek word "άλογο" (A-lo-go) ≈ "horse" as used in 2 Peter and Jude to refer to "brute beasts" which were actually magnificent war horses.

Acts 8:29

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KJV: Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.

Greek: ειπεν δε το πνευμα τω φιλιππω προσελθε και κολληθητι τω αρματι τουτω

Latin: dixit autem Spiritus Philippo accede et adiunge te ad currum istum

Wycliffe: And the spirit seide to Filip, Neiye thou, and ioyne thee to this chare.

Tyndale: Then ye sprete sayde vnto Phillip: Goo neare and ioyne thy selfe to yonder charet.

Luther: Der Geist aber sprach zu Philippus: Gehe hinzu und halte dich zu diesem Wagen.

Slavonic: Рече же Дух к Филиппу: приступи и прилепися колеснице сей.

Russian: Дух сказал Филиппу: подойди и пристань к сей колеснице.

Spanish: Y el Espíritu dijo a Felipe: Acércate, y júntate a este carro.

Portuguese: O Espírito disse a Filipe: «Vai e acompanha aquele carro.»

The modern Greek word "ίππος" (EEP-pos) ≈ "horse" is also the ancient word for horse. A "hippopotamus" is a "river horse".
The modern Greek word "ποτάμι" (po-TA-mee) ≈ "river".

The ancient Greek word "Μεσοποταμία" ≈ "Mesopotamia" and means, literally, "between the rivers", of the Tigris and Euphrates.

"μέσος" ≈ "middle, between" as in the (first part of the) English word "Mesopotamia".
"ποταμός" ≈ "river" and is the source of (the last part of) the English word "hippopotamus".

This is the location of Nineveh (Jonah), Babylon (Daniel) and the Ur of the Chaldea (Abraham). This ward appears 19 times in the LXX (Septuagint) and GNT (Greek New Testament). Stephen, in his sermon in Acts, before being stoned, mentions Mesopotamia.
Note: The Potomac River between Maryland and Virginia is from an Algonquian Indian (Native American) name with various claimed meanings such as "river of swans", "place where people trade", etc.

2 Peter 2:12 But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; [kjv]

2:16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness of the prophet. [kjv]

The modern Greek word "άλογο" (A-lo-go) ≈ "horse", in ancient times, came from the phrase "άλογο ζώα" (A-lo-go ZO-a) ≈ "unspeaking/unthinking animal" and usually referred to a war horse (e.g., pulling a chariot, used in a mounted calvary attack, etc.). These were magnificent animals, trained to do whatever they were led to do by their rider/master - even to their own destruction.

The Greek for "ass" is that of a pack animal doing work. The translators used the OT (Old Testament) word rather than the word Peter wrote and appeared to mean to keep the military animal analogy consistent and meaningful.

More: Brute beasts and magnificent war horses

The city was renamed in 356 BC to Philippi, in honor of himself, by Philip II of Macedon (382 - 336 BC). Philip was the father of Alexander the Great. In Greek, the name "Philip" means "lover of horses".