Egyptian Hieroglyph3

Egyptian Hieroglyphs: Lesson 3 Pronouns The Basics Pronouns act as substitutes for nouns. The noun that it replaces is known as the antecedent. Although it is necessary for a pronoun to have an antecedent, in certain Egyptian texts, the antecedent is not always clear (or even written in some cases). The absence of an antecedent allows for variation in the interpretation of a sequence of events in stories. In this lesson, the three different types of pronouns will be covered: suffix pronouns, dependent pronouns, and independent pronouns.

Suffix Pronouns Suffix pronouns are attached to nouns, verbs, prepositions, and sometimes, the particle iw, which we will see in later lessons. They cannot stand alone as individual words and their main uses are as possessives (my house, your dog) as subjects, when attached to verbs (He walked to school). The chart below lists the Middle Egyptian suffix pronouns, followed by a few examples.

mwt.s “Her mother.” m33.n “We see.” im.f “Therewith him.”

Suffix pronouns are the most common form of pronouns in Middle Egyptian texts, so familiarity with them is essential. It is important to note that the suffix

pronoun does not have to share the same gender or number as the word to which it is attached. Instead, it should match its antecedent, as it serves as its replacement.

Dependent Pronouns While suffix pronouns are attached to words, dependent pronouns are treated as separate entities, usually as the direct object of a verb. Below is a chart of the dependent pronouns.

In some cases, the dependent pronoun is used for the third person plural. Here are a few examples of the dependent pronoun in action. iw gm.n.i sy “I found her.” iw gm.n sy sš “The scribe found her.”

In these examples the dependent pronoun serves as the direct object of a subject. In the first example, the dependent pronoun sy is the direct object of the suffix pronoun i. The second example is similar to the first, but the subject is a noun, rather than a pronoun.

Independent Pronouns Independent pronouns are nearly always placed at the front of a sentence and never function as the subject of a verb. Below is a chart of the independent pronouns and an example of their use.

ink it.f “I am his father.”

Demonstrative Pronouns Demonstratives are found less frequently than the other pronouns we have seen. Depending on the type of demonstrative pronoun, it can either follow or precede the noun it modifies. This might be difficult to keep track of at first, but

there is a simple rule you can follow that will save you time. If the demonstrative ends in 3 or is composed of more than two hieroglyphs, then the construction is demonstrative + noun. The rest of the demonstratives follow the noun + demonstrative construction. The most commonly used demonstratives are pn, tn, p3, and t3, so it would be best to memorize those first. Demonstrative Pronouns Translated as “This”

Lets look at an example: pr pn “This house.” Because the demonstrative does not end with 3 and is composed of two hieroglyphs, it follows the noun + demonstrative construction.

Lesson 3 Vocabulary and Exercises Vocabulary List 3bḏw “Abydos” 3ḫt “Horizon” i3btt “East” iwnw “Heliopolis” imnt “West” inpw “Anubis” it “Father” w3st “Thebes” mwt “Mother” rmṯ “People, mankind” k3 “Ka, spirit, soul” st “Place,throne”

Biliterals 3w 3ḫ pḥ ḥ mw mḥ ḥ ms ns k3 ṯ3

Triliterals ʿḥʿḥ ʿš3 wbn ḫnt sm3 spr šms dw3/sb3 dmḏ

Exercises: transliterate and translate 1. ink nb imnt “I am the lord of the west.” 2. t3 mwt nt s3t.k “The mother of your daughter.” 3. k3.ṯ pn “This Ka of yours (feminine).” 4. dpt tf “That boat.”