Egyptian Hieroglyphs – Lesson 7 – Egyptian Hieroglyphs

Egyptian Hieroglyphs – Lesson 7

Nominal Sentences and Noun Clauses

The Basics

Nominal sentences consist of a subject + a nominal predicate. The subject can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase, but no word can intervene between the subject and predicate. This construction is nonverbal, so we must supply the English verb “is” to create a meaningful English translation. An example of this in English could be “My son is Horus.” The subject and nominal predicate of this sentence consists of my son and Horus, respectively. In Egyptian, we would find this sentence as “My son, Horus,” without the verb “is.”

Nominal sentences appear with some regularity in Egyptian hieroglyphs, and in a number of different shapes and sizes. In this lesson, we will look at three types of nominal sentences: the AB nominal sentence, the A pw nominal sentence, and the A pw B nominal sentence. Some Egyptologists refer to the latter two types as bi-partite and tri-partite nominal sentences.

AB Nominal Sentences

There are two elements to an AB nominal sentence, A and B. Similar parts of speech are found in these spots–nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases. More often than not.A noun or noun phrase steals the B spot, while the A spot is usually reserved for an independent pronoun or noun (phrase). It must be noted that no word can appear in between these elements, A and B. They appear side-by-side, bound together. Let’s look at a few examples:

𓏌𓎡𓇓𓏞𓀀
ink sš nsw	“I am a royal scribe” “I am the king’s scribe”

In this first example, we find an independent pronoun, ink, in element A, while a noun phrase, sš nsw, is situated in spot B. We can identify the use of honorific transposition in this example as well. The nsw precedes sš in the hieroglyphic depiction, so one would expect a transliteration that reflects this organization, nsw sš. This is not the case, instead the sentence is transliterated as sš nsw “scribe of the king” or “royal scribe.” We often find nsw used in honorific transposition out of respect for the king. It seems unlikely, under these circumstances, that the translation “scribe’s king” would be preferable to “king’s scribe.”

𓆓𓂧𓇋𓀀𓂋𓈖𓆑
ḏdi rn.f	“Djedi is his name”

𓂋𓈖 𓈖𓅐𓏏𓁐𓆑𓁦
rn n mwt m3ʿt	“the name of his mother is Maat”

Both of these examples show how names could be introduced in Egyptian hieroglyphs. However, the construction of these sentences emphasize the individual’s name differently.

The first example emphasizes the name, ḏdi, by “fronting” it–placing it at the front of the sentences, rather than the last–while the second emphasizes the noun phrase, rn n m mwt, over the name m3ʿt.

A pw Nominal Sentences

A pw nominal sentences, when spotted, are fairly straightforward to translate. Of course, actually spotting them remains the difficult part. They are composed of only two elements, A and pw 𓊪𓅱, and roughly translate as “it is A.” A could be a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun. The “it” in the translation may be replaced with other pronouns, depending on context A. For example, if element A was the noun “son,” then “he” would be used, or if the noun “daughter,” sat in position A, “she” would be used. And so on.

𓏌𓎡𓀀𓊪𓅱
ink pw	“It is I”

𓏞𓀀𓊪𓅱
sš pw	“He is a scribe”

These examples are fairly straightforward. An independent pronoun, ink, stands in position A in the first example, while the noun, sš, stands in that position in the next. So, the translation follows the formation of “it is” or “he is” plus the noun or pronoun in position A. Although straightforward, things can get messy when noun phrases come into play, especially when the indirect genitive is used.

𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀𓊪𓏲𓈖𓇏𓏏𓈇𓎛𓌳𓄿𓏏𓍖𓈒𓏥𓊖
sḫty pw n sḫt ḥm3t	“He is a peasant of the Wadi Natrun.”

This popular example comes to us from the ancient Egyptian story, The Eloquent Peasant. Let’s break the example down in an attempt to make it appear less complicated. If we remove the pw, we are left with the noun phrase, sḫty n sḫt ḥm3t, that uses indirect genitive n. This translates as “a peasant of the Wadi Natrun.” Now, we bring pw back into the equation, which would add to “he is” to our translation. Combine these elements and we are left with the final result of “He is a peasant of the Wadi Natrun.” You might have noticed that in this example, pw is not at the end of the sentence. This occurs in two different combinations of the A pw sentence: (1) a noun phrase with an indirect genitive (2) a noun + adjective. Under these circumstances, the pw moves as close to the front of the sentence as possible–either preceding the indirect genitive or the adjective.

𓁷𓏤𓊪𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋
ḥr pw nfr	“It is a beautiful face.”

A pw B Nominal Sentences

Of the three types of nominal sentences, A pw B sentences are the most difficult to understand. They are primarily used when both A and B are nouns or noun phrases. These sentences create an identity relationship of sorts between two things–either A is B or B is A, depending on preference. Here are a few examples.


pr-ʿ3 pw 3ḫ-n-itn	Ahkenaten is the pharaoh.

𓇋𓏏𓈖 𓇳𓊪𓅱𓇋𓏏𓆑𓀀𓆑
itn pw it.f	His father is the Aten

The translation, “B is A,” was used in the previous example; however, they could have easily been translated as “A is B.” Preference is the main factor involved in this decision. What does the sentence emphasize? Is Akhenaten the emphasis? Then translate “B is A.” Is pharaoh the emphasis? Then translate as “A is B.”It reinforces how Egyptian hieroglyphs can be both flexible and rigid.

Just like A pw nominal sentences, the pw stands as close to the front of the sentence as possible, but always before A. If an indirect genitive stands in position A, then pw is placed before the genitival adjective . If, on the other hand, a direct genitive stands in position A, the pw must follow the direct genitive. Refer to the examples below.


ḥmt nb-m3ʿt-rʿ pw tiy	“the wife of Nebmaatre is Tiye”


mwt pw nt 3ḫ-n-itn tiy	“the mother of Akhenaten is Tiye”

In the first example, pw stands after the noun phrase of A, ḥmt nb-m3ʿt-rʿ. This is because A is a direct genitive, and cannot be separated. However, in the second example, pw intervenes between the first noun of the noun phrase that uses the indirect genitive construction, mwt nt 3ḫ-n-itn.

Noun Clauses

A clause that functions nominally is considered a noun clause. Let’s look at a sentence in English for clarification: “Akhenaten thought that the Aten was the sole god.” The noun clause (bolded) is introduced by “that.” Noun clauses are either marked or unmarked. We will begin with marked clauses, with examples the use two of the more common markers, is 𓇋𓋴 and the relative adjective ntt 𓈖𓏏𓏏.

𓂋𓐍𓏜𓆑𓋴𓐍𓂋𓏜𓇋𓋴𓊪𓅱𓄤𓆑𓂋
rḫ.f sḫr is pw nfr	“He knows that the plan is good.”

𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏏𓂋𓂝𓇳𓁐𓊪𓅱
ḥr ntt rʿ pw	“…because he is Re.”

There are three components to the first example: a verb (rḫ.f ), an A pw B nominal sentence (sḫr pw nfr), and the marker (is). The particle is stands before the pw in the nominal sentence, allowing the clause to function nominally as the object of the verb.

We find the feminine relative adjective, along with the preposition ḥr, in the second example. This marker, when used in noun clauses, will stand at the front of the noun clause. ntt can be used alone (trans. as “that”), or in conjunction with prepositions. The most common combinations are listed below.

𓈖 𓈖𓏏𓏏	𓁷𓏤𓈖𓏏𓏏	𓇥𓂋𓈖𓏏𓏏
n ntt	ḥr ntt	ḏr ntt

In this final example, we will see an unmarked noun clause.

𓅠𓅓𓈖𓀀𓎛𓆑𓄿𓅱𓆙𓊪𓅱
gm.n.i ḥf3w pw	“I found it was a snake.”

In this example, ḥf3w pw, an A pw construction, and main clause, function as as the object of the verb gm.n.i, a verb form that we will find in a later lesson.

Memorization

Vocabulary

𓄿𓎛𓏏𓈇	3ḥt	Field
𓍯𓄿𓅱𓈗	w3w	Wave
𓇬𓀁𓅱𓏒𓏥	wnmw	Food
𓉔𓃀𓍁𓈖𓏭𓆱	hbny	Ebony
𓋾𓈎𓀀	ḥq3	Ruler
𓊃𓂝𓎛𓀾	sʿḥ	Mummy
𓋴𓃀𓇼𓄿𓇋𓇋𓏏𓏛	sb3yt	Teachings
𓊃𓊪𓊖	sp	Time, deed, matter, misdeed
𓐮𓏏𓅂𓌙𓀀𓏥	styw	Nubians
𓈙𓈇𓏤	š	Pool, lake
𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾	šwbty	Ushabti
𓈎𓈖𓃀𓏏𓊋𓀀𓏥	qnbt	Court

Biliterals

𓐝 𓏶	𓏎 𓏌 𓆛	𓇩
im	in	is

𓄏	𓌤	𓍁
ʿb	ʿḥ	hb or triliteral šnʿ

𓄑	𓍢 𓍲	𓍱
ḥw or bḥ	šn	sš or triliteral sšr

Triliterals

𓐎	𓇸 𓇷	𓈄
wḥ3	wḏʿ or psḏ	wḏb

𓎺	𓎸	𓏴
ḥnw	ẖnm	sw3

𓊶	𓌁	𓌥
k3p	ḏʿm	ḏb3

Exercises

Exercise 1.

Transliterate and translate the following phrases.

𓄿𓎛𓏏𓈇𓏏𓆑𓈖𓏏𓇏𓏏𓏭𓀀

Transliteration and Translation

3ḥt tf nt sḫty

“That is a field of a peasant.”

𓈎𓈖𓇋𓏲𓂘𓆱𓉔𓃀𓍁𓈖𓏭𓆱𓊪𓏲

Transliteration and Translation

qniw hbny pw

“It is a palanquin of ebony.”

𓐍𓏏𓆑𓀏𓊪𓅱𓈖𓋾𓈎𓀀𓐮𓏏𓅂𓌙𓀀𓏥

Transliteration and Translation

ḫfty pw n ḥq3 styw

“He is an enemy of the ruler of the Nubians.”

𓊃𓀀𓏤𓊪𓏲𓊃𓂝𓎛𓀾

Transliteration and Translation

s pw sʿḥ

“The man is a mummy.”

𓇥𓂋𓈖𓏏𓏏𓅪𓂋𓋴𓉻𓂝𓄿𓏜𓋴

Transliteration and Translation

ḏr ntt wr s(y) ʿ3 s(y)

“Since it is great and it is big.”

𓇾𓈇𓏤𓊪𓏲𓄤𓆑𓂋𓇋𓄿𓄿𓆰𓈉𓂋𓈖 𓆑

Transliteration and Translation

t3 pw nfr i33 rn.f

“it was a good land, Iaa was its name.

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