Middle Egyptian
An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs

The only grammar that incorporates the most recent understanding of Middle Egyptian and a basic introduction to ancient Egyptian culture.

James P. Allen (Author)

9781107663282, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 July 2014

610 pages, 20 b/w illus. 1 map 25 exercises
24.5 x 17 x 3 cm, 1.03 kg

'This is an indispensable volume for students of Egyptology, archaeology, historical linguistics, or even laymen who are interested in learning Egyptian.' Kariema El Touny, The Linguist List

Middle Egyptian introduces the reader to the writing system of ancient Egypt and the language of hieroglyphic texts. It contains twenty-six lessons, exercises (with answers), a list of hieroglyphic signs, and a dictionary. It also includes a series of twenty-six essays on the most important aspects of ancient Egyptian history, society, religion, literature, and language. Grammar lessons and cultural essays allows users not only to read hieroglyphic texts but also to understand them, providing the foundation for understanding texts on monuments and reading great works of ancient Egyptian literature. This third edition is revised and reorganized, particularly in its approach to the verbal system, based on recent advances in understanding the language. Illustrations enhance the discussions, and an index of references has been added. These changes and additions provide a complete and up-to-date grammatical description of the classical language of ancient Egypt for specialists in linguistics and other fields.

Lesson 1. Language and writing
Essay 1. Ancient Egyptian history
Lesson 2. Unliteral signs
Essay 2. Ancient Egyptian geography
Lesson 3. Multiliteral signs
Essay 3. Ancient Egyptian society
Lesson 4. Nouns
Essay 4. The gods
Lesson 5. Pronouns
Essay 5. The gods on Earth
Lesson 6. Adjectives
Essay 6. The king's names
Lesson 7. Adjectival and nominal sentences
Essay 7. Human nature
Lesson 8. Prepositions and adverbs
Essay 8. Death and the afterlife
Lesson 9. Numbers
Essay 9. Egyptian chronology
Lesson 10. Adverbial sentences
Essay 10. Maat
Lesson 11. Non-verbal sentences
Essay 11. The world before creation
Lesson 12. Verbs
Essay 12. The creation of the world
Lesson 13. The infinitival forms
Essay 13. The creative word
Lesson 14. The pseudo-verbal construction
Essay 14. The Memphite theology
Lesson 15. The imperative and particles
Essay 15. The creator
Lesson 16. The stative
Essay 16. Heresy
Lesson 17. The sdm.n.f
Essay 17. Phonology and writing
Lesson 18. The sdm.f
Essay 18. Egyptian literature
Lesson 19. The other forms of the suffix conjugation
Essay 19. Middle Egyptian wisdom literature
Lesson 20. Adverb clauses
Essay 20. Middle Egyptian stories
Lesson 21. Noun clauses
Essay 21. Historical texts
Lesson 22. Relative clauses
Essay 22. Religious texts
Lesson 23. The active participle
Essay 23. Hymns and poetry
Lesson 24. The passive participle
Essay 24. Non-literary texts
Lesson 25. Emphatic sentences
Essay 25. Letters
Lesson 26. Middle Egyptian grammar
Essay 26. Grammatical theory
Where to go from here
Sign list
Dictionary
Text references
Indices
Answers to the exercises.

Subject Areas: Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Linguistics [CF]