The Ancient Egyptian Language
The Ancient Egyptian Language
This book, the first of its kind, examines how the phonology and grammar of the ancient Egyptian language changed over more than three thousand years of its history, from the first appearance of written documents, c.3250 BC, to the Coptic dialects of the second century AD and later. Part One discusses phonology, working backward from the vowels and consonants of Coptic to those that can be deduced for earlier stages of the language. Part Two is devoted to grammar, including both basic components such as nouns and the complex history of the verbal system. The book thus provides both a synchronic description of the five major historical stages of ancient Egyptian and a diachronic analysis of their development and relationship.
- The first comprehensive study of how the world's oldest and longest continually documented language has changed through four millennia
- Grammatical examples glossed as well as translated, meaning the book is accessible to readers unfamiliar with ancient Egyptian
- A new synthetic interpretation challenges many facets of received wisdom in the field
Reviews & endorsements
'A major contribution to our understanding of the development of Ancient Egyptian throughout its recorded history, richly exemplified and with a wealth of original insights. Essential reading.' Mark Collier, University of Liverpool
'… represents the cutting edge of Egyptological linguistics and is certain to be of interest to all researchers working in the field.' Sami Uljas, University of Basel
'This new history of Egyptian-Coptic - the first synthesis of its kind in nearly two decades - presents a rich material and many innovative analyses, benefiting from the author's profound expertise in the earlier textual corpora of Egyptian.' Dr Andréas Stauder, Swiss National Science Foundation and the University of Basel
'Essential reading for anyone studying the development of the ancient Egyptian language or who has a more general interest in linguistics and the history of language development.' Ancient Egypt
Product details
July 2013Hardback
9781107032460
266 pages
234 × 155 × 15 mm
0.57kg
Available
Table of Contents
- 1. Ancient Egyptian
- Part I. Phonology:
- 2. Coptic phonology
- 3. Coptic and Egyptian
- 4. Correspondents and cognates
- 5. Egyptian phonology
- Part II. Grammar:
- 6. Nouns, pronouns, and adjectives
- 7. Non-verbal predicates
- 8. Verbs
- 9. Verbs: Egyptian I
- 10. Verbs: Egyptian II
- 11. Verbs: Egyptian I-II
- 12. Subordination.
