špsj

Egyptian

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈʃipsit/ → /ˈʃipsiʔ/ → /ˈʃepsa/ → /ˈʃepsə/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʃipsit/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʃipsiʔ/
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʃepsa/
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʃepsə/

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ʃɛpɛsi/
  • Conventional anglicization: shepesi

Verb

 4ae inf.

1. Synonym of špss (“to be(come) noble or splendid”)
   • c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) lines 47–48:

     gm.n.j dꜣbw jꜣrrt jm jꜣqt nbt špst

     I found figs and grapes there, and splendid vegetables of all kinds.

Inflection

Conjugation of špsj (fourth weak / 4ae inf. / IV. inf.) — base stem: šps

infinitival forms			imperative
infinitive	negatival complement	complementary infinitive1	singular	plural
špst, špsj	špsw, špsyw, šps	špst, špswt, špsyt	šps	šps, špsy

‘pseudoverbal’ forms
stative stem	periphrastic imperfective2		periphrastic prospective2
šps8	ḥr špst, ḥr špsj	m špst, ḥr špsj	r špst, ḥr špsj

suffix conjugation
aspect / mood	active	passive	contingent
			aspect / mood	active	passive
perfect	šps.n	špsw, šps, špsy	consecutive	šps.jn	active + .tj1, .tw2
		active + .tj1, .tw2
terminative	špst
perfective3	šps	active + .tj1, .tw2	obligative1	šps.ḫr	active + .tj1, .tw2
imperfective	šps, špsy	active + .tj1, .tw2
prospective3	špsw, šps, špsy	šps	potentialis1	šps.kꜣ	active + .tj1, .tw2
		active + .tj1, .tw2
subjunctive	šps, špsy	active + .tj1, .tw2

verbal adjectives
aspect / mood	relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms		participles
	active	passive	active	passive
perfect	šps.n	active + .tj1, .tw2	—	—
perfective	špsw1, špsy, šps	active + .tj1, .tw2	šps	špsy, šps
imperfective	šps, špsy, špsw5	active + .tj1, .tw2	šps, špsj6, špsy6	šps, špsw5
prospective	špsw1, špsy, šps, špstj7	—	špswtj1 4, špstj4, špst4
Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian. Used mostly since Middle Egyptian. Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective. Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn. Only in the masculine singular Only in the masculine. Only in the feminine. Third-person masculine statives of this class often have a final -y instead of the expected stative ending.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of špsj  

šps

Derived terms

• mdw šps
• mdw šps n spꜣt
• šps
• špsw
• špst

 

Related terms

• špss
• špssw

References

• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 470.
• Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, page 129