-wt

See also: wt, wt., and wͭ

Egyptian

Etymology 1

-w (“plural suffix”) + -t (“feminine ending”).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /wat/ → /jaʔ/, /waʔ/ → /ʔə/, /wa/ → /ʔ/, /wə/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /wat/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) /jaʔ/ after a stressed vowel; /waʔ/ otherwise
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) /ʔə/ after a stressed vowel; /wa/ otherwise
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) /ʔ/ after a stressed vowel; /wə/ otherwise

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /uːt/
  • Conventional anglicization: -ut

Suffix

1. Used to form feminine plural forms of nouns and adjectives

Usage notes

While generally written as simply -t , that this suffix represented -wt is supported by both the Coptic evidence and occasional hieroglyphic writings.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -wt  

t

Etymology 2

Compare Hebrew ־וּת (-út, “abstract/collective nouns-forming suffix”).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /wat/ → /jaʔ/, /waʔ/ → /ʔə/, /wa/ → /ʔ/, /wə/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /wat/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) /jaʔ/ after a stressed vowel; /waʔ/ otherwise
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) /ʔə/ after a stressed vowel; /wa/ otherwise
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) /ʔ/ after a stressed vowel; /wə/ otherwise

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /uːt/
  • Conventional anglicization: -ut

Suffix

1. Forms masculine collective nouns.

   sbꜣ (“star”) → sbꜣwt (“constellation”)

Etymology 3

Suffix

1. Forms the complementary infinitive of weak verbs.

Usage notes

Weak verbs can alternatively take the endings -t or -yt to form the complementary infinitive.

References

• Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 59–63
• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 38–39, 62, 175.