Egyptian

edit

Etymology 1

edit

From Proto-Afroasiatic *-ka or *-ku. Cognate with Arabic ـكَ (-ka), Iraqw -ku and Hausa kai.[1]

Pronunciation

edit
 

Pronoun

edit
k

 m sg 2. suffix pronoun

  1. you, your (see usage notes)
Usage notes
edit

This form of pronoun attaches directly to the preceding word, and means different things depending on what it is attached to.

  • When attached to a noun, it indicates the possessor of the noun.
  • When attached to a verb of the suffix conjugation, it indicates the subject of the verb.
  • When attached to an infinitive verb (especially of an intransitive verb) whose subject is not otherwise expressed, it indicates the subject of the verb.
  • When attached to a transitive infinitive verb whose subject is otherwise expressed or omitted, it indicates the object of the verb.
  • In the third person, when attached to a prospective participle, it indicates gender and number agreement.
  • When attached to a particle like jw or a parenthetic like ḫr, it indicates the subject of the clause.
  • When attached to a preposition, it indicates the object of the preposition.
  • When it follows a relative adjective such as ntj or ntt, it indicates the subject of the relative clause (except in the first person singular and third person common).
Inflection
edit
Old Egyptian personal pronouns
number first person second person third person
masculine feminine masculine feminine
suffix pronouns singular , .j
.k, .kj1
.ṯ, .ṯn
.f, .fj1
.s, .sj1
dual .nj
.ṯnj
.snj
plural .n
.ṯn
.sn
enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns singular w, wj, wy
kw, k, ṯw,
ṯm, ṯn
sw, s
s
dual
ṯnj
snj
plural n
ṯn
sn
stressed (‘independent’) pronouns singular jnk
ṯwt
ṯmt
swt
stt
dual

ntsnj
plural
ntṯn
ntsn, jntsn
stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings singular .kj, .k
.tj, .t
, .j
.tj, .t
dual .tjwn
.wy, .wj
.ty
plural .wn, .nw
, .w, .y, .wy
.tj, .t

1 Only when attached to a dual noun or prospective participle.

Middle Egyptian personal pronouns
number first person second person third person
masculine feminine masculine feminine
suffix pronouns singular , .j
.k, .kj1
.ṯ, .t
.f, .fj1
.s, .sj1
dual2 .nj
.ṯnj, .tnj
.snj
plural .n
.ṯn, .tn
.sn, .w3
enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns singular wj, w
ṯw, tw
ṯn, tn
sw, st
sj, s, st
plural n
ṯn, tn
sn, st
stressed (‘independent’) pronouns singular jnk
ntk, ṯwt2
ntṯ, ntt, ṯwt2
ntf, swt2
nts, swt2
plural jnn3
ntṯn, nttn
ntsn
stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings singular .kw
.tj, .t, .tw3
, .w
.tj, .t, .tw3
plural .wn, .wjn
.tjwn, .tjwnj
, .w, .y
proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns3 singular tw.j
tw.k
tw.t
sw
sj, st
plural tw.n
tw.tn
st

1 Only when attached to a dual noun or prospective participle.
2 Only in formal texts, especially religious texts.
3 Only in postclassical (Neo-Middle Egyptian) texts.

Late Egyptian personal pronouns
number first person second person third person
masculine feminine masculine feminine
suffix pronouns singular , .j
.k, .kw
.t
.f, .fj
.s, .st, .sw
plural .n
.tn, .twn
.w, .sn1
enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns1 singular wj
tw, tj
sw, st
plural n, wn
twn
sn, st
stressed (‘independent’) pronouns singular jnk
mntk, mtwk
mntt, mtwy
mntf
mntst, mntjst
plural jnn
mnttn
mntw
stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings1 singular .kw, .k
.tj, .tw
, .w, .y
.tj, .tw
plural .nw
.tn
, .w, .y
unmarked2 , .tw
proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns singular tw.j
tw.k
tw.t
sw
st, sw
plural tw.n
tw.tn
st, sw, swt

1 Only in formal texts, especially religious texts.
2 Later form.

Alternative forms
edit

Etymology 2

edit

Compare with the Akkadian 1st person singular stative ending 𒆪 ((_a)-ku /⁠-āku⁠/).

Pronoun

edit
k

 sg 1. stative ending

  1. (Old Egyptian, attached to a stative verb form) abbreviation of .kj (I, me)
  2. (Middle Egyptian, Late Egyptian, attached to a stative verb form) abbreviation of .kw (I, me)

References

edit
  • James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 50, 206.
  • Edel, Elmar (1955-1964) Altägyptische Grammatik, Rome: Pontificium Institutum Biblicum
  • Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, pages 52, 82
  1. 1.0 1.1 Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 31, 64