kfꜣ

Egyptian

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /kɛfɑ/
  • Conventional anglicization: kefa

Etymology 1

Verb

 3-lit.

1. (intransitive) to be(come) discreet

Usage notes

Almost exclusively used in kfꜣ-jb (“to be(come) trustworthy; confidant”).

Inflection

Conjugation of kfꜣ (triliteral / 3-lit. / 3rad.) — base stem: kfꜣ, geminated stem: kfꜣꜣ

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural kfꜣ kfꜣw, kfꜣ kfꜣt kfꜣ kfꜣ ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 kfꜣ ḥr kfꜣ m kfꜣ r kfꜣ suffix conjugation aspect / mood active contingent aspect / mood active perfect kfꜣ.n consecutive kfꜣ.jn terminative kfꜣt perfective3 kfꜣ obligative1 kfꜣ.ḫr imperfective kfꜣ prospective3 kfꜣ potentialis1 kfꜣ.kꜣ subjunctive kfꜣ verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active active passive perfect kfꜣ.n — — perfective kfꜣ kfꜣ kfꜣ, kfꜣw5, kfꜣy5 imperfective kfꜣ, kfꜣy, kfꜣw5 kfꜣ, kfꜣj6, kfꜣy6 kfꜣ, kfꜣw5 prospective kfꜣ, kfꜣtj7 kfꜣtj4, kfꜣt4 1 Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian. 2 Used mostly since Middle Egyptian. 3 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. 4 Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn. 5 Only in the masculine singular. 6 Only in the masculine. 7 Only in the feminine.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of kfꜣ  

kfꜣ	kfꜣ

Derived terms

• kfꜣ-jb
• kfꜣ-jb ḥr

Etymology 2

Cognate with Arabic خلف (ḵalfa, “behind”).

Noun

 m

1. hindquarters, butt
2. bottom (of jar)

Inflection

Declension of kfꜣ (masculine)

singular	kfꜣ
dual	kfꜣwj
plural	kfꜣw

Etymology 3

Verb

 3ae inf.

1. 18th Dynasty and later form of of kfj (“to expose, to reveal”)

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1931) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 5, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 120.10–120.11, 121
• Faulkner, Raymond Oliver (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford: Griffith Institute, →ISBN, page 285