life, prosperity, health

English

Etymology

Calque of Egyptian ꜥnḫ wḏꜣ snb,

Interjection

life, prosperity, health

1. (in translations of Ancient Egyptian documents) an honorific phrase used after the names of kings, queens, princes, etc., after the words of a king, ruler, or prince, after references to the royal household, and, more rarely, after the names of ordinary people.
   • 1898, William Matthew Flinders Petrie, Francis Llewellyn Griffith, Hieratic Papyri from Kahun and Gurob (principally of the Middle Kingdom), page 67:

     It is a communication to the Master,—Life, Prosperity, Health!—about causing to be sent to me 10 re-geese for (?) the servant there.

   • 2013, A. Kuhrt, The Persian Empire: A Corpus of Sources from the Achaemenid Period, page 125:

     The matters that occurred following what was written in the book of decrees from Year 44 of the Pharaoh — life, prosperity, health — Amasis — life, prosperity, health —, until Cambyses was in command of Egypt; he died ...(?) before regaining his country.

   • 2014, Alan B. Lloyd, Ancient Egypt: State and Society, page 85:

     Then did His Majesty say to him, ‘I have traversed all the rooms of the palace (life, prosperity, health) in search of recreation, but I have found none.’

   • 2016, James B. Pritchard, Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament with Supplement, page 231:

     However, it happened that, as for King Seqnen-Re—life, prosperity, health!—he was Ruler—life, prosperity, health!—of the Southern City. Distress was in the town of the Asiatics, for Prince Apophis—life, prosperity, health—was in Avaris, and the entire land was subject to him with their dues, the north as well, with all the good prduce of the Delta.