bꜣw

Egyptian

Etymology 1

bꜣ (“ba”) +‎ -w (plural ending).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /biˈʀuːwaw/ → /biˈʀuːwaw/ → /bəˈʔuːwə/ → /βeːw/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /biˈʀuːwaw/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /biˈʀuːwaw/
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA^(key): /bəˈʔuːwə/
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /βeːw/

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /bɑuː/
  • Conventional anglicization: bau

Noun

 m pl

1. plural of bꜣ (“ba”)
2. power of acting on and influencing the external world: might and glory, particularly of a god, the king, or the crown
   • c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) lines 139–140:

     sḏd.j bꜣw.k n jtj dj.j sšꜣ.f m ꜥꜣ.k

     I will recount your ba-power to the sovereign and make him aware of your greatness.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of bꜣw  

bꜣw	bꜣw

Descendants

• Lycopolitan Coptic: ⲃⲏⲩ (bēu)

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /bɑuː/
  • Conventional anglicization: bau

Noun

 m

1. galley (boat)

Inflection

Declension of bꜣw (masculine)

singular	bꜣw
dual	bꜣwwj
plural	bꜣww

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 1, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 413.12–414.7
• Faulkner, Raymond Oliver (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford: Griffith Institute, →ISBN, page 77
• Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, page 90