-w

See also: Appendix:Variations of "w"

Egyptian

Etymology 1

Possibly derived from a lengthened form of Proto-Afroasiatic *-u (nominative case marker).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /aw/, /w/ → /aw/, /w/ → /(ə)/, /ʔ/, /w/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /aw/, /w/, sometimes with ablaut; specific nouns used either one form of the suffix, the other, or both in free variation
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /aw/, /w/, as in Old Egyptian
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /(ə)/, /ʔ/, respectively, but IPA^(key): /w/ in consonant stem nouns (often metathesized to precede the preceding consonant), all sometimes with ablaut or further changes; regularity is lost

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /uː/
  • Conventional anglicization: -u

Suffix

1. Used to form the masculine plural forms of nouns and adjectives

Usage notes

The plural is occasionally represented by writing the phonetic or determinative glyph three times, e.g. tꜣw:

Derived terms

• -wj
• -wt

 

Etymology 2

From Proto-Afroasiatic *-u (nominative case marker).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /w/ → /w/ → /(w)/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /w/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /w/
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) usually lost, but IPA^(key): /w/ after a stressed vowel

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /uː/
  • Conventional anglicization: -u

Suffix

1. Forms a-stem masculine nouns from roots.

   ḥfꜣ- → ḥfꜣw (“(male) snake”)

2. Forms u-stem masculine nouns from roots.

   hrw- → hrw(w) (“day”)

Usage notes

In good orthography, -w is written with a-stem nouns but left unwritten with u-stem nouns, hence hrww, rꜥw are written hrw, rꜥ.

Etymology 3

Suffix

1. Forms agent nouns from verbs.

Etymology 4

Suffix

1. Forms adverbs from certain adjectives; -ly
2. Forms prepositional adverbs from certain prepositions.

Etymology 5

Suffix

1. Forms the negatival complement of all verbs except geminate and anomalous verbs.

Usage notes

Often this ending is entirely omitted.

Etymology 6

Suffix

1. Forms the prospective of all verbs except second geminate, strong bi- and triliteral, and (usually) anomalous verbs.
2. Forms the prospective passive of all verbs except fourth weak, strong bi- and triliteral, and (usually) anomalous verbs.
3. Forms the perfect passive of all verbs except second geminate verbs.

Usage notes

Often this ending is entirely omitted.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -w  

-y

chiefly in weak verbs

Etymology 7

Suffix

1. Optionally marks the masculine singular imperfective passive participle, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
2. Optionally marks the masculine singular imperfective relative form of all verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -w  

-w	-y
	relative form only; rare

Etymology 8

Suffix

1. Optionally marks the masculine singular perfective passive participle of strong verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of -w  

-w	-y

References

• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 328–329, 354, etc..
• Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 58–59, 251