Appendix:Egyptian predicates

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This chart summarizes the constructions used with the various types of Egyptian predicates to form questions, negations, and clauses. Mostly it lists (after each ‘with’) the possible particles that can be used to form each construction; these particles are generally proclitic, preceding the clause in question. Where multiple particles are listed under separate bullet points, only one needs be used. The empty set symbol ∅ is used to indicate the absence of any proclitic particle. The chart mostly follows Allen 2010; there are significant differences of opinion among Egyptologists regarding some of these constructions.

For relative clauses, constructions with a particle (‘marked clauses’) generally indicate a definite antecedent, whereas those without (‘unmarked clauses’) indicate an indefinite one. For adverbial clauses, marked clauses can precede main clauses, whereas unmarked clauses usually cannot — except when the predicate is an emphatic form or when the clause is the protasis of a conditional sentence. For noun clauses, marked clauses have realis mood, whereas unmarked clauses are unmarked for mood but often irrealis.

type of predicate in main clauses in subordinate clauses negated in yes-no questions[1]
in adverbial clauses in relative clauses in noun clauses
nonverbal nominal with ∅ with:

(or use preposition + noun clause)

with ∅ with: generally with:

in later Egyptian sometimes with:

with:
adjectival usually with:

occasionally with:

with:

(or use preposition + noun clause)

usually with:

rarely with:

with: generally with:

(rare; usually convert to nominal)

in sentences of possession with nj, with:

with:
adverbial usually with:

uncommonly with:

with:

(or use preposition + noun clause)

with: with: with nn with jn jw
pseudoverbal (syntactically adverbial) periphrastic imperfective with ḥr with: with: with: with: with nn

(rare; usually use nj + perfect)

with jn jw
periphrastic imperfective with m with:
  • jw
  • m + suffix pronoun
  • etc.[3]
with: with: with: with nn

(rare)

with jn jw
periphrastic prospective with r with:
  • jw
  • m + suffix pronoun
  • etc.[3]
with: earlier with:

in the New Kingdom with:

with:

(rare; usually use nn + subjunctive)

with jn jw
subject-stative construction with:
  • jw
  • m + suffix pronoun
  • etc.[3]

with non-perfect meaning, also with:

with:

(sometimes with resultative meaning)

with: with: with nn

(rare; usually use nj + perfective)

with jn jw
verbal infinitive with ∅ with ∅ (use tm + negatival complement)
imperative with ∅ (use m + negatival complement

OR m + jr(w) + verbal noun)

stative with ∅ with ∅

(sometimes with resultative meaning)

with ∅

(direct clauses only; can be used with definite antecedents)

perfect with: with: with:
  • ntj (indirect clauses only; unusual; usually use verbal adjective)
with:

(apparent uses with ∅ are probably nominal form)

with nj

(with gnomic/imperfective meaning; for perfect meaning, use nj + perfective)

with jn jw
synthetic perfect passive with: with: with ∅

(indirect clauses only)

with:

(apparent uses with ∅ are probably other forms)

with nj

(with gnomic/imperfective meaning)

with jn jw
terminative with:

(always negated, with ‘before’ meaning)

with:

(always negated, with ‘not yet’ meaning)

with:
  • jwt (only for wnt)
  • ∅ (only as the object of r, with ‘until’ meaning, or ḏr, with ‘since’ meaning)
with nj
perfective with: (usually use stative or perfect) with:
  • ntj (rare; usually use verbal adjective)
  • ∅ (rare; usually use stative or perfect)
with:

(rare; usually use nominal form)

with nj

(sometimes with perfect meaning)

with jn
imperfective with:
  • jw (usual)
  • m + suffix pronoun
  • etc.[3]
with:

(with concomitant meaning)

with ∅

(can be used with vocatives or proper nouns as antecedents)

(usually use nominal form) possibly with nj (rare and debated)

(usually use nj + perfect, but tm + negatival complement in subordinate clauses)

with:
subject-imperfective construction with: with concomitant meaning, with:

with necessitative meaning, with:

with subsequentive meaning, with:

with ntj

(rare; usually use verbal adjective)

with: (usually use nj + perfect) with jn jw
prospective (incl. its passives) with: with:

in a protasis, with:

with consequential meaning, with:

with ∅ with nj with jn
subjunctive with: expressing contingent action (purpose, result, jussive, etc.), with:

in a protasis, also with:

with optative meaning, also with:

with inevitable meaning, with:

with consequential meaning, with:

with:
  • ntt (rare)
  • wnt (rare)
  • ∅ (usual, including as object of rḏj)
with nn (main clauses with future meaning only)

(use jm + negatival complement with optative/jussive meaning,
and tm + negatival complement in subordinate clauses)

with jn
consecutive with ∅
obligative with ∅ (rarely use tm.ḫr + negatival complement)
potentialis with ∅ (use nn + subjunctive

OR nj + prospective

OR tm.kꜣ + negatival complement)

participle with ∅

(generally in direct clauses; can be used with definite antecedents)

(use inflected tm + negatival complement

OR, less often, inflected tm + infinitive)

relative form with ∅

(generally in indirect clauses; can be used with definite antecedents)

(use inflected tm + negatival complement

OR, less often, inflected tm + infinitive)

nominal form with ∅ (use tm + negatival complement)
emphatic form with:
  • m + suffix pronoun
with:
  • js

in a protasis, with:

with:
  • ntt
  • wnt
  • js (most often)
  • nttjs (occasionally)
  • wntjs (occasionally)
  • ∅ (uncommon)
for a negated rheme, with:

(for a negated verb, use tm + negatival complement)

with jn jw
  1. ^ All possible particles can optionally be followed by … tr. Questions of all forms can also be unmarked (with ∅).
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 Followed by jw with an attached suffix pronoun if the subject is pronominal. Never followed by jw if the subject is nominal.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 Other proclitic particles such as nḥmn, ḥꜣ, jsw, or smwn.

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.
  • Uljas, Sami (2007) The Modal System of Earlier Egyptian Complement Clauses: A Study in Pragmatics in a Dead Language