tkꜣw

Egyptian

Etymology

tkꜣ (“to illumine, to burn”) +‎ -w.

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈtikʀiw/ → /ˈtikʀiw/ → /ˈtiːkə/ → /tiːk/

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

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /tɛkɑuː/
  • Conventional anglicization: tekau

Noun

 m

1. flame [since the Pyramid Texts]
2. candle, taper, torch
   • c. 1290–1279 BCE (reign of Seti I), Temple of Karnak, Great Hypostyle Hall, B 327: east wall, north wing, fourth register, seventh scene from the north (KIU 889), lines 1–3:

     
     

     ḫfꜣ.t(w) pr pn jn jmn nb-nswt-tꜣwy wp.f rnpt nfrt ḥnꜥ rꜥ swḫꜣ.f ḥnꜥ ḏḥwtj tkꜣ(w) m ḥḏt ḥbsw m rḫt

     May this house be illuminated by Amun, lord of the thrones of the Two Lands when he [op]ens a good year together with Re, when he passes the night together with Thoth and a taper consisting of white (fat) and cleaned cloth. (translation by Brand et al.)

   • c. 51–30 BCE (reign of Cleopatra VII), Temple of Hathor at Dendera, roof kiosk (chamber W'), east gate, inner side, right (south) door post, D 8, 17.7:

     tkꜣw ꜥt n(j) mꜣw(t) ḥbs nw(j) b(ꜣ)ẖtt ḫf(ꜣ) pr pn

     Taper of fresh fat and brilliant cloth, illuminate this house!

   ― rwḏ tkꜣw jrr.f ― The torch he has lit is burning well.

Inflection

Declension of tkꜣw (masculine)

singular	tkꜣw
dual	tkꜣwwj
plural	tkꜣww

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of tkꜣw  

tkꜣ

Descendants

• Bohairic Coptic: ⲑⲓⲕ (thik)
• Sahidic Coptic: ⲧⲓⲕ (tik)

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1931) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 5, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 331.5–332.13
• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 251.