a negative word in old egyptian
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8/10/2019 A Negative Word in Old Egyptian
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Egypt Exploration Society
A Negative Word in Old EgyptianAuthor(s): Battiscombe GunnSource: The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, Vol. 34 (Dec., 1948), pp. 27-30Published by: Egypt Exploration SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3855349.
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8/10/2019 A Negative Word in Old Egyptian
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(27)
A NEGATIVE WORD IN
OLD EGYPTIAN
By BATTISCOMBE GUNN
THE
word
L
,
which is
found before
sdm.f,sdminvf
nd
s'dmtf,
and
also
in
predi-
cative
use,
seems to be
peculiar
o Old
Egyptian.
I
know one
example
n
the
Coffin
Texts,
and
two others on
a
Middle
Kingdom
stela
in a
text which
is
probably
quite
old
(these
are
dealtwith
below),
otherwise
my
latest
example
s of the Sixth
Dynasty.
Philologists
have
in
general
taken the
view that it
is nominal
n
character,
o
be
translated
nto other
anguages
with
a
relative
xpression;
hus: Sethein
ZAS
L
(I912),
113,
'-
jj
J
(statt
iw-j)
"welcher
nicht"',
having
as
feminine
qj^
etc.,
'iw-t
"weldhe
nicht",
"was
nicht",
"daB
nicht"';
Wb.
I,
45,
7
(1926) 'iwjj
-
"welcher
nicht
....
ist", "welchernicht"; Gardinern Eg. Gramm.
1927), ?
202,
',x
iZWty
"which
not
.
......
,
derived
rom
the
feminineof
a
more
ancient
adjective
of
like
meaning l('l
i
(for
iwi),
fem.
q]a';
Erman n
Ag.
Gramm.,
th
edn.
(1928),
?
525,
'ein
relativisches
djektiv:
"welcher
nicht",
. .
im Masc.
fq
,
m
Fem.
-
,
and
?
552,
'das
negative
Seitensttick
u
ntj'
(similarly
n
3rd
edn.,
191i,
?
529).
I
gave,
however,
in
a
review in
1933 (JEA
xix,
io6), my opinion
that this
word
was
indistinguishable
in
meaning
and
function from
--;
I
thought
that in all
examples
where the
context was
intelligible
to me it
could be
replaced by
,-in
three
cases
(exx. 7,
I2,
I7
below)
it
actually
varies with
that
word.
My
view
that
q q
is
not
adjectivaln characterwasadoptedby G. Lefebvren his Gramm. el'e'g. lass.,p. 376,
n.
i,
where t is
describedas 'un
adverbe
e
negation'.
I
do not
now
consider
that -q-
Q
is a
mere
synonym,
or
variant
writing,
of
,
although
it
interchanges
with
it
occasionally.
Its
appearance
n
the
same
text with
a
numberof
times is
against
ts
being
a
mere
variantof
this;
and
it will no
doubt be
agreed
that as
a
general
principle
words
belonging
to
the
same
phase
of
Egyptian
should
not
be
regarded
s
synonyms
unless
all
efforts o find a
distinction
n
meaning
or
functionhave
failed-and
hardly
even then.
Now,
in
all
the
examplesgiven
below,
where
an
intelligible
context
remains,
(
may
be taken as
introducing
a
subordinate
sentence;
and I
suggest
that
instead
of
being
adjectival
relative)
n
meaning,
ike
,,,
or
merely
'not',
like
-,
it has
negative-circumstantial
orce.
At all events
passages
translated n
this
way
seem
to
give
a
good
sense in all
cases;
nowhere
is it
necessary
to take
()
as
beginning
a new
section.
I
have
rendered
throughout
a
sdm.f
following
-
as
past,
a
following
isdm
nf
as
present,
in
accordance
with
the
general
rule
covering
followed
by
these
forms.
The
following
are
examples
which
I
think
I
understand:
A.
With
sdm.f:
(i)
'The
King's
son
Nika'ewre, ... he
made
[testamentary
ispositions?]
rnh
hr
[I Lf[1
?
Cf. Sethe's n. and
op.
cit.
24,
15.
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8/10/2019 A Negative Word in Old Egyptian
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BATTISCOMBE GUNN
rdwy.fy,
-a-t
mnf
iht
while
he was alive
upon
his
feet,
not
having
suffered
at all.'
Urk.
I,
i6,
I7.
(2)
Ndm'nf
r
iht
nb,
q--
q
mn.f
tht
nb
r'f
'he
became
perfectly
well,
not
having
suffered
anything
with
regard
to it
(?)'.
Urk.
I,
183,
7.
(3)
'My Majesty
has commanded that no hntiw-sv elonging to these two pyramid-
cities . .
.
shall be
taken
away
by any Egyptians
or
any
"pacific
Nubians" to those with
whom
they
have been
(i.e.
their
former
masters)
~
qq
Z
without their
(the
masters)
having
(i.e.
unless
they have)
had
written title to
them.' Urk.
1,
21
,
I
I. For
^
'to
have
written title to' see
Urk.
I,
7I,
2;
278, 4;
300,
5;
301,
6;
302,
I;
306,
5.6.7;
Selim
Hassan,
Excavations
at
Saqqara,
930o-93I,
pl.
facing p.
I90;
Ann. Serv.
xxxvI,
36.
(4)
Hm
W.,
-
j)
rh
W.
'W.
is
ignorant,
W. not
knowing'. Pyr.
244,
c.
The T.-text
has
hm.i
qq
rhf.
Sethe,
Ub.
Komm.
Pyr.,
translates 'indem
ich nicht
kannte
den,
der nicht zu kennen
ist',
preferring
the
T.-version,
and
compares
q
f
rhf
with Mid.
Egn. iwty hsff 'unwiderstehlich', n accordancewith his view that
-
q
+ verb is equi-
valent to
a
relative
clause.
But
T.
probably
has
hmi,
Old Perfective
3.
masc.
sg.
(5,
6)
'"
My
son P.
has come
in
peace", says
she,
namely
Nut,
-
q q
hr ndhchr
sif,
q(]
hr
iht
dwt
hr
rf
"without
any whipI having
fallen
upon
his
back,
without
anything
evil
having
fallen
upon
his hand".'
Pyr.
I02I,
b,
c.
(7)
'Thou shalt
fare to the
Great
City,
-
q
ndr
(t>w
;krw the
Aker-gods
not
having
taken hold on thee.'
Two
of the
five texts have
1 4
),
the other
three
,
followed
by
ndr.n
(var.
ndrt)
tw
(var.
tn)
;krw.
De
Buck,
Coffin
Texts,
I,
280,
e-f.
B.
With
sdm.n.f:
(8) '[As to] any [man] who shall take a stone away from this my tomb, rkty.fyr-f,
-
wrb.n.f
..,
(or)
who shall enter
into
it,
not
purifying
himself....' Urk.
I,
250,
6.
(9)
While
Reawer
was
beside
His
Majesty,
the
sceptre
which was
in
His
Majesty's
hand was
pushed (?)
against
Re'wer's
foot. 'And His
Majesty
said,
mril n hm.i
wd.f
wrt,
sr-nf,
sk
sw
[spss]
hr
hmf
r
rmt
nb
"My Majesty
desires
(lit.,
desired
is
to
My Majesty)
that
he
prosper
greatly",
he
(the
King)
not
striking (him),
for he
was
more
[precious]
to
His
Majesty
than
any
one.'
Urk.
I,
232,
i
i.
A
somewhat
difficult
example.
C.
With
sdmt.f:
(io,
i
)
Ms.n(k)
N
q
hprt
.
.
.,
-
(r)h
N
snd;
ms'n-k
N
-q
hprt2
gdb,
-
rh
N rdt 'didst beget N, . . not having yet come into being; N knows not fear:
thou
didst
beget
N,
frustration
(?)
not
having
yet
come
into
being;
N knows not
slaughter'.
Lange-Schafer,
Grab-u.
Denksteined. mittl.
Reiches
CCG), 20328,
a,
I
I-I2;
an
old,
incorrectly
written
religious
text.
D.
In
predicative
use:
(12)
'Nuu
has
begotten
M
(var.
N has been
begotten by Nuu) upon
his
left
hand,
nhn
--
q
0
M
(so
M-text);
N
nhn,
M
-
-
(so N-text). Pyr.
I701,
b.
M seems to
say
'he
(M) being
a
child,
M
not
having
intelligence' (lit., intelligence
of
M
being
non-existent),
and
N 'N is a
child,
he has not
intelligence',
nhn
being
Old
2
The t is
queried
in
the
publication
but
is
surely
correct.
28
I
On
ndhr
see
Sethe,
op.
cit.,
ad loc.
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8/10/2019 A Negative Word in Old Egyptian
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A
NEGATIVE
WORD
IN OLD
EGYPTIAN
Perfective
in both
cases.
Note
the
variation
of
9 4
with -.
My
interpretation
is
based on the
very
close
parallel
w.f
m
hwn,
nn
16`S
'
,
'he
being
a
youth,
without
intelligence','
Turin Statue of
Haremhab,
1.
3,
quoted
Gardiner,
Adm.,
95.
The followingareexampleswhich, mostlythroughdamageto the context,areobscure
to
me.
A.
With
sdm-f:
(I3)
. . .
mhn.f
ss,
r
8 m
.
.
.
hbn
htmt,
-
sp [ir.ti
mrtt
n
b;k]
nb
dr
put
t
'. ..
he
filled
eight
alabaster
vessels
with . .
.
ebony,
sealed,
[the
like]
never
having
[been
done
for]
any
[subject]
since
the
beginning
of
the
world.'
Urk.
I,
43,
5.
The
restoration
s
of
course
not
certain.2
(14)
.
..
m
sht,
-
rdi(.i)
hpr
iht
nb(t)
msddt.f
dt
.
.
.
in
the
field,
without
my
ever
having
caused
anything
that
he
disliked
to
come
about.'
Urk.
I,
88,
4.
(I5)
.
.
.
msddtf
nb(t)
dt, -,-
rdi(.i)
hpr
rp.f
nb hr ntr '. . .
anything
that
he dis-
liked, ever,
without
my
having
caused
any
.
.
.
of
his to
come
about
with
the
god'.
Urk.
I,
174,
6.
Before msddt
restore,
perhaps,
with
Sethe,
~
rdi(.i)
hpr.
B.
With
dm.n.f:
(i6)
. ..
smw,
9
gm-n(.i)
rmtw
nb(w)
sm.sn
m
w;wt n
dr'
.
.,
without
my
finding
any
men
who
could
walk
on
the
roads
because
of the
storm....'
Urk.
I,
I82,
15.
(17)
Bwt.f
d;t
-
~
ir.n.f
-
q
'His
abomination
is
crossing
without
making
isnwt'.
Pyr.
I
I57,
cP.
Isnwt
is not
known
elsewhere.
The
N-text
has
-
for
-~
q
:
'he
does
not make
isnwt'.
C.
With
sdmtf:
(i8)
...
rwi,
q
wnt
hp[r]
. .
....
hands,
without
. .
having
come
about'.
Urk.
I,
42,
i6. For n
wnt
before
sdm.f
cf.
Gard.,
Eg.
Gramm.,
?
I88,
2.
Sethe's
restoration
after
hpr
is
the
merest
guess,
and
the
only
value
of
the
example
is
the
presence
of
wnt.
D. With ?
(I9)
. ..
r
wnnmr
phr
swt m
s;
hrw,
-
-
. . ..
. .
.
to
be
like
the
shadow
turning
afterthe
day,
without....'
Urk.
I,
85,
4.
Forphrswt see
JEA
xxIi,
176,
to
line 23,
I .
Now that the material is before the reader I will turn back to the views quoted at
the
beginning
of
this
article,
namely,
that
--
q
is
nominal-adjectival
n
character,
usually
to be
rendered
by
a
relative
expression.
It
is,
of
course,
possible
so
to
interpret
the
word in
some
examples,
otherwise
this
point
of
view
would
not
have
persisted.
Thus,
we
can
render
(i)
as
'he
made
[testa-
mentary
dispositions
?]
while
he
was
alive
upon
his
feet,
one
who
has
not
suffered
at
all';
(2)
'he
became
perfectly
well,
one
who
had
not
suffered
anything
with
regard
to
it
(?)';
(3)
'-. .
those
with
whom
they
have
been,
those
who
have
had
no
written
title
to
them';
(4)
'W. is
ignorant,
one
who
does
not
know is
W.';
so
also
(5,
6),
and
(8)
I
St and sirt are obviously the same
word,
probably sflt.
2
It is
Sethe's
except
for
bik,
where
he
leaves
a
blank.
29
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8/10/2019 A Negative Word in Old Egyptian
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BATTISCOMBE GUNN
'[as
to]
any
[man]
. .
.
who shall enter
it
(my
tomb),
one who does not
purify
himself';
from
these
examples
we
can obtain
a
sense
with
this
interpretation
of
Q q
,
although
some of the
results
are,
as
specimens
of
Egyptian syntax,
abnormal.
But
I am
quite
unable to
apply
this
interpretation
to
ex.
(7),
where
--
is
followed
by
the second
person,
or
(14-I6),
where it is followed
by
the first
person,
or
(i0, ii)
with
sdmtif,
or
(9),
where
'one
who does
not strike' would be
meaningless.
In favour of the
view that
;-
is
dependent-circumstantial
n
character s the fact
(as
I
think
it)
that
although examples may
be
pointed
to where
the
word
may
introduce
a
principal
sentence,
there are
none in
which
it musthave done so.'
Also,
for
what
the observation
may
be
worth,
-'-
is
nowhere
followed
by
an
enclitic
particle,
such as
is,
swt,
gr.2
I
have no
suggestion
to offer
as to the
reading
of
the word.
There is no reason to
take
it as
being
more
closely
connected
with
the
particle
Z-
'
iwt
than with
the
particle
n, and the readings iwjj, ijj given confidently by Wb. and Erman, Ag. Gramm.,
? 525
respectively
rest on no evidence.
But if it contains no
n
it
may
well be
cognate
with Hebrew
and Phoenician
'I
(as suggested
by
Erman,
loc.
cit.)
Akkadian
ai and
Ethiopic
'i.
I
As
often
does;
cf.
Urk.
I,
23,
7.
15;
35,
3
,3
;
133, 4; 170, I3; 234,
4;
28I, 2;06,
6.
7.
2
Cf.
t
p
Urk.
i,
147,
3;
Letters
to
Dead,
pl.
3, 5;
(
)(
P.
Berl.
8869, 9;
a
Urk.
I,
264,
I3; 283,
8;
287,
6; 291, I7;
305,
I7;
306,
6.
30
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