LESSON 07

MORE ON NUMBERS

Cardinal numbers from 10 to 20 are as follow:

NUMBER MALE FEMALE

10 mD
11 mD wa wa.t
12 mD sn.wy Sn.ty
13 mD xmt
14 mD fdw
15 mD Diw
16 mD srsw
17 mD sxf
18 mD xmn
19 mD psD
20 mDty mDty.t

Numbers over 10 come before the noun, which is in singular

form, and are linked to it by the preposition , “n”.

mD xmt n aA.t 13 rooms

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 The ordinal numbers are formed with the particle , , mH,
meaning “completing”.

1st mH wa
2nd mH sn.wy

20th mH mDty

The number one, first, can be also written as , ,

tp, tp.t, used in dates, and , HA.t, HA.t.t, with the same
meaning.
The second form, HA.t, HA.t.t, has also a plural form as it is an
adjective HA.tw, HA.tw.t.

pA mH mDty Xra

The “last” is written , Xa. It means “end” too.

INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES

There are two types of questions, questions for specification

and questions of interrogation. Questions for specification ask “what,
who, why?” and use interrogative pronouns and adverbs. The
questions of interrogation are yes or no questions.

, iV what

, nm who

, tn where
r tn where to
(r) tb iV why
(n) tr.t (n) when

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 An interrogative pronoun or adverb used in a nominal
sentence follows an independent pronoun, but precedes the copula
pronoun.

mtwk nm? Who are you?

nm pAy? Who is he?

The construction , iV X r-r=, “what kind of X” is

followed by a suffix pronoun.

The questions of interrogation are yes or no questions. These

questions might be unmarked or marked by an initial , , in.

in D=k st iir-Hr rmT n pA tA?

Did you tell them to anyone at all?

PAST TENSE

Throughout the Demotic period the past tense was written

using the indicative sDm=f. In the beginning of the period, the
periphrastic form ir.f sDm=f was used in cases of 4 and 5 radical,
foreign and compound verbs.
By the roman period of Demotic language, the periphrastic
form had spread beyond the restriction and could be used even with
common bilateral verbs. This form is used in Coptic.
As just noted, the indicative sDm=f of the vast majority of
verbs formed the past tense. It was regularly used in narrative
sentences, both as initial or continuing clause.
To use sDm=f form, the radical of the verb must be put
together with the subject of the sentence. If the subject is
pronominal, the suffix pronoun must be used.

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If we want to say someone walked:

mSa=y I walked

mSa=k you walked

mSa=t you walked (f)

mSa=f he walked

mSa=s she walked

mSa=n we walked

mSa=tn you walked (p)

mSa=w they walked

Xtb=w wa rmT They killed a man

If we want to use ir.f sDm=f to say someone walked:

ir=y mSa I walked

ir=k mSa you walked

and so on…

Sometimes , the indicative sDm=f, ir.f sDm=f, for idiomatic

reasons, has the present meaning, not past, so it is translated as
such, in present tense.

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 To say “someone did not”, the sentence consisted of the
auxiliary , bn-pw=, the subject and the infinitive.

bn-pw=i bn-pw=n
bn-pw=k bn-pw=tn
bn-pw=t
bn-pw=f bn-pw=w
bn-pw=s

bn-pw=i mSa I did not walk

PASSIVE VOICE

To indicate passive voice, the third person plural pronoun was

used.
The agent of the passive is introduced with the preposition ,
(n) Dr(.v), meaning “through”, “by”.

ir=w fy Xr pA iny n Dr(.v)=f

The stone was carried by him.

ir=w Hr-sA-As(.t) sA ra-ms r wr swnw

Harsiese, the son of Ramose, was made Chief Physician.

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 BEYOND THE ALPHABET

Biliteral

, Hm , Hn , Hr

, Hs , Ht , xa

Determinative

, ,
Die, enemy, evil Mummy, statue, form Auctions with eye
, ,
Hair, skin, colour Force, effort Male

VOCABULARY

xnAw Partner, sexual

Ts Officer, overseer, commander

Hv(y) Sail, to

DAy Ship, bark

ip Account

mt.t Word
fy Sa.t Postman, letter carrier
rsw Dream

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EXERCISES

1) Write the following words in transcription, try to translate

them:

1 2

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2) Translate the sentences into Demotic:

They were resting in the bedroom.

They went to rest in the bedroom.
What were the words spoken by the officer?
We did not think about two salt accounts in the papyrus
roll.
Who is that woman?
Where is the road to Ethiopia?
What ship sailed to Crete?
He wanted a female servant as a sexual partner for the
journey to Ethiopia.
The letter carrier didn’t place the papyrus in the wall of the
house.
Do you have many big bulls?

3) Write in Demotic alphabet:

nb r D=w n=st n rswe.t.

Everything that was said to her in the dream.

pA Dnf aA, pA Dnf aA.

The great object, the great object.

1, tp, 2, 2nd, 3, 3rd, 4, 4th,Xa

1, first, 2, 2nd, 3, 3rd, 4, 4th, last.

Grmnyqs Awtwgrtyr sX n Hsbt 29

Germanicus Autocrator wrote in year 29.

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 LESSON 08

DEPENDENT PRONOUNS

These forms are used as objects after verbs and after the
imperative.

PERSON
1st s v=y
,
2nd s m v=k
,
2nd s f v=t
,
rd
3 sm s
, ,
3rd s f s
,
1st p v=n
,
nd
2 p v=tn
, ,
3rd p , , st

The dependent pronoun of 3rd person singular is sometimes

required to be used with some verbs and have a neuter value. The
most common verbs are:

wxA Wish
rx Know
Hn Command, bid
gm Find

tbH Request
D Say

The pronouns tend to precede nouns. If a sDm=f has a nominal

subject but a pronominal direct object, the direct object is moved in
front of the noun subject.

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 ADVERBS

In Demotic there are three types of adverbs: quality, place and

time. They stand at the end of the clauses.

TIME
, an again , still, yet
n tAy Hty immediately
n sf yesterday
n pA Hrw today

rsty tomorrow
n mn(.t) daily, everyday

n grH at night

n rhy in the evening

n mt(r)e at midday
, rsv(y) in the morning
r HA.t before, first ,early
n whm once more, again

n tA wnw.t immediately, now

n tr.t (n.tAy) while, during
r nHH eternally
r Sw anymore, never
xm sp-sn little by little

QUALITY
m-Ss many, very
aSAy zealously
m-qty as, like
n Hw n more, much, very

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PLACE
ty here
n-im=w there
r-m nAy hether
r-Xn inside

r-bnr outside
r-Hry up
r-Xry down

FUTURE

The future in Demotic is normally written , iw, plus subject

plus preposition , r, [e], plus infinitive verb. In many texts, the
preposition , r is not actually written, it presumably became
vocalic as it is in Coptic. So, the future may also be written , iw,
plus subject plus infinitive verb.

1st s iw=y
, ,
2nd s m , , iw=k
nd
2 sf , iw=t
3rd s m iw=f
, ,
rd
3 sf iw=s
, ,
1st p , iw=n
nd
2 p iw=tn
3rd p iw=w
, ,

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 The future tense is used to indicate simple futurity as well as
vows and injunctions.

iw=y hb.k
I will send you.

iw=k r iy r pA-Bas.t
You should come to Bubastis.

The negative future consists of the negative particle ,

, bn iw, prefixing the positive future form. In the negative, the
preposition , r is usually omitted.

bn iw aSA.s She will not be large

bn iw=y I will not

bn iw=k You will not

Etc…

ADJECTIVE VERBS

Certain adjectives in Demotic are classified between

adjectives and verbs. Like verbs, they take subject and have both
pronominal and construct forms. Like adjectives, they express a
quality of the subject.
As they stand like verbs, they come before the subject, and
not after as do adjectives.
They are called sDm=f adjectives. Most of them have the
prefix nA, , .
As sDm=f, they can have past and present meaning and, most
of the times in translation, the have an inherent “to be” in them.

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 nA-a(A) To be large, great
nA-an To be beautiful, pleasing,
excellent
nA-mr To be ill (in a part of the
body)
nA-Vy To be high, above
nA-sbA To be educated
nA-m-Ss To be significant
nA-nfr To be good
nA-aSA To be plentiful, numerous
nA-ntm To be sweet, pleasant
nA-xm To be small
nA-Sav To be cut
nA-tHr To be sad

The prefix is not used in qualitative and infinitive and in

subjunctive and aorist sDm=f, that will be seen in a later lesson.

nA-nfr HAv=f
His heart is good (he is happy).

BEYOND THE ALPHABET

Biliteral

, xt , Xn , Xr

, sA , sA , , sw

Determinative

, , , ,
Flesh Motion Animal, beast

, ,
Bird, insect Bad, evil, small Plant

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VOCABULARY

mt.t Word, speech, thing

as-sHn Matter, affair

sbA.t Instruction
nA-sbq To be few, little

, sx.t Field

Hw Profit

Hw Excess

HD Money, silver

sX Scribe
blDa Potsherd, pottery

, nwb Gold

EXERCISES

1) Write the following words in transcription and try to translate:

Pr-mD (Oxyrhynchus in Greek) is the name of the capital of

the 19th nome of Upper Egypt.

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 2) Translate the sentences into Demotic:
She will inspect the room of that house everyday.
Will they not come to Egypt?
I loved my Lord.
The bottles did not fall form the windows.
The four educated men love those four beautiful and sweet
women.
What ship will sail to Crete and to Rome tomorrow?
Give instruction about money and profit is a matter of the
great scribes.
The fields of the Pharaoh are numerous.

3) Write in Demotic alphabet:

xpr wa sw n pA hA Pr-aA IaH-ms D Pr-aA n nAy=f rmT.w aA.w tw=y mr swr

qlby n Kmy.

Once upon one day, in the times of the Pharaoh Amasi, the Pharaoh
said to his great ones: I want to drink qelbi-wine of Egypt.

[...] nA tSw nt Xry pA Sr n nA nTr.w mr-itw r stp PtH r ti

n=f PA-Ra pA DrA pA twtw anx (n) Imn.

[...] the Lower Districts “The Son of the Father-loving Gods, whom
Ptah has chosen, to whom Pre has given victory, the Living Image
of Amun.

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 LESSON 09

CONJUNCTIONS

Conjunctions are words used to join words, phrases,

sentences and clauses together.

an Also, neither
,
gr (gA) Or, otherwise
m-sA xpr But
xn if

, r-dbA xpr Because, for the

sake of
twys Here (it) is
,
, irm With, and

A very common conjunction is , , D, is a special

conjunction and has four different meanings:

1. To introduce direct speech after the speaker has been

introduced. In these cases, the is not translated, but is a
marker that the speech is about to start. It is equivalent to
quotation marks.

Hn s Pr-aA D my T=w n=f gsv

Pharaoh ordered, “Let him be taken a palette”.

2. To introduce indirect, reported, speech. It is translated as

“that” in this situation.

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 3. To introduce a clause serving as direct object, specially after
verbs with redundant pronominal direct object (reflexive
verbs):

wxA Wish
rx Know
Hn Command, bid
gm Find

tbH Request
D (n) Say
ys (n) Hasten
sntm (n) Rest
aHa (rtv) Stand
Sm (n) Go

r ti gm=y s D st sDny r-ir=k

In order to inform me, “They are conspiring against you”. (Cause
that I find out they are conspiring against you).

4. To introduce a causative clause, which is the clause used to

give the reason or the cause for the main sentence. It can be
translated as “for”, “because”, “in order to”, “so that” and
“namely”.

PERFECT TENSE

The perfect tense describes an action which had already taken

place and was commonly used to provide background information,
in contrast to past tense, which was used in past narration, for
example: the man walked (past); the man had walked (perfect). It
can be translated as “x has already happened”.

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 The perfect tense auxiliary was written wAH or wAH-iw.
It is the sDm=f form of the verb “to stop, complete”. The second
form, with iw, indicates clearly that the scribes treated it as an
auxiliary, not just as a verb.

wAH-iw.y Ddv.s n.t pAy.f rn n mtr

I have already told you its true name.

The negative form of the perfect consists in using the negative

, bw-ir-tw plus the suffix pronoun, and can be
translated as “x had not yet happened”.

AORIST TENSE

The aorist consists of the particle or xr plus the

sDm=f of the verb. If the verb is a foreign word or if it has more
than three radicals, the periphrastic form with the sDm=f of the verb
“to do”, followed by the infinitive of the verb is used. During the
roman period it spread until any verb could use the periphrastic
form.
The aorist is used to express customary or habitual action; it
often corresponds to English simple present or by using an adverb
such as always, normally or regularly. It is also used as normal
conditions or universal truth actions, and to give instructions within
magical spells.
The negative form of the aorist consists in using the negative
particle , bw plus the periphrastic form ir-sDm=f of the verb.
The only exception is the verb “to know” ir-rx when bw rx is used

xr Hl.f r tA p.t irm nA ipt.w Xr hrw

He flies to heaven with the birds every day (daily).

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 BEYOND THE ALPHABET

Biliteral

, Sm , Sn , sn

, sX , Sw , , Sp

Determinative

, , ,
Flower, lotus Wood Day, time, sun

, ,
Fire, temperature Wind, air Silver, money

MORE ON NUMBERS

Cardinal numbers over 20 are as follow:

NUMBER
30 mabA
40 Hmyw
50 tayw
60 sysyw
70 sfxyw
80 xmnyw
90 psDyw
100 Sn.t
200 Sn.ty
300 xmt Sn.t
400 fdw Sn.t

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 500 Diw Sn.t
600 srsw Sn.t
700 sxf Sn.t
800 xmn Sn.t
900 psD Sn.t
1000 xA

EGYPTIAN MONTHS AND SEASONS

As presented earlier, the normal word to say year is ,

rnp.t.

In dates the expression , , , , , Hsbt, royal year, is

used instead (perhaps rnp.t Hsbt), meaning literally “year of
counting”. This expression refers to the number of years of the
ruling Pharaoh in the current reign and dates back the Old Kingdom,
almost 3000 years earlier than Demotic period.
The reading HAt-sp is old and erroneous.

The full dating in documents has the following form:

1. Hsbt followed by the number of the king’s regnal year;
2. The month, season and day;
3. The phrase (xr Hm) n (n)swtn (byt(y)) “during the incarnation of
the King of Upper and Lower Egypt”, followed by the king’s
throne name. However, it is much more common the phrase
be left out and only the name of the king be written.

Hsbt 6.t ibt 3 Sm sw 25 n (n)swtn Ptlwmis…

Regnal year 6, Epifis, day 25 of King Ptolemy…

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 The seasons were three; inundation, winter and summer.
, Ax.t inundation season

, pr.t winter season

, , Sm summer season

The months in Egyptian year are 12, four in each of the three
seasons. The month names are indicated with the name of the
season followed by the number of the month. The exception is the
first month of the season, named “first”.

Inundation season

tp Ax.t DHwty [tout]

ibt 2 Ax.t pA-n-ypt [paofi]
ibt 3 Ax.t Hwt Hr(w) [xatxwr]
ibt 4 Ax.t kA Hr kA [xoiak]
Winter season

tp pr.t tA aAbt [twbi]

ibt 2 pr.t pA-n-pA-mxrw [mexir]
ibt 3 pr.t pA-n-imn-Htp [parmenxwt]
ibt 4 pr.t pA-n-rnn-wt [parmou+]
Summer season

tp Sm pA-n-xnsw [pa5ons]
ibt 2 Sm pA-n-int [pawni]
ibt 3 Sm ypy-ypy [ephp]
ibt 4 Sm mswt-ra [meswri]

The month names occur mostly in lists of festivals and in

private letters and were undoubtedly common in spoken Egyptian.
The Egyptian year had 365 days. The 12 months with 30 days
each. The five last days of the year were known as “the five days of
festival”, , nA Hrw 5 n Hb.

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VOCABULARY

aw n rmT Adulthood
pty(.t) Arch, bow

sty.t Arrow
bay Rage, enrage, to
snf Blood
hApytrs Military Camp
lybS Armour

mr-mSa General
mSa Army
Abre Crops
atat Attack, threaten, to
,
AsX Harvest, to
mty Soldier
Xq Weapon
Sta Sword

Hnw Javelin, spear

,
sw(A) Wheat
it Barley
bt(e) Emmer
Sms Follow, serve, to
rmT bAk Laborer

iry-DDy Enemy

sbSy Shield
wya Agriculture, plantation
sAwty Guard
qnqn Hit, strike, to

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EXERCISES

1) Write the following words in transcription, try to translate:

2) Translate the sentences into Demotic:

a. The laborers always harvest their emmer crops in summer.
b. The enemy soldier has enraged the general of that military
camp.
c. He always wants two female servants as sexual partners for
the journey to Crete during the 2nd month of summer.
d. Everything that has been said to her in the dream before the
soldier attacked her in her bedroom.
e. The soldier has thrown a spear against the enemy during the
battle for the city before his enemy ran away from him.

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