Fairman An Introduction To The Ptolemaic PDF

MINISTRE DE L'DUCATION NATIONALE, DE L'ENSEIGNEMENT SUPRIEUR ET DE LA RECHERCHE
BULLETIN
DE LINSTITUT FRANAIS
DARCHOLOGIE ORIENTALE
en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne en ligne
BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138
FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)
An Introduction to the Study of Ptolemaic Signs and their Values.
Conditions dutilisations
Lutilisation du contenu de ce site est limite un usage personnel et non commercial. Toute autre utilisation du site et de son contenu est
soumise une autorisation pralable de lditeur (contact AT ifao.egnet.net).
Le copyright est conserv par lditeur (IFAO).
Conditions of Use
You may use content in this website only for your personal, noncommercial use. Any further use of this website and its content is forbidden,
unless you have obtained prior permission from the publisher (contact AT ifao.egnet.net).
The copyright is retained by the publisher (IFAO).
Dernires publications
IF 981 Hommages J.-Cl. Goyon L. Gabolde (d.)
IF 976 La Bible murale dans les sanctuaires coptes Pierre Laferrire
IF 978 Wazra. The Killer of Many Husbands Pieter Smoor
IF 982 BIFAO 107
IF 968 Dendara. Le temple d?Isis Sylvie Cauville
IF 960 Cahiers de Karnak 12
IF 959 Les inscriptions de Shel Annie Gasse - Vincent Rondot
Institut franais darchologie orientale - Le Caire

AN INTRODUCTION
TO THE STUDY OF PTOLEMAIC SIGNS
AND THEIR VALUES
BY
H. W. FAIRMAN.
During the Winter of 1g43-1g44 at the request of a number of friends and

colleagues I devoted a series of talks to an analysis of the way in which Ptol-
emaic signs obtained their values, my remarks having particular reference
to Edfu. This analysis served in a sense as a series of rules for decipherment
which were put to the test in readings in Ptolemaic texts and were found to
work. After the introductory talks it was suggested to me that it might he
useful to give them a more permanent form and the present paper is the result.
Through the courtesy of M. Charles Kuentz, who placed a room, blackboard
and every facility at our disposal, these talks were given at the lnstitut franyais
d'Archeologie orientale and I gladly take this opportunity of expressing to
M. Kuentz the gratitude of my friends and myself for all that he did to make
our meetings and discussions possible.
It was some months after these introductory talks had been given and when
this paper, all but a few details and references, was in its final and present
form, that I first saw a proof copy of Dr. Drioton 's tour de force entitled "Pro-
cede acrophonique ou Principe consonantal" (r). I consider Dr. Drioton 's
attempted defence of the principle of Acrophony as the most damning attack
on that principle that has yet appeared in print and a most revealing exposure
(I) Annalesdu Service, 43, 3tg-34g.
7.
BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

IFAO 2005 BIFAO en ligne http://www.ifao.egnet.net
-----t-to( 52 )oe+--
of its V'eakness, and therefore I see no reason to alter or modify any of my

views or statements. The body of this paper, therefore, is textually the same
as it was before I read Dr. Drioton' s remarks, with the exception that I have
taken advantage of his quotation of a possible origin for the value ...... = p (lJ
on the Consonantal Principle to delete from my manuscript the admission that
in the present state of our knowledge Acrophony appeared to be the only
explanation of this value.
There is, I think, no need to make a detailed reply to Dr. Drioton's remarks,
for they contain their own refutation and condemn themselves by every canon
of logic and science. There is neither amusement nor profit in flogging a
dead horse and if the only case that can be put up for Acrophony has to depend
on the dubious and questionable methods and arguments employed by
Dr. Drioton, it is clear that Acrophony is a very dead horse, unwittingly killed
by the hand of its creator. Dr. Drioton lays much stress on the artificial
nature of cryptography and the artificial way in which cryptographic values
arose; he can hardly be surprised, therefore, if the rest of the world looks
upon this artificial and unnatural system as having no real existence except
as a figment of the imagination of its modern inventor.
It is true that Dr. Drioton attempts to prove that Acrophony not only really
existed hut was "le procede normal de signification" by invoking certain
cryptograms whose decipherment he claims is guaranteed by versions en clair.
Of all these texts, however, only one has that guarantee (Papyrus Salt 825
cols. XV and XVI (2 ), and of that much of Dr. Drioton' s explanation is false
and mistaken), and one other is probable (the dedication text of Sethos I (J)),
but for all the others there is no guarantee that Dr. Drioton 's decipherment
is a literal and word for word transcription of an Egyptian original en clair
and in certain cases it is perfectly clear that it is not. The whole of
Dr. Drioton's argumentation based on these supposedly guaranteed texts is
therefore valueless, it is a perfect example of arguing in a circle, it proves
exactly nothing and it can be ignored.
In defence of his theory Dr. Drioton invokes only his own work, he conspic-
uously fails to enlist the independent evidence of the hundreds of cryptographic
O.l Annales du Service, 43, 336, note 1; see further note (d), p. 82 below.- l'l DmoroN in
Annales du Service, 4t, gg-111.- tJ DmoTON in Annales du Service, 4o, 3og-3111.

--(53)-
words and phrases whose true equivalent is established beyond all doubt by
the double writings in the Book ~f Am Duat (I) and the Book of the Kererets (2l.
These texts, which ought to form the starting point of any attempt to establish
the principles on which cryptography is based, are ignored by Dr. Drioton
and he rarely quotes them in his s\udies. The reasons for this omission
will be obvious to anyone who takes the trouble to analyse these texts, for they
strikingly and markedly fail to support Dr. Drioton 's contentions and show
that their values were not obtained by Acrophony.
Dr. Drioton, of course, is fully entitled to differ from my views and to criticise
and combat them as vigorously as he pleases. Indeed, criticism is to be wel-
comed, for it is only by full and frank discussion that ideas are clarified and
the truth revealed. But discussion is valueless unless it complies with certain
conditions, unless it is fair and accurate and does not distort the facts or the
words of those with whom one is in dispute. Unfortunately Dr. Drioton's
.arguments against some of my suggestions do not comply with these conditions
and I have felt impelled at various points in this paper to justify my views,
particularly since many who are unfamiliar with Ptolemaic and the existing
material might otherwise be led into error or imagine that I had ignored
Dr. Drioton 's remarks. These notes will demonstrate, I think, that my views
and remarks have been based on facts that stand up to criticism and examin-
ation, and that it is Dr. Drioton 's prejudiced aberrations that are mistaken
and untenable. In my view, Dr. Drioton 's suggestions are not justified or
proved, but I have specifically referred only to a few in which there are either
glaring errors of fact, or misrepresentation or distortion of my own words or
those of others or of the evidence of the signs and the monuments. Similar
arguments could be advanced against his other suggestions which I have passed
by without comment. Dr. Drioton has called all these <des plus marquantes
(IJ BucHER, Les Textes des Tombes de Thout- graphic writings is to be found in Corridor XIII
mosis Ill el d' Amenophis //, vol. I, passim; and the Sarcophagus Chamber of the tomb of
LEFEBURE, Les . Hypogees royaux de Thebes .. Pedamenopet.
1" partie, Le Tombeau de Seti I (Mem. Miss., ('l PuNKOFF in B. I. F. A. 0., 42, Pls. LX,
t. II). Cf. also GRAPOW in Z. A. S., p, 23-29. LXII, LXVIII, vii, LXIX, LXX, i, LXXIII,
M. Piankoff informs me that an unpublished LXXVI-LXXIX; 43, Pls. CXLVI-CLI.
version of the Book of Am Duat with crypto-
Bulletin, t. XLIIJ. 8

--1--t-( 54. )ot+-
de ces rectifications>>, and the reader can judge for himself the strength and
stability of the foundations on which they have been based.
At the end of his paper Dr. Drioton, rather like Little Jack Horner of the
nursery rhyme (I) or a conjurer producing a rabbit from his hat, quotes a
ushabti which he claims bears a cryptographic text (2). Using this text as
a test of his theory of Acrophony, Dr. Drioton has produced one of the most
extraordinary decipherments and perversions of the truth that has appeared
since the days of Athanasius Kircher (3), and concludes with a challenge to
decipher it according to the Consonantal Principle. This challenge is not
going to be accepted here for the very good reason that, as Dr. Drioton himself
ought to know, Egyptian texts are not to be deciphered by any one principle,
be it acrophonic, consonantal or any other, but by taking into consideration
and utilising all the factors that govern the selection of Egyptian sign-values.
A complete theory cannot be proved by a single short text and no useful purpose
is served by using to that end a text the copy of which, as Dr. Drioton admits (4),
may be defective in details. Before embarking on a study of this text I prefer
to collate the published copy but this is unfortunately impossible at the present
time. I will only add that Dr. Drioton's decipherment is completely and
utterly wrong(>), owing to his dependence on Acrophony. The text clearly
and obviously starts with a writing of the well-known )...,: 1 ~- J(6) and J:
can be read simply, directly and with ease, apart from two slight and probably
temporary uncertainties which may be due to error on the part of the modern
copyist. Dr. Drioton could not have given a better proof of how dependence
on Acrophony twists truth into falsehood, needlessly complicates what is simple
and normal, creates difficulties where none exist, turns high noon into mid-
night, brings the science of Egyptology into discredit and transports it into
the realm of fantasy.
(I) Little Jack Horner Hieroglyphen, 3, and GARDINER, Grammar, p.1 2.

Sat in a corner l'l Annales du Service, 4 3, 3 4 7, note 3.
Eating his Christmas pie, <l I admit, however, that he has correctly
He put in his thumb - deciphere~ j l TI Wsir ~m-ntr and ~ ' m~' brw.
And pulled out a plum !'l Cf. CERNY's note in B. I. F. A. 0., 41,
And said '' What a good little boy am I''. 1 11. .rl occurs as the determinative of wsbti
<'l Annales du Service, 43, 347-34g.
3
in ~-J: nt: (B. I. F. A. 0., 4t, 121,
l l Cf. the examples quoted by ERMAN, Die three exx.).

I. - PTOLEMAIC WRITING, ITS NATURE
AND THE METHOD OF APPROACH TO ITS DECIPHERMENT.
'1. Ptolemaic Writing. By Ptolemaic Writing we are accustomed to refer

to the system of hieroglyphic writing: employed in temples of the Graeco-Roman
Period (I). It is important, however, to bear certain points in mind :
(a) The language of these inscriptions is largely a dead one, it is not the
spoken language of the time but is something traditional and in the nature
of a priestly revival.
(b) As a system of writing it is essentially a temple writing, something
monumental, it does not find its way into contemporary hieratic texts (except
a few passages in Papyrus Salt 8 2 5), not even into those of a religious nature,
it is only present to a very limited extent in the hieroglyphic stelae of the
times, and is found in its full, normal and most typical form only on the walls
of temples.
(c) It is not an isolated phenomenon out of touch with the main stream
of hieroglyphic writing, but is the logical continuation, in a more deyeloped
form, of a manner of writing that tended to become increasingly common
throughout the Late Period. It is in the direct line of descent from writing
employed in the New Kingdom and can be traced sporadically at least as far
back as the Middle Kingdom and possibly even the Old Kingdom. There
are good indications that its roots lie in the early stages of the Egyptian
language. It is something; therefore, that has always existed in Egyptian,
although, perhaps, it adopts a more extreme form in Ptolemaic.
(d) The system of writing and grammar employed in the Ptolemaic temples
is uniform in general, but every temple has its peculiarities in writing, in the
C'> What I would term the "normal" and most minds, however, the most typical and
common Ptolemaic writing is, of course, also certainly the most developed Ptolemaic inscrip-
found in hieroglyphic stelae of the period and tions and writings are. those found in the
these are naturally also "Ptolemaic". To temples of the Graeco-Roman Period.
8.

---+to( 56 )ot+-
forms of signs, in grammar and in the content of its texts. There appear
to be some indications of a development of the system as time goes on, partic-
ularly in the signs and manner of writing, but this is an aspect that as yet
has not been the subject of detailed study and examination and hence this
observation is only provisional and is liable to correction or modification.
The texts of the Temple of Edfu afford the best starting point for any study
of Ptolemaic writing partly because the temple was built in a relatively short
space of time (I) and hence forms a homogeneous unit to a greater extent than
any other late temple, partly because its texts present to us Ptolemaic writing
at its earliest and best, and partly because the temple and its inscriptions are
the product of the almost undivided attention of the best scribes and craftsmen
of the time (2 ). The present study is therefore devoted almost exclusively to
the Edfu texts though I do not hesitate to quote from Dendera or other sources
if any useful purpose is served (3l.
2. Characteristics of Ptolemaic Writing. The chief characterist~s of this

system of writing are :
(a) An increase in the signs in common use and in the values they could
bear, this increase being effected partly in ways that will become obvious in
the following pages and partly by the introduction of many often minute
additions to or modifications of existing signs.
(b) A big increase in the number of ideograms and in the number of deter-
minatives that are used as ideograms and phonograms.
PI See p. g3 below. in some of the quotations I have not employed
t'lWhere reference is made to Edfu inscrip- the exact forms originally used by Chassinat.
tions I quote by volume, page and line of the These divergences are due to the fact that
edition uf Ruchemun teix and Chassinat (cf. alternative and improved forms of signs have
Annales du Service} 4 3, 19 3, note 1). The been introduced into the fount since the pass-
prefix 11Jam. indicates CuASSINAT, Le Mammisi age quoted was first printed (cf. Annales du
d'Edfou} quotation being by page and line of Service} 43, 2oo). Thus I habitually use J
the publication. C. D. is an abbreviation for for2f, ~for~'~ for~ and..-
CHASSINAT, Le Temple de Dendarah, quotation for ...- etc. I have only made these changes
being by volume, page and line of the where it is certain that only changes in the
publication (only four volumes at present forms in the fount are concerned, and in all
published). other cases I have adhered to Chassinat 's
('J It is as well to point out at this sta-ge that printed copy.

- ( 5 7 )ot-t-
(c) An increase, as compared with Classical Egyptian, in purely alphabetic

writings.
(d) The deliberate employment of a variety of alternatives for known signs,
values and spellings.
(e) The deliberate revival of archaistic spellings and old values, constructions
and usages.
(J) A certain attempt, clearly based on real knowledge, to indicate
phonetic changes or the current pronunciation.
Grammatical characteristics are omitted from this brief enumeration, partly

because our chief concern here is with the mechanism of the actual system of
writing, and partly because a proper and thorough grammatical study of any
single temple has yet to be made, for though JuNKER'S Grammatik der Dendera-
.fexte attempts to supply this deficiency in the case of Dendera, it is far from
ideal and far from complete. For our present purpose, and with all due
reserves, all that need be said is that the grammar and vocabulary, just as
the contents of the texts themselves, have as their basis not merely Middle
Egyptian but Old Egyptian, the Pyramid Texts and even older sources. The
roots of Ptolemaic are firmly planted in the past, its inspiration and the rules
that govern it are found in the past, and to study the origins and background
of Ptolemaic writing we must go back to the very beginnings of Egyptian, for
that is what the Ptolemaic priests and scribes did.
It was inevitable, nevertheless, that the later stages of the language should
have been not without some influence on the Ptolemaic scribes, and therefore
we find the old grammatical structure and vocabulary infused with Late
Egyptian, though texts in a completely Late Egyptian idiom are not frequent.
Ptolemaic is therefore a hybrid, mainly Old and Middle Egyptian but influenced
in part by Late Egyptian and not completely either the one or the other.
Among particular phenomena we may mention that in general the distinction
between sdmJ and sdmnf has largely ceased to have any real significance,
and that there is an enormous extension in the use of the Pseudo-Verbal
Construction, both ~r and the infinitive, and the Old Perfective, which tends
to have the ending : common to all persons.

---......o-( 58 ).t+--
lt must be pointed out, however, that in any one temple the texts are never
all written in the same way and two clear styles are to be distinguished. The
fully developed, decorative Ptolemaic type has only a restricted use and is
found only in the horizontal line immediately under the frieze or below the
first (bottom) register, on doorways, architraves and ceilings, and sometimes
on certain parts of columns. The great majority of the temple inscriptions
are written in a manner that is almost normal and that in general offers no
great difficulty in 'the way of decipherment, although naturally the decorative
tendency is not without its influence on the spellings and the Ptolemaic spirit
can be detected in the frequent indications of phonetic changes, in the ideo-
graphic manner of writing some of the suffix pronouns, in some special gram-
matical peculiarities and constructions and in a number of other points.
Except for a few brief and stereotyped divine titles and epithets, not even the
most extreme and developed examples of Ptolemaic decorative writing are ever
written entirely in the advanced manner, which is never maintained in its
most extreme form for more than a handful of words at a time. All the texts
are always a mixture of new and old forms and values, which occur side by side
not merely in sentences and phrases but in individual words. I therefore
make no apology for introducing into the following pages signs and values
that are by no means exclusively Ptolemaic, for the old and the new are integral
parts of the system and to concentrate on the new at the expense of the old
would give an entirely false impression of the real nature of Ptolemaic writing.
3. The Approach to Ptolemaic and its Decipherment. These brief preliminary

remarks should give us some guide in the formulation of principles which
should guide and control our efforts to decipher and interpret Ptolemaic
texts.
The manner in which we find the new inextricably mingled with the old
is a clear indication that we do not have to do with two separate systems of
writing but rather with two aspects of one and the same tradition. This being
so, it is a reasonable assumption that the new and the old values were obtained
according to the same general principles, and we should always act on this
assumption until or unless it is proved to be unworkable. Our starting point
must therefore be the traditional way and we are not justified in using, still

--+to( 59 )oe-+--
less in using habitually, any principles or procedure for which authority cannot
be found in earlier periods unless we find that the old ways do not apply and
that the new way is the only one that will explain a given value. In short
we must proceed from the old to the new and we are not justified in assuming
at the outset the existence of any new procedure without having first proved
that the old no longer applies.
As the starting point of our enquiry, therefore, I suggest that we should
be guided by the following main principles :
(a) Ptolemaic is a logical system of writing and as such it is not to be treated

as a game without rules or method.
(b) At the outset an attempt should be made to read and interpret it in

exactly the same way as normal Egyptian writing until or unless it can clearly
be proved that such a course is impossible.
(c) The derivation of signs and values must be in accordance with trad-
itional. ways. No new procedure should be adopted or advocated unless it
can be proved that the traditional procedure cannot and will not work. Such
new procedure cannot be made into a general rule unless it can be demonstrated
beyond dispute that it is no isolated phenomenon and that there are a number
of other instances to which the traditional methods do not apply.
(d) In general, the simple and direct explanation is to be sought m

preference to the explanation that is indirect, inge,nious and subtle. A
decipherment that depends on an undue ~umber of ingenious explanations
is suspect and must be treated with caution and reserve.
(e) No sign can acquire a value

(i) unless the sign in question is an ideogram or the determinative of the
word of origin ; or
(ii) unless the origin is an epithet or attribute clearly applied in Egyptian
texts (which must be quoted) to the person or thing depicted by the sign; or
(iii) unless it is derived by some legitimate form of pun in accordance with
known and established procedure; or

---..( 60 )...-
(iv) unless, in the case of values whose precise origin in unknown, that
value is clearly supported by p~rallel texts or by unequivocal evidence of the
use of the sign in question as a phonogram with the required value or as a
derivative from such a phonetic value; or
(v) unless the value borne by the sign can be derived by phonetic change
from values that originated in one or other of the ways already indicated.
Ons. The student is particularly warned against the danger of applying to a sign some
modern European epithet or concept and then seeking or inventing an Egyptian hiero-
glyphic translation of that idea. Such a translation or equivalent is inadmissible and no
value based on such an equation can be accepted unless Egyptian evidence of its appli-
cation to the sign in question can be adduced and quoted.
(f) The explanation that leaves no alt~rnative

word of origin is generally
speaking more likely to be correct than the explanation that produces one or
more alternatives, for in the latter case the exact origin has still to be found.
(g) Not all signs and their values, not even all signs outwardly and appar-
ently formed in the same way, necessarily originate in the same way.
(h) Signs must not be considered as isolated units or even merely as the
component elements of words but must be considered against the whole back-
ground of the passage in which they occur.
( i) Every decipherment must be rigorously checked in general and in detail
against the known rules of procedure, the context and the knowledge acquired
from Egyptian texts in order to ensure that it does not violate the probabilities
or any reasonable rules. The system of decipherment that habitually produces
words, sentences, ideas and constructions that are unique or rare cannot
command complete confidence. Even when the result of the decipherment
is a well-known word or phrase this is not necessarily a proof of its accuracy
unless it can be proved to have been obtained by sound and legitimate methods
and to agree with the context and the parallels. Mere ability to produce
known Egyptian words is not in itself a guarantee that a particular decipher-
ment, whether it be a single word, a phrase or an entire text, is accurate.
The following additional points are not so much matters of principle as
practical suggestions regarding procedure which it is advisable to bear in mind.

-----++( 61 ) - -
(j) Detailed recording and study of determinatives is essential.

(k) The variant forms of signs are often very numerous and the differences
are frequently extremely slight but in all cases meticulous attention must be
paid to the precise form of signs. Very often the differences have no phonetic
importance but sometimes even a trifling detail is of great significance. Even
though the differences may not always be of phonetic significance, they are
always of importance in connection with the decorative side of Ptolemaic writing.
(l) Wherever possible consult the original or a photo, or, if neither is
possible, a reliable modern copy, but not every modern copy is al(tomatically
accurate and reliable. It is dangerous to trust and rely upon old copies, even
when not absolutely wrong they are frequently misleading, particularly with
regard to the forms of signs.
(m) Do not accept any value, no matter from what book of reference it is
drawn, or by what authority ancient or modern it is quoted, unless either
you or your source can quote at least one authenticated word in which it
occurs : such words must always be checked and counterchecked.
11. - ALPHABETIC SIGNS.
I have recently devoted a paper to a somewhat detailed study of the alpha-

betic signs and their origins (J). In the present paper I have given only a very
brief and summary outline of the ways in which the alphabetic signs were
formed, in order to reduce repetition to a minimum, and full details, references
and explanatory notes will be found in my earlier paper. The numbers added
(I) Notes on the Alphabetic Signs employed in I, 208, 5 =XI, Pl. 293 the final clause
the Hieroglyphic Inscriptions of the Temple of should read ~ f ~ C( l : I ,.! ; the
Edfu, in Anndies du Service, 43, 1g3-318. omission of : was an inexcusable piece of
The following corrections should be made to carelessness on my part. This corrected read-
that paper : ing proves that l is equivalent to the suffix
p. 238, No. 248 (d); for 8 reads. pronoun first pers. sing.
p. 26o, line 9 :for Fig. 55 read Fig. 54. p. 296,line8 :forNoteXXXIXreadNoteXL.
p. 2 6 9, line 1 o from bottom : for si read is. p. 3o8, line 6 : for ib~ read ib~.
p. 279, Note 73. In the last example from

--+t{ 62 )+~-
in brackets after some of the signs mentioned here refer to the published list of
alphabetic signs. As a supplement to my previous article I have thought that
it might be interesting and useful to print here an index to the alphabetic signs
and briefly to comment on the phonetic significance of the facts that it reveals.
A. The Formation of Alphabetic Values.
Signs acquire alphabetic values in the following ways
1. Direct representation by extension of the use of ideograms (l:.
This is restricted solely to certain of the suffix pronouns, i. e. :
1st person singular masculine and feminine, 2nd person singular
feminine, tst person (common) dual, and 1st person (common)
plural.
Examples :
1st pers. sing. masc.: t\1 (38), ~(5o),~ (54 a),~ (65a), "3" (8o),
1 (26g), (3t4a).
1stpers. sing.fem.: J (86a), ~(go),~ (to2a), = (2glie), (3o7e),
( 3t ua).
:md pers. sing. Jem. : }I ( Su b), }I ( 8 7 b), Jj ( 96 b), J (tot b)
1st pers. plural : 11 J j ~ ( 34 c).
1st pers. dual: \1 rJ (l16 b), ~}I (65 b), }l}f (87 c).
2. By the Consonantal Principle (2).
(a) By loss of weak consonants :
(i) The initial consonant only is retained, very common :
} (u)Jfromf~i. 1 (t58) ~ from~~t.
J (16 b) n from ntvw ( nn ). - ( 1 63 a) a from bJ .
( t13 a) ~ from ~r. ~ ( 18g a) s from swt.
"M (tU 5 a) 1n from mr. =-= ( 2u 6 a) m from ntr.
"M (145b) k from k;. ~ (26u) w from wl~.
~ (1u6) b from b~. ~ (271 a) n from nt .
..- ( tU 8) r from rw. - ( 2 7 5) s from sl ~ t.
b. (152) m from m~i. (3o3 d) k from !Jr.
<'I Annales du Service, 43, 288-2go.- <'J Annales du Service, 43, 291-298.

---+to( 63 )ot-t-
(ii) The rnedial cons0nant only is retained :
} ( 1 7 d) rn from imtl (1). ~ (2o2) rn from im;.

~(2gb)~ from bv( 2 l. tl (227) ~from ;~w.
"'-- ( 192 a) j from tvji. ~ (263) rn from imtt'.
~ ( tg3a) d from w~dt. ~ ( 280) p from ipt (3l.
(iii) The final consonant only is retained :
7f ( tlt2) l from it. ~ (167a)jfrom lwf

~ ( t 43) n from _in. T ( 2t5) t from w;d( 4l.
+ (t64a) b from lb. 'f (2 t6 b) ~ from ~b. (5J.
= ( t 6 6 a) m from irn.
Ous. It is clear that the feature common to these three classes is that the selected value
is either the only strong consonant in the word of origin, or, if the word of origin is com-
posed entirely of weak consonants, the strongest of such consonants. The position that
the surviving consonant occupied in the word of origin is of no special significance. To
treat the signs of class (i) separately by ascribing to them an origin by Actophony is
clearly unjustified.
(b) By the weakening and subsequent disappearance of.......,. when in direct

contact with ~ (6) :
J (16 c) /p from f;.

Possibly also in f (265) and f (277 ), both /p from '~', which are both
somewhat unceitain since in the circumstances it is impossible to decide finally
Pl Cf. note (g), p. 85, below. form i(!, however, which is the origin of the
('l Cf. Annates du Service, 43, 3o6, No. 1. value ~' occurs at Edfu, e. g. ~~:f.! (VI,
( l Cf. note (f), p. 85, below.
3
4 1 , 17) ; ~w "papyrus thickets" ; cf. also
(I) With phonetic change.
~ e e ~ ~ ""-: (Anast. IV, 1 b, 7 = GARDINER,
ll Hitherto the exact word of origin of 'f
~ Late Egyptian lf-fiscellanies, 3 5, 1 o).
does not seem to have been quoted, reference 6
( l See further Annales du Service, 4 3, 2 5o,
being usually made to the reduplicated stem note rv.
; ~; ~ "verdant" and to its use as the phono- ('l Annates du Service, 43, 3og, no. 11.
gram ; b in ; (!-bitl "Khemmis". The simple

-Ho( 64 )++-
whether they are alphabetic ~ or biliteral ~, but the former alternative is

possible : cf. p. 7 5, n. 2.
(c) By coalescence of two identical consonants or two closely related con-

sonants when in direct juxtaposition without an intervening consonant( 1l,
~ (2) n from nn. ...... (239e)mfrommnt( 3l.

lf (7) I; from l~~. 1.1 (289 b) m from mni4l.
lA (17Sa) m from mm or mn( 2l. 111111111 (3t3a) m from mni l.
4
Cf. also 1 (291) and 'b (292) g, for origin cf. gg.
3. Phonetic change.
The foilowing is only a brief indication of the values acquired by phonetic

change and a complete list will be found in the appropriate column of the
Analytical Index of Alphabetic Values (pp. 68-79 below) which should br,
studied in conjunction with the comment on pp. 9 2-9 7, with special attention
to the caution with which this comment is prefaced. With a more complete
knowledge of the phonetics of the Edfu inscriptions I feel it is probable that
a few values which can be explained directly will find a more satisfactory
explanation in phonetic change. A case in point is the use of ,__, for ~,
where, although a direct origin in mw is possible, it now seems that phonetic
change affords the best explanation of its use (see below p. 9 2 ).
(a) Normal alphabetic signs.
( i) The following are common in certain circumstances :

~ (2 t 9 d) and ~ ) ( 18 7 b) for <=>.
= ( 2l18 b) for e.
_,.for A (299 b) and lJ (299 c).
- for= (3o7 b), - (3o7 c) and "'l (3o7 d).
(!) Annales du Service} 43, 296. - (!) Cf. Annales du Service} 43, 268, n. XL. - (>) Cf. Annales
du Service} 43, 3o8, n. 6.- (<l Cf. Annales du Service} 43, 280, n. LXXVIII.

--( 65 )ot-i-
(ii) Less frequent and apparently under more restricted conditions :
J is replaced by= (t66c) and 1 (266b).

I j (t3ftb).
~ - (2ft5 b)( 11.
- =.(166b), ~ (q3b)and T (285b).
e (3q b).
(b) Many other signs replace the normal alphabetic signs by phonetic
change from values that have been acquired directly :
+ (16ft b) p from lb. 8 (3t2 b) t from dl.

- , ( 1 9 8 b) ~ from h~ t. - ( 239 c) t from dw.
U(12 t b) lf from k~. - (239 b) d from dw.
,... (3oo b) k from g~t (g~wt). ~ (tg3d) t from w~dt.
() ( 2 tlJ) k from ~~. ~(tg3c)t fromw~dt.
4; (t88 b) t from g. 1(28tb) ~fromd~.
(c) Note the exceptional use of c:m:::l (2ft 8 d) for - , restricted to spellings
of sps and its derivatives.
4. Occasionally an old sign is depicted from a new aspect
> 1 15) r for <=>.

(
~ (2 1 1) ~ for ~.
1 (1 58) b, for _,.
or is replaced by a sign of the same general class but of different form.
"'!_ ( 1 9 3 g) j for .__.

~ ( 193 f) 1' for 1M.
tJ (1 9 5 c) r for 1M.
-+ (293) s for-.
('l See below, p. 92, nn. 3 and 4.

Bulletin, t. XLIII. 9

-Ho( 6 6 )et-t-
5. Through confusion or error (ll
.6.......1 ( 12 8 a) ' for .-....~. - (298a) k for-. .

h (t47) m for~. .. (3 o 1 b) b for .
~ (t 67 b) w for e 1( 289 a) t for 1
e (3 1 6 d) j for ~. (3o3 e) n for i ( 3l .
....... (149) r for .-a. ~ (3o5) b for +(4l.
( 1 9 1 b) ~ for ' (2). T ( 1 61) ~ for e (5 l.
e( 22 5) ~ for . ._ (2 26) w for ~ (6l.
0 (258) ~ for e. ~ ( 1 8 9 e) l for ~ (?).
m ( 2 6 2 b) ~ for e. t (2 o 8 b) l for ~.
e (3qd) n for m. ~ ( 2 1 9lf) b for j.
6. From the hieratic :
:\.. (176a) m for~ J (7 3 b) l for ~

~ ( 3 1 6 a) w for } . =-= (246 b) i from-.
(I) It is difficult to make a precise distinction handle is added in ink) but it is an error made
between "confusion" and error. Strictly so frequently that it almost becomes a leg-
speaking it is an error to replace any sign by itimate and regular form and hence _, itself
any other sign that cannot legitimately acquire can sometimes replace - as nb. The sign-
the same value either directly or indirectly list does not include all the signs used in error
from the same or another word of origin, but by the Ptolemaic scribes.
obviously there are degrees of error. Some <J See below, p. 8g, n. (k).
3
of these "errors" arise, for a variety of reasons, < 1 See below, p. 86, n. (h).
in genuine confusion between somewhat sim- <> See below, p. 83, n. (e).
ilar signs (e. g. ~ for e, e for~, 0 for), <'I See below, p. go, n. (l).
while others are clearly due to mistakes by <J See below, p. 81, n. (c).
the scribe or sculptor (e. g . ._ for e, ~ for j). < 1 Dr. Drioton (Annales du Service, 43, 348,
7
Generally speaking, examples of confusion n. 3) denies that this is an error and considers
occur quite frequently and are apt to be re- it to be a ''variation matl\rielle'' of ~ . This
peated, but "error" is on the whole only 'is a mere quibble and Dr. Drioton 's view is
occasional and isolated. The use of - for an impossible one, all the more so since in his
-., however, is an error due to the scribe's text ~ is not equivalent to ~, this being only
omitting the handle (this is indicated by il one of his numerous errors.
number of examples in which the missing

-----( 67 )....,.._
7. By rebus. :
J (t54a), )t (qg) and) (228) i for~
,_.__ ( 1 6 o) ' for ~.
W (2 2 o) w for ) .
8. By convention :
Only 1' 1 (314 c) w for ) .
9. For graphic reasons :
Only + (t35) b for J (IJ.
1 0. Signs whose origin is still unknown :

) (187a) w, j (285a) m,.,. (272a) k, ~ (273) s, ._. (299a) k.
11. Acrophony.
There is no certain evidence that any of the alphabetic signs used at Edfu
originated theough acrophony. For the origin of,.-----~> p which I had previously
admitted, with considerable reserve, might have been derived by acrophony
from psg, see now p. 82, note (d).
B. An Analytical Index of Alphabetic Signs.
As a supplement to the preceding outline and the detailed list on which

it is based, I have prepared an index which is designed to convey an approx-
imate impression of the chief ways in which the values arose. Since, from
considerations of space and convenience, this index has been compressed into
only three columns, it wiH be appreciated that to a certain extent it is only
an approximation and there are a number of border line cases which others
may prefer to place in different columns from those to which I have assigned
them. Such instances are inevitable when there has to be so much con-
densation but in spite of these imperfections it is hoped that the index will
prove to be both useful and instructive.
(I) Cf. Annales du Service, lt3, :~53, n. xrx. yet recognised in governing the use of certain
I am increasingly inclined to suspect that signs. The reasons for this will become ap-
graphic reasons played a larger part than is parent at various stages in this paper.
9

_ , , 68 )ot+-
It should be noted that as a result of furthet' t'eading and a more complete

acquaintance with the phonetic phenomena at Edfu, the index incorporates
some slight modifications in the origins of a few signs as compared with
those given in the original study : where these modifications are of importance
they are indicated in the footnotes. Advantage has been taken of the pre-
paration of the index to insert a few additional alphabetic signs that were
not included in the original list. All these additional signs are of rare occur-
rence. The details of their use and origin will be found in the footnotes.
The small letters inserted above the line refer to the additional notes on
origins on pp. Bo-g 2. The index should be studied in conjunction with the
comments on pp. 92-97, which will help to place it in its true prespective
and to indicate its limitations. This index is only the first step towards an
analysis of the phonetic phenomena of the Edfu inscriptions, but it deals
only with one aspect of one portion of the evidence and is therefore neither
complete nor final.
PTOI,EMAIC (E D FU) gQUIVALENTS

NORMAL ~
SIGN CONFUSION
DJ SECT PHONETIC CHANGE
.AND ERROR
\. {}(2gb) ........... (t27b)
( 168 a) ... (t6g) ~ (21gc); "(3t5b)
~ J(73b), ~(?4b) ~ {t68 b) ~ ( 1 89 e)
(219 a) j(t54a), ft'l(t56) ~(2o8b)

)t ( qg)
) (228), -- (229)
- (233a), 1m3 (235b), =-= (246b)
rAI (244)
"(3t5a)

PTOLEMAIC (EDFU) E;QUIVALNNTS
~OilMAL
SIGN
DIRECT
- CONFUSION'
PHONETIC CHANGE
AND Rll ROR
~ J<> ( 16 a) ~(t68c) "'--J(t28a)

( 127 a) """(t5), lf,.......l ( 129), (3ota) ~(219e) 1(266r)
- ( t6o)
~(b) (t8g d)
m( g5 d) 1
-- (255), ---(25fi)
(3t8)
) 1
\_,( ), ~ ( t85 a) ( (t67b)
(187a) W (22o) ' . .(r) ( 226)

~ (264)
l(29o)
111 (3t4c)
(3t6a)
J +( ~ (3t)
t35)
=(t66c)
1(266b)
~ (2tgg)
(3ot b),
a)
(13ft
w (268)
~ (tlt6)
+(t64a)
"! (2) (-)
~ (17oa), (qta), ~ (t8o), K

~ (t8t), ~ (t82)
(267a)
<'> See Annales du Service, 43, 286, No. 5, Pl. 3 72) bflnt "pylon". Origin: J~ 1"! b:
and in particular note 1 on p. 72 below. "leopard skin" (Wb. d. iig. Spr., I, ftt5 :
.-w. (II, 61, 2 =XII,
<'l Only in "!et'";, Urk., I, 127, t) .
Bulletin, t. XLIII. 10

PTOLEMAIC (EDFU) EQUIVALENTS
NORMAL ~
SIGN CONt'USJON
DIRECT PHONETIC CHANGE
AND ERROR
I __.-(d) (116 ), ~ (t q), ...... (118 ), J(134 b)

(266 a) ..... (ttg), . , (t20)
+(t64b) () ( 3o5)
* (3o6)
~ ( qo h)
~ (3), i (4), ~ (5), ) (6), .(I) (t65) ~ (3t6 d)

( 192 a)
j (2o), ~ (21), j (22), J(23),
1 (24), j (25), 1' (26), 1 (27),
1 (28)
~ (tg3g)
Pl The precise origin of this value is not country ; ! ~ (II , 2 1 8 , 8 ) ?tm.f "his
quite clear, but I imagine that some phonetic l
Majesty"; ~. (H, tglt, 6) m ~ri-ib.f
factor was at work (cf. Annates du Service, "in its middle". These three examples
a3, 2 6 a, n. XXXIV). Three additional have been collated with the photograph in
examples of =f have come to my notice : XII, Pl. 3 88 .
tJ t:: (II, 2 1 8, 5) Fk-[trt, name of a

PTOLEMA!C (EDFU) EQUIVALENTS
NORMAL
CONFUSION
SIGN Ill R EC T PHONETIC CHANGE
AND ERROR
\.(11 }(H)(17d), ~ (18),} (tg) J

(t3b c)
.,........ (127c), .....__. (t3o), ..__, (t3t) ,._.,. (\!} ( 2 !!5 b)
(173a)
-.. (t33) $j(27tb)
. = (t66a), 7f' (1il7), ""f;f (t38)
~ (tlilt), "M (tb5a)

h (t52), ~ (t53)
~ ( t62)
~ (q4), lA (q5 a), ~ (q6 a),
~(177), ~(q8)
~ (202), ~ (2ob)
~(3) ( - )
- (239 e)
=-= (246 a)
""""'(263)
--> (278), 1 (2 79)
j(285a), -'f(286), ~(287)
1(289 b)
(3o4b)( 4)
111111111(3t3a)
<'I The equation == = m is to be deleted value is more likely to be due to phonetic
from the list of alphabetic signs (Annales du change than to originate in mw as originally
Service, 43, 238, No. 2lt8f). I now feel suggested (Annates du Service, lt 3, 2 3 7,
that it is most unlikely that == should be No. 245 (b) and 278, Note LXV).
equivalent to m by phonetic change from (SJ Only noted in~ rnr(w)t ''love''
= = nin view of the fact that the change (IV, 1 o 2, 7). Origin : ~ ..:.. rnnt "sky,
from ,._.,. n to m appears generally to occur firmament''; first suggested by Drioton in
when - is followed by b, p or m: see further PIANKOFF, Le Livre du Jour et de la Nuit, 1 o 5.
p. 9 2 below. In No. 248 (f)= is biliteral <'J In view of p. 92, n. 3 and 4, this
=
mr (cf. Annates du Service, !t3, 286, No. 6). value is more likely to be derived on the
This value does not appear to be common Consonantal Principle from rnnw "pot, jar"
at Edfu, but it occurs occasionally as in than by phonetic change from nw or in;
mr(wt) .k "love of thee" (VIII, 58, 2). cf. Annates du Service, 43, 286, No. 8.
<J In view of note lt on p 9 2 below this
10.

-Ho( 72 )oH-

NORMAL ~
SIGN CON~' US! ON

DlBECT PHONETIC CHANGE
.AND ERROR
=~.o6b) +(222 b),

(21t5 a) ~ (223)
J (16b), } (qa) 't (q3b)l 1 1 3o2 b),
l(.l(h) (
(h)(3o3 e)
J(48b) T(28Sb) e (3 q d)
J (88), u(8g), ~ (gt), J (97),
~(g8a)
~(122)
~ ( t43), ~ (3o4 a)
..L. (t5t), ~ (t55)

t (2o8 a) , 1- (22' 1)
e;;;, (235a), =(248e), ~(262)
!ll (262 a)
- (270)
~(271a)
<'l The suggestion that'\,. may be equiva- VI, 6 8, 2 is not quite exact, however, for
lent to n is to be deleted from the list (An- ~ \.. J:: ~ is not "abri de toiture,
nales du Service~ 43, 2 2 6, No. q 6 (b) ; cf. vigie' ', which means nothing. The original
pp. 286, No. 5, 3o 7, No. 2). The parallel meaning of lbw is "booth" and hence by
J
phrase~ ~;:.: :;t ~~; (11, 121, g) extension "shelter, protection" but here
indicates that ~ '\,. J- c:J (VI, 68, 2) is and in similar passages it is clear that ibw
is practically synonymous with "wall" which
to be read lbw as originally suggested by
Dr. Drioton (Bulletin de l'Institut d'Egypte, is the best translation ; cf. the parallelism
2 5, 1 1, n. (.f), the apparent inversion being in 11, 1 o 7, 2 and see ~ j ~ fl t
~ (II,
due to the fact that '\,. is a correction and q 7, q) "excellent wall of copper" . ...._
-n
addition (cf. Annales du Service, 4 3, 3 o 7, is an error for : ; '~ t ''stone'', c:J and
No. ,2). Dr. Drioton's interpretation of being often confused. The correct trans-

--++( 73 ) -

NORMAL
SIGN CONfUSION
Um ERROR
NEGATIVE(IJ
J (t6b)} (qa)
(122)
n(ul3), n(t24), 1\ (12s), A (126)
~ (q2)
t (w8a)
lation is "wall of stone round about Egypt" (shelter) of copper round about the court of
(VI, 68, 2) and "wall of stone round about Harakhte' '. I am therefore inclined to re-
Upper and Lower Egypt" (II, 1 2 1 , g). commend the deletiol;l of ~ = w from the
The reference is to the common conception list of alphabetic signs; cf. p. 6g above.
of the king or a god as a wall of stone or <'l My original suggestion that~ (No. 1g6)
copper about Egypt or a city (cf. VI, 1 3, 5 ; and L (No. 1g 7) were simple ~ is to be
75, 6, 1ft; II, 107, 2). abandoned in favour of the revised reading
J -
Although in ~ ~ c-J and m the n r~ put forward in Annales du Service, lt 3,
words quoted in Annales du Service, lt3, 2 8 6, 3 o 7, No. 3. An additional example of this
No. 5 it is suggested that ~ is equivalent value occurs in L:);;'\(C.
D. 1 III, 102, g)
to} , it should be noted that the use of~ n r~tw dtk "thy body is not known".
in these words is due to a misunderstanding Dr. Drioton's strictures (Annales du Service,
of the hieratic form of,, and Dr. A. H. l! 3, 3 4 4, No. 1 5) on my tentative suggestion
Gardiner points out to me that MuLLER, for the origin of the inaccurate value ~
Hieratische Paliiographie, II and Ill, Nos. 13 8, are, however, hasty and inexact, for at Den-
t3g leaves no doubt on the subject. Hence dera there is at least one example of ~ re-
it would appear to be more accurate to con- placingt "Hathor" in~;.-, (C.D.,IV,
sider ~ not as alphabetic w but as the 2 6 4, 1 5) Efwt-lfr ~nti
'lwnt "Hathor pre-
phonetic determinative fb in ~ J~ - c-J , eminent in Dendera". Similarly mitself
~ j ~if (cf.~ J~if, VI, 2So, 12)
and ~ +~ ~ and as determinative of
small animals in ) : ~ ;; ; cf. also the
late hieratic spelling U>t c-J for ibw
occasionally replaces both
'j ~m
"Ihy, son
(Mam., g2,
. .... ..
t and\ :-e. g.,
14) 'l~y s~ lfwt-lfr
of Hathor", ~ t ~ m(Mam.,
218, g) lfr-sm~-t~.wy p(q brd s~ lfwt-lfr
"booth" (quoted by GRDSELOFF, Das iigyp. "Harsomtus the child, son of Hathor", and
tische Reinigungszelt, l! 6, l! 7). Note also t m;:: (C. D., Ill, 101, g) flwt-lfr nbt
the description of the enclosure wall of Edfu '/wnt irt R' "Hathor, Mistress of Dendera,
as ~ ~ .~. J [lJ l ~ ~ ~ ~ (VI, 6, Eye of Re' ".
5-6) lbw n bi~ ~~ ?t~y(t) n lfr-~!Jty" wall

NORMAL
SIGN
----------------.------;----
PTOLEMAIC (EDFU)
DIRE C'l'
1
EQUIVALEN,TS
PHONETIC CHANGE
CONFUSION
AND SRROR
~(I) ~ (62)
(114a)
~ (3) ( 3o 4 c)
.J11e(t48)
~ (t85b)
fi] }( (t86b)
(254 a)
(l) <in the circumstances it is obviously (lit. outer) land" (cf. KO~) and ._t. (VI,
difficult, if not impossible, to indicate to 75, 8) br.wy "eye-balls" (cf. R.~>.~).
what extent, if any,= either by itself or in 1'1 Only noted in t ;-:sJ_1 11(VII, 116,
combination with - . is equivalent to l. 3) rnnw(t) "young women". Origin :
Some possible instances have been indicated variant of < =
in the detailed list of alphabetic signs (An- 3
( : This use is restricted : it occurs only
nates du Service, 43, 217, No. t14 (b) and in spellings of mhn (old mhr) "milk jug",
237, No. 245 (c). It is very probable that where it appears to be regular (cf. IV, 1 9,
. J=f=M--
<:> = l Ill -::-:-' I .1\ ~ (Ill, 2 4 2 , 1 ; 2; 199, 3; VII, 226, 9; Mam., 32, 2).
cf. Ill, 188, 16; VIII, 66, 11 ), var. Note that in the verb mhr "suckle" = is
-::-:- eJeiLU (VII, 58, 1 o) t~ b(n)r "foreign retained (e. g., IV, 198, 5; VII, 285, 1).

PTOLEAIAJC (EDFU) EQUIVALENTS
NORMAL
CONFUSION
SIGN DIRECT I'HONETIC CHANGE
.ANO EIIROR
-------- --------------- ------ -----
If (7), 'f (8), ~(g), ftl (to), _(I) (t63r)
(297) fiifl (11), ~ (t2), fJj (t3),
fiiU. ( d!)
J (t6c)
(tt3a)
.._(j) (t59), '(236)
- (239 d),
(21Jo),
'(21Jt)
<'l It is not impossible, of course, that in established beyond all possibility of doubt,
l ::: (I, 3 2 7 , 1 5) ~wt-ntr and similar but the parallelism between such writings as
spellings - is not simple ?t but biliteral f~ttt (1, !132, 11 =XII, PI. 3lq) and
~(w)t. ~~t(( (I, 43o, t6 =XII, PI. 34t)~'w
<'l The. alphabetic nature of and f, "flesh" renders it not unlikely.
though quite probable, is not in my opinion

---..( 76 )-c+-

NORMAL
SIGN CONFUSION
AND ERitOB

(317 a)
j ( 16 d), } ( 17 b) - ( t63 b) (225),
@ (258),
fll (262 b)
"- ( 20 1) ~ ( 198 b) "'J" (Z) ( 161)
~ (2o9a), ! (210 a), ~ (2tt), ~(t89b) -(243b)

c! (212), 41! ( 21 3)
t(l) (216 b) =(247b),

""""" (248 b),
= (249b),
GO (259 b),
= (26ob),
~ ( !.!St)
~T~ (227)
-(233b)
.. (-)(2)
+(276) ~ (3t6c)
-
( 163 a)
~ ( 198 a)
(3o3d)
!(2o9b),!(21ob)
= (248 c)
G(3qb)
('l See above p. 63, n. 5. - ('l Only noted in:-::;)~ (V, 233, t5) Fnf!w <~ Phoe-
niCians >>. Origin: phonetic change; cf. Annates du Service, 43, ~q6, Note LII.

NORMAL
SIGN CONFUSION
DJ R F.CT PHONETIC CHANG~
A:fD IRftOft
-
(257),
j(t6e), j(qc)
n-(t4o), -:T-(tftt), --<t-(!lg3)
""""' ( 248 d)
A (t54b)
~(t85c)
(273)
(m) ( 191 a)
"'t (tg3e), WlR (tg4b)
~(222a)
lllf\* (274), 111111111 (3t3b),- (275)
~ (2g5), ~ (2g6)
t (3tg), :: :(1) ( - )
'J'f' (t3g), = (247a), = (24ga),

e(3qc)
ll!E!l(25o),- (251), CD(25ga),
( 2A8 a) =(26oa)
~(t8ga)
!I!I1 (:l05), .hl!l (2o6), l!ltt (2o7)
<~.(3t6b)
---------------------------------------------1----------ll
... (2) U(121b)
(21t2 a) ~ (t45 c)
'"t (272 c)
--(2ggb)
(3o3c)
1
<> In : : : ~ (I, 3 7 2 , 7 = XII, PI. 3 2 6) (cf. Cop tic c ooy).
111111 . .
8mw "vegetation"; cf.; !!l (VII, 7h, t6), <> ~ is mechanically substitued for ...r in
var. ; : (VII, 58, 1 1) snwt "Egypt" . t? t?~ f wnm "eat" (cf. Annales du Ser-
. . : n , 1n" 1 818, ( w ) , oId srsw, " SIX
0 ngm . " vice, a3, 2 29, No. tg5 (e)).
1 111

NORMAL
SIGN CO :'I FUSION

AND ERROR
"-""> U(121a) {)(I) ( 2 14)
(299a) 'M(t45b) A(242b)

m(t95 a) (3o3b)
"'(272 a) ,..(3oob)
._ (299r)
(302a) -'- (3ooa) m(196 b)

(3o3 a) A(242c)
"a(272b)
.. ) (t83a), ) (t84) ~ (188b)

(307 a)
"-(192b) ~(128b),
-(132b)
1( 1 99) "'\ ( 193d)

- (230 a), -:::- (231 a) J (21'6)
t (2 8 4 a), I 2
l ) (-) ._. ( 2 3 9 c)
j(288a) =(294b)
c:o (3o8), f (3o9), I (3to), (311) ~ (3t2 b)
.,(3) ( - )
"(3t5c)
1'1 For a possible instance of & being 3

11In tf ~ '}f twr "purifier" (VII,
used for K cf. Annates du Service, lt 3, 2 7 6, 2 8 2, 1 5 ; cf. VII, 2 56, 1 6 ; 2 57, 5),
n. LVIII. Origin : phonetic change from the phono-
1'1 Only in ~~: 1
(Ill, 262, 3) for gram ~~ in ... ) t~w "breath". The
tw~ " column, pillar ". Origin : j t~ sail is already phon. t~ in .l:; t~ -wr
"kiln". "Abydos" (V, 2 9 3, 1ft).

- - ( 79 )-c+--
PTOLEMA!C (EDFU) EQUIVALENTS

NORMAL
CONFUSION
SIGN DIRECT PHOnTIC CHANGE
AND ERROR
= 5f(t62) -(t32c)
(294 a) ~(t88a) )(t83b)
' ( (tg3 c)
- (230 b),
=
1
= (232),.
(234)
(281 b)
J (283 a)
j(288b)
- ( 3o7 b)
...... A (312 a) ~(tg3b)

(132a) - (23o c),
-:::- ( 23 1 b)
- (23H b)
y (282), J (283 b).
t(284b)
j(288c)
= (296 c)
-(3o7c)
~.

-(23ga) -(132d)
(193a) 1 (281 a) J (t54c)

~ ( 188 c)
j(288d)
= (2g4 d)
- ( 3o7 d)

--...( 80 )ot-t-
C. Notes on the Origins of some Alphabetic Values.
(a) Dr. Drioton's discussion of J = (I) completely misrepresents my remarks.

In my note on this value (2) I pointed out that the word ~} is known from
the Old Kingdom, reference being made to an article by Grdseloff( 3l, and
that a similar word ~ J is recorded by the Worterbuch. AB this material
was included in my original manuscript which was lent to Dr. Drioton and
utilised by him before it went to the printer, though I was unable to insert the
precise page reference to Grdseloff's paper until the proof stage. Dr. Drioton
could easily have obtained the fullest information from either Grdseloff or
myself, but instead he chose to suppress the evidence of the long history. of
this word. His insinuation that the word ' "child" does not occur at Edfu
is quite unfounded (cf. for instance 7J Matn., 38, 19), l only quoted the
Dendera example because I considered it to be the clearest example at my
disposal and the one most easily to be appreciated by the student unfamiliar
with Ptolemaic. My suggestion stands therefore and is certainly much better
than Dr. Drioton's alternative.
(b) Dr. Drioton's note on ~ =' (4)
well illustrates the way in which he denies
to others what he takes for himself. He denies that ~ could represent the
arm of the bird, which he claims must be the whole wing, yet in the same
breath he suggests that ~ =' could be derived from either ..... or ~ ...
What is sauce fot' the gander is sauce for the goose and the arguments that
he produces against my suggestion apply with double force to his.
Dr. Drioton's argument is in fact quite mistaken. The wing of the bird
was certainly regarded as its arm. This fact is illustrated by such writings
as::=:;: (Ill, 201, t3), ::.:: .. (VII, 21, t4) and!!: (IV, 3tg, to)
and is implicit in numerous passages too common and too well-known to
need q notation. ~ was also regarded as the wing, and hence as the arm,
by application of the process by which a part of a thing is used to denote
the whole (see below p. 1oft). This is obvious from the employment of the
(I) Annates du Service, 43, 34!!, No. 1.- (> Annates du Service, 43, !149, n.u. - (J) Annates
du Service, 4!1, 114.- ' > Annales du Service, 43, 344, No. 11.

-Ho( 81 )oH-
feather~ to write gs "side" e.g. r~li (III, 83, 7) gs wnmli "my right
side", and from such phrases as ~"'-f.:_ ~ ~ j + iT
L! ~ (VII, 2 5, 1 5-
t6) "his arms at'e around his father, protecting him with his great wing",
and :-~}a ~ ~ ~} ~ ''who makes shadow with her wings" (Louvre C.
1 1
286, tlt=B.l.F.A.O., 3o, 7l11). At Edfu the use of.,... as determinative

of swt is not rare, cf.~,.:. swt (VI, t5, 2), H~~7.., (IV, 56, 6)
l~n swt.
It should be noted, however', that the reading ', which is based on
the solitary example ~ ~ ~.,... (VI, 7 7, 1 o), is not quite certain. In our
translation and commentary on the passage in which it occurs Professor
Black man and I have suggested the reading apt (J. E. A., 2 9, 1 8,
note m). In suggesting the alternative reading 'pi I have been influenced
by the assonance and alliteration between 'pl and 'bb, but it is still an
open question which of the proposed readings 'pi or bpl is the correct one.
(c) In spite of Dr. Drioton's t'emar'ks (IJ, no one will doubt that the use of
.._ for w is due to an error on the part of the scribe. It will be noted in
passing that Dr. Drioton cannot even reproduce the true form of.._ as it
occurs in the Edfu example nor the correct J ,__, of the cryptogram, which
is the form that occurs in the original and which Dr. Drioton c0rrectly t'e-
produced in his original study (2l. This is not a quibble, for the precise
form of signs is always a matter of paramount importance and the difference
between e and 0 may be of significance in determining the true value of
e, assuming that wbn is the correct reading.
Dr. Drioton himself has pointed ou~ (3) that e occasionally acts as a sub-
stitute for ~ (4J, as in "i' .) J> nffn (5J, and claims that e is equivalent to n in
certain cryptogt'ams (BJ. It seems probable to me that the equation e = ~
Pl Annales du Service, 43, 34 5, No. 19. tl Louvre C 6 5, 1 1 = DRIOTON, Revue

tl In PIANKOFF, Le Livre du Jour et de la Nuit, d' Egyptologie, I, pl. lt.
85. tJ Cf. the list in Revue d'Egyptologie, I, 38,
(JJ Revue d'Egyptologie, I, 38, n. !1. No.3g,andcf.pp.45,No.t22,46,No: 127.
t'lThe opposite process by which an original A certain proportion of these, however, are
is replaced by ~ is very well known, e. g. certainly not equivalent to n.
~7 for r:-.
Bu1letin, t. XLll I. 11

-t+( 82 )-e-t-
arose from a simplification ot misunderstanding of the semi-hieratic form of
1 such as occurs in the palette of Nehemawy (I) in~ hnw (B. 66, p. 1 7),
r6--- snm (B. 68, p. 17) and ~ 0 nw (B. 88, p. 17 ). Thus in J-

the sign e may act for and have the value wb as in Ptolemaic : l wbn.
At Edfu occasionally replaces e as in ~ (II, 6o, 1 o =XII P:l. 371) nw
''moment".
(d) In my discussion of the origin of..---.= p I suggested that eventually it

might prove to be an as yet unknown word *pwl or *p:i(2l. Dr. Drioton has
now drawn attention to a word )( ~ ~ ....... "fecondateur" l3 ) which he suggests
is the basis of the writing~ (Ill, go, 3),;,; (IV, 218, tlt.t6) ~'-pi=
"corps qui crache (?) ". He insists, howevet', that ..---. = p is obtained by
acrophony form psg "spit".
Dr. Drioton's explanation of the writing S ''Nile" is not convincing. His
suggestion "corps qui crache" demands an Egyptian *~ 'tv psg hut the trans-
literation he gives is ~'-pi. It is clear that the word 8 is composed of the
two elements ~' tV and ....... pwi or p~i which have been reduced, by the loss
p
of weak consonants, to ~' and pi respectively. T bus the spelling does not
give a complete phrase but, as is so often the case, is the result of a com-
bination of phonograms.
Such spellings as S testify that ....... and its variants ~ometimes bore the
value pi. At Edfu there are also a few instances in which ....... is certainly
equivalent to pm as a writing of } in the forms ~ (I, 2 3, 8. g), and ...~...
(I 2 2, 1 2 =XI, PI. 2t5). This value is also found in cryptograms in ..---.
ptv {4) and f1 pw( 5l.
'fhete is no necessity to assume that pw, pi must have had independent
origins, on the contrary il is more probable that they had a common origin.
It will be realised also that though a Ptolemaic sceibe might write }, ~
tt) Revue d'i.gyptologie, I, pi. 2. In the Rapport sur tes Jouilles de Medamoud ( 1 9 2 5).
three words next quoted the references are Les Inscriptions, Le Caire 1 g 2 6, p. 1 1 7.
to the pages of Dr. Drioton 's paper and to his {'i Revue d'Egyptologie, I, pp. 5, 6, 7 and 8,
numbering of the signs. Nos. A. 3g, 45, 8o, 181, 187.
''' Annates du Service, 4 3, 3 o 4. l'i Revue d'Egyptologie_, I, p. 5, Nos. 61
< l Annates du Service, 43, 336, n. 1, quot-
3
and 70.
ing inscription 2 7 5 from Medamud = DnioroN

-Ho( 83 )+t-
or "~~, this was only a concession to tradition in writing, and the current
pronunciation was undoubtedly akin to or identical with ne. The history
of I} itself, I})}(~\,) ne, Or such writings as }( ~ (111, g4, 5 ), n
~~~~.'.(VII, 5o, 2), 1e~' (I, t47, g) p~yw "birds", or J(~n~-,
~ 1 ~~-(V, 4g, 5) 1 e ~~-=(Pap. Boulaq, VI, 11, 4=MARIETTE, Les Papyrus
egyptiens dtt Musee du Boulaq, I, 3 5) p ~ i ''copulate, beget'', demonstrate that
there is nothing inherently improbabie in postulating a common origin for
pw and pl. What seems to be quite impossible is that, the existence of the
phonograms ptv and pl being assured, alphabetic p should have originated
in yet another word psg, a suggestion that is manifestly unreasonable and
improbable. I should now be inclined to explain the alphabetic value p as
originating in the phonograms pi, pw, the exact origin of which is still
unknown.
Dr. Drioton's I(~~ ...... is interesting but it must be treated with caution
for the present. It is clearly a variant of }( ~ ~ ~ ,_ p;l, .....~ being used
because there is a tendency for it to replace - in certam words,. I am
slowly accumulating a considerable amount of material on the very interest-
ing, and sometimes surprising, uses of ...... and until this study is completed
I feel it is as well to he cautious before giving any final opinion on whether
the phenomena revealed by }( ~ ~ ...... are sufficiently typical and fundamental
to justify conside1ing it as the origin of p. Similar caution must be exer-
cised in considering the occasional use of ~ in such word~ as o : : p1 (J)
"come forth" and_!. ...... (IV, gg, 6) p~ "fumigate, offer incense", and it
is for this reason that hitherto I have delibeeately eefrained from mentioning
them when discussing the probable ori_gin of ~ p.
(e) Dr. Drioton denies that ~ = p is an error for + and suggests'' une va-
leur tiree de ~ ( Worterbuch I, 4 go) (2), mot qui designe precisement ce genre
de petits vases ronds (3)." This specious suggestion might just possibly
he plausible hut for two little faets : (a) the gm up ~ has nothing
whatever to do with l i , which normally has a strictly specialised use, and
Pl Pap. Mag. Harris (Harris 5o 1 ), 6, 12 ; Dr. Drioton 's inaccurate reference to the
8, 5. Worterbuch.
('l I have taken the liberty of correcting (S) Annales du Service 43, 3lt6, No. 2.6.
11.

-e( 8ft )ot+-
Dr. Drioton's assertion that it describes the -type of pot is. pure invention
and imagination (l), for the texts quoted by the Worterbuch say nothing of the
sort; (b) the word : does not exist.
Since Dr. Drioton quotes the Worterbuch, it may he assumed that he has
taken the elementary precaution of verifying and studying the texts which it
quotes and has based his remarks on them. According to the references
given by the Worterbuch (2 ) the word : occurs in ~ 3
) and ~ ~ Jr: (
4
). 1(
These phrases are merely variants of a common and steteotyped title of scenes
that occm in all late temples. At Edfu it is found in the forms~: (IV, 88, 6:
var. IV, 2uu,
12); r:~ (VI, 282, t5), var. r!!!71
(Ill, 291, 15;
varr. IV, 3.48, 6; VII, g3, 6; cf. also VI, 343, 7). In certain examples of
this scene the title is written out in full with the complete \VI'iting of the
name of the vase: ~:;r: (V, 206, t3), ~-x-)(~~ (V, 6g, t3;
varr. V, 377 t3; 3th, 8; cf. also V, 257, 6). There is no doubt at all
that these abbreviated and full writings are only vatiants of the same general
title. In half the examples quoted the accompanying texts specifically call
the vase~ (V, 38t, g; varr. V, 257, 7; IV. 348, 7; V, 206, tU; VI,
282, t6; VII, g3, 7). Thus study of the material quoted by the Worter-
buch, which could have been checked by Dr. Drioton, demonstrates that
the word : p does not exist and that the group is to he read p(~) mnw( 5l.
Dr. Drioton has once more failed to study his signs or to check his material
and error for + remains as the only reasonable explanation of this use
of (6 l.
The chances that this explanation is correct are strengthened by the fact
that+ itself sometimes replaces , e. g. as ideogram bnbt ''beer" (V, t3t, 7)
(IJ :i: is used once, however, instead of i as a few minutes search in the four volumes of
the ideogram mnw (V, 6g, 1 7). CHASSINAT, Le Temple de Dendarah will reveal
C'J In addition to the two immediately fol- identical facts.
lowing examples, the Wiirterbuch quotes L. D., C'l As a matter of interest I would point out
IV, 76 d. All these examples are from Den- thaU= is used for+in ~:i: (I, 1 o3, t3)mnMb.
dera. Since I have not collated or checked this pas
3
<> L. D., Text, 11, 2 21. sage it is not to he accepted unquestioningly
C'J C.D.,III, S7, t5=MARIETTE,Denderah, and I have no intention of stressing it. Never-
II, 66 b. theless, I have no valid reason for suspecting
5
< > I have limited my examples to Edfu, hut that the copy is defective at this point.

-t+( 85 )ot-t--
or as detenninati ve of ~ :i irp (V, 1 3 2 , 8), and replaces , 't, :i: as det. of

~ + md (C. D. , IV, 1 o 2 , 2 ; cf. 53 , 1 4 , 1 5 ; 1 o 2 , 7 ; 2 3 3 , 8 ; 2 6 6 , 1 lt , etc,).
Moreover, and :i: sometimes replace + as in ~ ~ /+ :i '.' (VII, 3 2 3, 7)
ibw n ll~kw-lb, and:~:,', (C. D., IV, 62, q) ibw,!...! (C. D., IV, 8t, 6) ibk.
+is also wrongly written for n in ;: f i (Mam,, 11 9, 1 5) il'ltv nj wd~w
''amulets are made for him".
(f) Note the extreme simplicity and impropriety of the method employed
by Dr. Drioton(IJ to discredit the derivation of ( p fromlpt "com-measure".
I<:'irst, he calls (a
"vase", which it is not; next, he advances a stage fur-
ther and speaks of "le vase penche qui laisse echapper l'eau" regardless of
the fact that this is not what ( is doing; then he dtags in a reference to
f which has no connection with(, and so easily and triumphantly arrives
at a derivation by acrophony from pnl! ''to pour a liquid", which is not what
is depicted by (
The facts are quite different. ( is itself a corn-measure ftom which
corn is being poured and is an infrequent vatiant of Ptolemaic /....... At Edfu
( ....so meti mes alternates with,.... (2), and often occurs as ideogr~m (VI, 1 6 3 , 8)
and determinative (VI, 162, t3) of~~i "measure", as ideogram lt"corn"
( l V, 1 5 , 5), bdt "spelt" (V li, 2lt 2 , 1 1; cf. IV, 8 , lt-5; VII, 2lt 2 , t 2) and as
determinative of numerous words for grain, harvest, etc. There is not the
slightest necessity, therefore, to suspect or abandon the origin I have sug-
gested. Dr. Drioton's argument is an admieable illustration of how, in his
blind endeavour at aB costs to prove the non-existent principle of acrophony,
he entirely ignores the nature and uses of signs and distorts and manipulates
the evidence.
(g) Dr. Drioton's remarks on .} =m (3) me quite beside the point and mis-
taken. All his protests cannot alter the fact that } is a legitimate substitute
for J :4l, that ~ r
J is not a rare Ptolemaic word for "child", derived from
3
<'J Annales du Service, 43, 346, No. '.!3. <J Annales du Service, 43, 34'.!, No. 3.
<'J E.g.";~~,.... (Ill, 149, 14), ";,....~.. J
<J Thus ~ T (IV, 37, 5) is given as ~}
(VI, '.! 61, 6) for npr "corn". in the parallel passage (V, 2 5, 11).
Bulletin, t. XLIII.

-+to( 86 )+t-
the older ~--:= J (I), and that _!; replaces J as early as the Old Kingdom, e. g.
in the personal name ~ = _!; ~ ~ (2l. The fact that the phonetic value im is
t
implicit in _!; is clearly shown by such writings as ~ ~ ~ _!; ___ (3), ~ = ~ ~ t
~ _!; ~ (4) for H~ J(5) im~ "charm", "grace", where it is clear that_!; is writ-
ten because it is the phonetic determinative im, for }'I has nothing to do with
im~ and is hardly a legitimate substitute for J. mr _!; '1l cannot be regarded
as the correct word of origin '' dans les meilleures conditions d'exactitude et
d'emploi" because it does not comply with the phonetic rules that govern the
creation of alphabetic values.
(h) The careful reader will realise that Dr. Drioton has not proved that
acrophony was ''le procede normal de signification (6 )" since his arguments
are not only wrong but are based on material that is defective and inadmiss-
ible. Even if he had proved his point, it would have had no bearing on
the question of how ZJ and the more common acquired the value n. It
cannot be emphasised too strongly that mere search in dictionaries to find
words that suit a parliculal' theory does not solve the problem of Ol'igins : in
all cil'cumstances the first essential is to study the original signs, and not their
printed forms, in form, context and use. A glance at original Ptolemaic texts,
or at good photographs of them if the original is not accessible, will show
that while a form rather like ~ is in use, a very common form has no real
resemblance to ~ but is closest to , the two forms being at times almost in-
distinguishable. This fact afl'ords the simplest and most direct explanation
of the fact that both ZJ and occasionally replace ~. It is, moreover, the
PI Not ~--:= J as inaccurately given by the scribe could use J, J J or at will as

Dr. DRIOTON, loc. cit. The fact that J and j particular circumstances dictated.
are occasionally alphabetic m is to be explained (il Annale.~ du Service, 1 5, 2 3 o (VIth Dynasty,
by the fact that as Edfu is an Upper Egyptian Meir).

temple the scribe gave the sign a specifically (>i Pap. Anastasi I, 1, 6.
Upp~r Egyptian form by showing the~ crown. (i Pap. Anastasi I, 2, 5.
The same idea habitually prevails in the ('I Cf. the Ptolemaic ~ f j (C. D.,II, too,
writings of the 18th and 1 gth nomes of Lower 9 =MARIET'!'E, Denderah, II, 33 b) and other
Egypt, for whereas the latter is J , ~ the variants at Edfu and Dendera.
former is normally J.: (cf. I, 335, 3; IV, 11 Annates du Service, 43, 346, No. 25.
3 6, 2 ; V, 2 h, 1 3). It is clear that at all times

-Ho( 87 )ot+-
only explanation of the fact that 'sometimes replaces as in'> (V, 116, 8)
for the preposition > kr, and i>~,.,.... (V, 120, 8) for >~,.,.... gr~ ''cease''.
(i) Dr. Drioton's derivation from ==- J} 1-- "Libyan" (I) cannot
of~= 1'
be accepted. It would be interesting to know by what new and doubtless
subtle process he imagines that the value r can be wrung from a word in
which it is known that the initial -=- was equivalent to l. Dr. Drioton also
fails to bear in mind the fact that the name of the Libyan feather, which was
the mark of a chief, is known to us and occurs as <>=<. ~- ~ (2l. Moreover,
Dr. Drioton's statement that the feather is a Libyan characteristic is not exact.
Holscher (3) has demonstrated that the feather is not a characteristically Libyan
adornment hut is worn by Nuhians and negroes, and in general is" African"
and "western" in a wide sense. In early texts, such as the inscription of
Uni for instance, the feather is worn by Asiatics as well as Africans and is
to be seen in the determinatives (4) to n/:tsyw ( Urk. I, 1 ob , 1 2), '~mw ( Urk.
I, 101, g), l}~styw (Urk. I, 104, 12), s~rw-'nl} (U1k. l, tob, 3) and btkw
( Urk. I, 1 ob, 1 2) and it is surely superfluous to quote examples of ~ ms'.
Holscher points out that at Medinet Habu hardly any Libyans wear the fea-
ther (5l, and concludes that it is a sign of rank and is not specifically a mark
of race, certainly not of Libyan race. Cernfs suggestion still holds the field
as being both plausible and possible and is certainly not to be rejected in
favour of this fantastic flight of the imagination.
(j) Dr. Drioton (6) suppresses all reference to the suggestion I have made
concerning the way in which'- may have acquired the value /:tm( 7l. This is
inexcusable, for I communicated my suggestion to Dr. Drioton verbally (and
he considered it plausible) and he not only gave me the permission to quote
the evidence from the kiosk of Sesostris I, but offered to ask Dr. Abul Naga to
make the drawing for me and subsequently passed on to me Varille's example.
(I)Annales du Service, 344, No. 11. 'Inscription d'Ouni.
l'lPETRIE, Six Temples, PI. t4, 6; Urk., Ill, (S) HoLSCHER,'Op. cit., 42.
11, 15; l!o, 16; cf. Wilhelm HoLscHER, (&) Annales du Service, 43, 343, No. 6.
Libyer und Aegypter, 3 6. l'l AnnaTes du Service, 4 3, 2 8 4, additional

l'l HoLscHER, op. cit., 35-37. n. 2. A cross-reference to this note was in-
(I) For facsimiles of the determinatives em- serted in the sign list on p. 223 (No. t5g).
ployed see the plate accompanying TRESSON,
1 !l.

-Ho( 88 )oH-
Until I had realised the possible importance of the spellings of the place-
name lfw, the only origin that could he suggested for'- ~ was the phono-
gram ~w, the origin of which was unknown, and accordingly I quoted the
word ~}.::: which is the clearest example proving the existence of this value
and the example that is usually quoted. It was perfectly legitimate to do this.
It is unfortunately only too true that often we are still unable to quote
the word in which a given value originated. In such cases we can only
point out that the sign had a certain value and quote words that prove that
contention. Thus we do not yet know the origins of 1 t ( t~), f ~ (~~),
,_ n (nt), - m (mn) and l m (mn) and other signs, and we can only prove
that as phonograms they had certain values (which are inserted here in
brackets) from which the alphabetic values developed. Dr. Drioton's sug-
gestion that I t ( t~) originated in ; ~ Jl. (I) is untenable because he fails to
prove that this was ever specifically applied to the scarab and is condemned
by his own rule (which, however, I believe is purely fictitious) about rarety
of words (2), and by the genuine rule, based on fact, which has been enun-
ciated above on p. 5g, (e) (3l.
Dr. Drioton clearly does not consider himself bound by the rules that he
seeks to impose on others, for otherwise he could not propose H-=t from
.-_,) ~ ( ), a phrase of which he does not quote any Ancient Egyptian ex-
4
(I) Annales du Service, 43, 3lt5, No. 16. ' >. Annales du Service} 43, 3l!8. The Egypt-
(') Cf. Annales du Service} lt3, 342, Nos. 1 ian equivalent of "quelqu 'un qui est sur un
and 2, 344, No. t3. tr6ne" is not tpi stJ for Egyptian, as is proved
(J) The rule that any direct or indirect origin by hundreds of examples in the texts of all
must be supported by unequivocal Egyptian periods, uses either ~r or ~ri. Thus, to
evidence that it was directly applied to the sign quote only a few random examples from Edfu,
concerned was formulated many months be- we have .,!j~ ~(VI, 102, 4) ~ri .~tf
fore I had any knowledge of Dr. Drioton 's wrt; Tr:l (VI, 92, t5) '~' ?wsrlJ; TJl:
paper. It is a fundamental rule and is the ..,111o.
-~::-m
wl& V( 11, 121, t5)
1 , "-
~r stj (!Ill! st-wrt n
foundation of any scientific attempt to establish
the origins of phonetic values accurately and
[B~1dt;. T111 (VII, 38. 7 g; 129, b) ~r
securely. There is, of course, nothing new b~dwf; 'I .Jl (VII, 102, tt) ~rpfand very
in this rule ; we are all bound to act upon it, many other~ l have no record of any Edfu
even if we do not formulate it in precise terms. examples of tp Ol' tpi replacing ~r or ~~1 in these
Dr. Drioton 's arguments prove how necessary and similar passages: this is not surprising for tp
it is to stress this elementary rule and the has a somewhat different idiomatic significance
caution it embodies. from ~r.

-t+( 89 )oe-t-
ample. It might be easier to believe his rule about the rarety of words of
origin if Dt. Drioton himself acted upon it, but how many values in his
cryptograms does he not explain either by rare words or by invented phrases
fot' which he does not quote any direct parallel (lJ? The truth is that as
long as it is certain that a word existed in Egyptian, the fact that it seems
rare to us means nothing and is relatively unimportant. The decisive factor
in deciding whether a certain word can be considered as the origin of a
given value is not its frequency or ratety but its conformity with the rules
and the spirit of the language.
( k) In ordet. to disprove my suggestion that = h is an error for ~

.Dr. Drioton produces the new rule that error can only be admitted if all
examples come from passages that are indisputably faultily engraved (2l. The
absurdity of this rule is too obvious to need extended comment, errors can
occur at any point even in the best and most carefully written texts in any
languag~(sJ. is certainly confused with~, as in~~ t~ (VIII, 78, 2) for
('l It is DJ. D1ioton, for instance, the leader wils certainly writlen and corrected carefully,
of the crusade against ra1e words of origin, yet it contains errors in proof-reading. It is
who, in seeking for an origin of~= b, gives to be presumed that DJ. Drioton's paper in
his first p1eference to the non-existent word which he enunciates this absurd rule ~tas also
J ~ +, adding !hat if the reading b~sw is to
be abandoned, tlw origin is to he sought in
carefully written, yet it contains many eiTors,
e. g.~~~- and Q t
~ (p. 3.~6. note1),
fJ ~ ~ ~ (Revue d' Egyptologie, I, l10, No. 6 l1 J j for (p. 342, No. 3), b for b (p. 343,
and rtole 6 ). lri fact, there is no doubt at all No. 7, twice), L0. for..._ (p. 345, No. tg),
about the eading, for von Bissing's discussion o fol' e for =
J
of ~ + (Z. A. S., 4o, 97, quoted by D1.
Drioton himself) proves that these ~igns a1e to be
(p. 345, No. tg), -
( p. 345, No. 21) etc. Again he twice gives
--..(pp. il28, 336) instead of the correct form
read b~ sm' (for b~ "panther" cf. Peasant R. 14): . printed in his original study (Revue d'Egypto-
this is also the view of JV h. d. iig. Spr., I, 4 t5. logie, I, p. 5. A. 66 : thongh the conect form
It is to Dr. Drioton's h:sw (and to others of his does not exist in the fount he owed it to his
suggested origins) and not to the Yarious words readers to state that he was printing a substitute).
of origin that I have suggested, that his delight- Similarly, in anothe1 study he thrice gives --..
ful ph1ase "plus que I'ate" (Ann ales du Service, (Revue d'Eayptologie, I, p. t5, B. 3, B. 1 o;
43, 344, No. t3) could more fittingly be p. 17, B. 62) although the photograph ( op. cit.,
applied, for his choice, unlike mine, does not PI. 2) shows quite dearly that the sign bears
even exist and what could be 1arer than that? no resemblance to --.. and seems to be closest
(l Annales du Service, 63, 3 6 4, No. 1 2. to ~, .whid1 has a bearing on the coltect
''l My own paper on the alphabetic signs decipherment of the text. So too my own

------~+( 90 )-c+-
the correct I~ (VIll, 26, 1) and other variants, or in J; j ~~(VI, 47, 8)

' 'Isis the great''.
( l) The reader will not fail to notice that in discussing the origin of T in
! 1 b,(y )t Dr. Drioton confines his remarks to the consonant b, (l) whereas I
was concerned wit.h demonstiating that T = ~ (2). The probability of T being
an error foi' ~ or some related sign is increased by the fact that T clearly
retains a faint suspicion of the weak consonant that existed in ~yt, which
would be entirely lacking if~ were derived from hn. Dr. Drioton, moreover,
is in error in stating that the same usage is attested in the Coffin Texts, for
in the example which he quotes, ~ T. (3l = ~ ~, it is clear that T is not
alphabetic but, like ~ itself., is biliteral bn. Dr. D1ioton is peculiarly prone
in his cryptographic studies unnecessarily to convert multiliteral into unilit-
eral signs in orde1 to bolster up his theory of the alphabetic nature of cryp-
tographic writing and the acrophonic origin of its values. A very considerable
proportion of his supposed alphabetic signs and their acrophonic origin are
neithe1 the one nor the other.
(m) Dr. D1ioton's argument (4J against the origin of = s being s~ ''son"
is completely beside the point and will deceive no one. It is beyond all
dispute that from the Middle Kingdom was used as a synonym of s~ "son",
with the phonetic value s~, and hence could give rise to the alphabetic value
s on the Consonantal Principle. Dr. Drioton's criticism that cannot be the
collation of the original text of the cryptograms establish accUI'ate and faithful working copies,
of the rr Book of the Day and the Night~ in the is a vital one. It is quite hopeless to attempt
tomb of Ramesses VI shows that Dr. Dtioton's lhe decipherment of cJyptog1ams and Ptolemaic
published copy (in PJANKOFF, Le Liv1e du Jour texts or to suggest origins unless we can work
et de la Nuit, Bli-97), whicl:) differs in cetlain from faithful copies with such explanatory notes
details from Piankoff's correct copy. contains on exact forms as may be necessary. The
some forty errors : although most of the etrors mdinary teader will be excused for wondering
are merely small details in the forms of signs how accurate decipherments and correct origins
that do not materially affect the reading, others are to be derived from defective matetial.
are of real importance and significance, including <'I Annales du Service, lJ3, 3lJ3, No. 7 (this
as they do entirely wrong signs, omissions of errm is twice tepeated ).
signs, addition of signs that do not occur in the <'I Annates du Service, [j 3, 223, No. t6 t.
original and invetsion of the exact order of the <'I DE BucK, Coffin Texts, II, 25a.
signs, and the principle involved, the need to (IJ Annates du Service, t.3, 3lJlJ, No. 12.

- - ( 91 )ot-t-
origin because the egg represents not only "son" but" daughter" is nonsense
because it is an established fact that represents s! "son" alone and that
in order to write s~t ''daughter" it is necessary to add the feminine ending
and write ! s~t. by itself does not carry the value s~t nor does it express
the notion "daughter".
~~
The use of to designate "son" originates in Middle Kingdom hieratic
= _..._lt
as an abbreviation of~ (I), occurring in __. \:3 = ~
~ 3
r(
12
=
l ~ f~J ~ ~
f i } and other examples (l. ' therefore' is a substitute
llt
for ~, arising from the hieratic, and as such bears the value s~ in its own
right and was fully capable of acting as the origin of alphabetic s.
The subsequent introduction of s~ into hieroglyphic was due to the auto-
matic copying of a usage already consecrated by hieratic, though it is a
moot point whether its hieratic origin was always borne in mind. It is not
impossible that in later times s~ may have been interpreted as a sort of pun,
the egg from which the chick emerges being taken as a symbol of the chick
itself, which is the "son" of the bird, in much the same way as acquires
the value iml ''that which is in" (cf. the examples quoted below, p. 119,
note 1). I have already pointed out( 5l that swM "egg" is used as a syno-
nym of "child, son" in~~ "fn }t:~rJ'~ (IV, 3o2, 10-11), ::J)I
:~:/ J:J (V, 185, 1) in which the fact that sw~t is equivalent to "child" is
proved by the similar phrase ~}! -r'Jlt! (Cairo J. E. 85g32, 5 (6l),
the Edfu. examples providing a useful corrective to Dr. Drioton's somewhat
wild speculation on the meaning of the last quoted passage( 7l. The idea of
the egg sw~t being "son, child" is by no means uncommon: the king, for
example' is called r} r.
I! J; :1 ~ ~ \f (s). It is in keeping with and by a
<'J SErHE in Z. A. S., 4g, g6-7; MoLLER, Graffilo 45 (both wrongly tmnscribed ~ by
Hieratische Paliiographie, I, Nos. 216, 238. Anthes) and other examples quoted by SET HE,
<l Sinuhet, B. 3o = BLACK~IAN, Middle Egyp- loc. cit.
tian Stories, 1 5, 7; B. 14 2-3 = BLACKMAN, op. <l Annates du Service, 43, 271, Note XLIX.
cit., 2 8 , 1 1 6
( l Published by Da!OTON, Les Fetes de Bouto
< l Shiprvreclced Sailm, 189 = BLACKMAN, op.

3
in Bulletin de l'lnstitut d'Egypte, 25, 1-19.
cit., 4~, 4. <'J Bulletin de l'lnstitut d'Egypte, 2S, 6
<l Cf. for example GRIFFITH, Hieratic Papyri note (g).
from Kahun and Gurob, IX, 2 , 1 6 , 2 7 etc.; 81
< DE MoRGAN, Ombos, I, p. to3, No. 18o.
A'iTnEs,Hatnub, Pl.28 = Graffito 27, 1; Pl. 2lJ.=

--+-to( 92 )et-t-
fuether extension of the same general idea that the chick is called nmw
"child", e.g. 2e~m~~ (VI, 83, g), 1;::'~=~ (Mam., 97 11), cf.
"";'~(I).
D. Comment on the fndex.
It is hardly necessary to point out the interest and value of the analytical
index of the alphabetic signs in connection with phonetic changes in Ptole-
maic, but its impot'tance must not be exaggerated. The chief value of the
analysis and the full list of alphabetic signs on which it is based is as a sign-
post or indicatoe, but it would be unwise at present to employ it as the sole
or final authority for binding conclusions on consonantal changes. The sign
list is only an introduction to the study of the alphabetic signs and it lays no
claim to be anything more than a record of the signs that in certain citcum-
stances could replace the normal alphabetic signs at Edfu (2). It makes no
pretence of indicating in full what those cieeumstances were, but this is a
matter of real importance without which no conclusions of lasting value can
be reached. For instance, to quote one example only, the list records the
fact that,_, (No. '245b) and $1 (No. 271b)replaee ~.but no hint is given
as to how or when this takes place. This bare statement of fact assumes
quite a diffetent complexion when it is realised that, with very few excep-
tions (3l, practically every example of this replacement known to me at present
J
occurs before or (4J.
1
( 1 NAVILLE, Festival Hall, PI. 22. =(Ill, 87, 13; VII, 9, 9). $j ~(Ill, 66,
('I Annales du Service, 43, :~o3. 1o) mpt; -~(HI. 87, 1i:l; with $j VII,
3
( 1 b.$/!~(VI, 127, to)m;im~rnp't; :~63, 17) m B~dt; ,_, K (VII, 11, 2) m bik;
~::J :1:~* (IV, 3, 6) tjtftl m lm(t); ,~ (VII, 3, 7) m hi;; and in a number of
,.:$/j;: (l, 36, 14=XI, PI. 219) ~'m. other phmses. It is worthy of nole that the
Nt m Dp, and a number of examples where,_, same phenomenon is not generally to be observed
Ol' Zj are used fot m before ~. Writings in the case of , although there are a few
such as f !,_j 'f
(VI, 3o8, 13; the det. in examples, e.g. ~m (VI, 188, 2) m P, and
the original has the urreus) fol' s~mty do not ~~ (lV, 101, 9) m pr im:f Like-,
indicate any phonetic change in ,__.,the use is also used in p,_ 'f
(IV, :~55, 5) as an
of which shows that this word was aleeady indication of the phonetic change which Lhis
equivalent to "fxev-r. word had undergone.
(&J E.g.-~ (IV,2,4;VII,88,9),varr.

-t+( 93 )+t-
It is clear, therefore, that a full and accurate picture of the phonetic

changes shown by the alphabetic signs is dependent on a complete and ex-
haustive analysis of the circumstances in which they took place, and the mat-
erial which I have presented so far only matks the first stage in the enquiry.
Similarly, a complete presentation of the phonetic changes to be observed in
the inscriptions at Edfu cannot be made before the multiliteral signs and the
vocabulary of the inscriptions have been studied and analysed in detail. It
will be some time before this study can be finished, but it is already apparent
that when it has been completed we should be in a position to speak with
considerable, and perhaps unexpected, precision about the phonetics of Ptol-
emaic as revealed by the Edfu inscriptions.
The value of the hieroglyphic inscriptions of Edfu lies very largely in the
fact that they can be dated so precisely and within such narrow limits. The
building of the main temple was commenced in 2 37 B. C. (I), certain portions
were decotated between 21 2 and 2o 6 B. C. (2) and the decoration was com-
pleted by dt2 B. C. (3 ) The Pronaos was started in dto B. C. and was com-
pleted in 1 2 4 B. C. (tl) Finally, the foundations of the Forecourt, the Pylon
and the Enclosure Wall were laid in 116 B. C. (5) and the greater part of the
decoration was the work of Sotet II, Alexander I and Soter 11 after his return
from exile. The decoration was completed by Auletes in whose 25th year
(57 B. C.) the great doors in the Pylon were hung( 6), although I imagine that
the decotation must have been completed some years earlier since the dedi-
cation ceremony (swd k~t n nb-j) was celebtated in his 1 tth year( 7l. Thus
the temple was built and inscribed entirely within the Ptolernaic Period within
t8o years and we have a firm lower limit for its texts from which we ought
eventually to be able to reach some reasonably firm conclusions on the state
of phonetic development that the language had attained by 57 B. C.
Such a result will be no unimportant achievement and it is reasonable to
anticipate that if similar studies of the othet' Graeco-Roman temples were
made, once reliable copies of their texts are available, it should be possible
(I) IV, 7 t; VII, 5, 7 t> VII, 9, 3.

(!)IV, 7, to- 8, 2; VII, 6, 4-6. tl V, 3o4, 11; cf. DiiMICHEN in Z. A. S.,
(> IV, 8, 9; VII, 7, 6. 1870, 12.
(~l VII, 8,7- 9, 2. (?) VIII, 67, 6.

--++( 94 )..+ -
to trace still further and with some degree of precision the phonetic develop-
ment of the language and its approach to Coptic. Such studies will not be
as easy and as simple as the study of Edfu, for the material is not so homo-
geneous and is spread over a wider period, but the effort should be made.
It will be necessary to study each temple individually, above all it will be
essential to pay strict attention to chronology, perhaps by a rough division of
the texts into the two main categories of "Ptolemaic" and "Roman", for
unless some such subdivision is made the true course of evolution is likely to
be obscured. In such studies the temple of Esna, even though the material
is relatively limited, seems destined to occupy an important place and it is much
to be hoped that a complete and final publication will not be long delayed.
To return, however, to the analysis of the alphabetic signs, a glance will
show that in the first column some of the consonants can be represented by
many signs while others have few or no fo1ms differing from the normal.
This may be interpreted partly as a hint that the consonants without many
alternatives are falling out of use, and partly, perhaps, as an indication that
there are certain circumstances that prevent such consonants from acquiring
many alternatives. In the second column the values acquired by phonetic
change give us some idea of what consonants are weakening or changing and
what consonants are replacing them. I must emphasise o~ce again, how-
ever, that these and any other conclusions on phonetic changes at Edfu based
on the present material are quite tentative and may have to be modified to a
greater or a lesser degree because the true facts can only emerge from the
detailed study of the circumstances in which the various signs are used. With
this caution in mind it appears that the following preliminary and tentative
inferences may be drawn from the analysis of the uses of the alphabetic signs:
(a) there is no evidence that ""'""""" has begun serious! y to weaken; weakening
is only frequent when ""'""""" is in contact with ~ and related consonants (I) and
very much less frequent! y when followed by -. (2).
(I) For an exposition of the circumstances see the alphabetic signs but is to be deduced from the
Annates du Service, 43, 25o, Note IV. circumstances lo which btief 1eference is made
C~l Cf. AnnalesduService, 43, ::~33, No.2 t g(e). in Annates du Se1vice, lt3, !!55, Note XXII :
___, also appears to weaken sometimes when in cf. also the spellings of m ( ')r._l; quoted in Ohs.!!
contact with ~, hut this is not apparent from to Ill B, 4(a), p. 112 below.

-Ho( 95 )eC+-
(b) the change of J to and ~ has started but probably has'not gone far
1
and appears to be restricted to a few words (IJ.

(c) the weakening of=, naturally only in certain conditions and contexts,
is marked; in certain words -=- has fallen away completely or at least is not
indicated in the spelling (2l.
(d) there is no evidence of any general tendency for liJ, I, CD and - to be
written by a single sign equivalent to 2 as in Coptic, although the first hints
of such a tendency are to be discerned in a few words in which - is used
instead of ~ (confined, as fat as my present. notes go, to spellings of ~wt in
~r:vt-ntr "temple" and Nbt-~wt "Nephthys": cf. an example quoted below
on p. 111 ). The evidence seems to indicate quite clearly that in general
there was a marked tendency for - to be replaced or absorbed by e.. The
assimil11tion of CD to """"' is well advanced, although [ have not established
the conditions under which it took place.
(e) The group composed of ~, ._. and ZJ is interesting. The complete
absence of any altemati ve forms of ~ is striking and it is difllcult to escape
the conclusion that there is an increasing tendency for ._. to replace both
~ and ZJ.
(!) Similarly, in the group-,=,- and~

there is a marked tendency
for aH to become little more than -, though it is hardly necessary to add
that this was not automatic or invariable and that it only took place in certain
circumstances.
(I) See also Annales du Se1vice, l!3, 253, example is~~~~. "lock", written in
Note XVIIl; 266, Note XXXV; 272, Note LV. the New Kingdom as ~ ~ 7 .._..., +..,......
(> It is sometimes possible that <=> is equi- which smvives in Coptic as Rxxe. This is
valent to l but nalutally it is difficult to make also found in an Eighteenth Dynasty cryptogram
a definite assertion to this effect; cf. note 1 on in the writing ~"" ~ :=:=: (BucHER, Les textes
p. 74 above. On the transition from <==> to des tombes de Thoutmosislll et Amenophis /I,
- see above p. 7!1, note 3, and cf. p. 111 23, 7; 1 li2, li) forfl ~ ~ ~ :-:'":JBucHE~,
below, Ohs. 1 to lii B, {j (a). Though not op. cit., 86, 1 9 ). Cf. GRAPOW in Z. A. S., 72 ,
specifically indicated in either the index or the 2 7, 29. GRAPow is wrong, however, in citing
sign-list,<==> sometimes replaces an original~, ......... -===- [) <=>
\!!. ==-=-,_..,I~'\ - \!!. (BucHER, op. C!t.,
'as in lf (V, 157, 16) wrf! (w;f!) "flomish". 27, 93; tlt5, t :!1) as an example of the same
This phenomenon is not confined to Ptolemaic phenomenon.
but is of long standing. The best known

- + .. ( 96 )ot-t-
Jt is necessary to draw attention to the weak consonants ~, ~ and ).

It is remarkable that these consonants should have so few alternatives and
that these alternatives are either of infrequent occurrence or are only em-
ployed in fixed and stereotyped contexts. It is also worthy of note that a
considerable proportion of these alternatives are either all'eady in use in pre-
Ptolemaic times or are only variants of the no!'mal forms. This lack of
altematives cannot be due to any disappeal'ance of~' i or w, and there must
be some other explanation.
Leaving aside for the moment J, ~, J, ftl, )t,) and---, the origins of
which are the subject of dispute, it will be noticed that all other alternatives
of ~, ~ and } arise either from words composed entirely of weak con-
sonants, or, less frequently, from some sort of rebus. In my opinion the
only adequate explanation of these facts is that the formation of the alphabetic
values is mainly governed by the Consonantal Principle and not Ly Acrophony.
If Acrophony were a legitimate method of forming alphabetic values, it is
clear that many more alternatives of these weak signs could have been
employed. It is equally clear that these alternatives were never used, there
must be some reason for this and that reason can only be that selection by
Acrophony did not play any part in the formation of the alphabetic values
because it is precisely the consonants~, land 1v that are most prone to fall away.
If Acrophony were really operative there would, for instance, be nothing
to prevent +, t or t from being used for i, or "{_ or T for 1v, or ~ or 1'
for ~, in fact thet'e would be every reason for these and other signs to be
used in this way but for the fact that ~, i and w could nevet be selected as
long as there were othet' strong consonants in the word of origin. This being
so, it is increasingly pt'ohable that Dr. Drioton's contention that J, ~, J,
ftl, ~')and-.- became equivalent to i by acrophony from t~ or tb, as the
case may he, is wrong, and my suggestion that the ultimate origin is to be
sought in ~ l is right.
These conclusions are supported if we take into consideration a notable
class of absentees from the list of alphabetic signs. Apart from J, J, }(, ~
and their variants, all of which can be explained by the Consonantal Prin-
ciple, no divine figures acquire alphabetic values. Why should this be ?
If Acrophony were really operative, there was ample opportunity for the

- ( 97 )-e-.-
creation of new alphabetic signs hut the Egyptian scribes conspicuously failed
to profit by it. The conclusion imposes itself that alphabetic signs could not
he formed from the figures of most divinities because the Egyptians din not
use Acrophony and because the consonantal structure of most divine names
afforded no opportunity for the formation of alphabetic values on the
Consonantal Principle.
' Although many divine figures act as the suflix pronouns 1st and 2nd
persons singular and 1st person plural and dual, none of them (except J
and U
fort) have any alphabetic uses except as the suffix pronouns. The
same observation is also true with regard to the substitutes for divine figures,
1
l, (IJ, - , = and , which never have the value i when not used. as suflix
pronouns. This is a clear indication that iu using these signs instead of the
normal suflixes graphic considerations were paramount and phonetic con-
siderations were absent. It is for this reason that it is necessary to reject
Dr. Drioton's contention in his fantasy on the ushabti that (2 ) acquired the
value l because it acts as a substitute for ":iit- as the suffix pronoun 1st person
singular.
111. - MULTILITERAL SIGNS.

A. IDEOGRAMS 131
Ideograms signify the object which is depicted and as such have both direct
and indirect uses.
1. (a) Di1ect.
tJ n:av "King of Upper Egypt" (VII, lJ, li)
1\f bltl "King of Lower Egypt" (Ill, 1 4, 7)
tU' nsw-bit "King of Upper and Lower Egypt." (Ill, 1 o 5, 1 8)
~ 'Imn "Amun" (VI, t3, dt)
3
(I 1
signs. It occurs in r
Not included in my paper on the alphabetic
~j 1:} 7
= (Mam.,
t52, 1o-11) ndhi n~tt "I heatken to thy
( 1 The following analysis of the ideograms
has been much influenced by the excellent
summary in LEFEBYRE, Grammaire de l'tfgyptien
prayer" (the speaker is Amen-Re'). classique, pp. 1 o, 11, which I have followed
('I Annates du Service, 43, 348. closely.
Bulletin, t. XLIIJ. 13

-~+( 98 )-c+-
~
Wsir " Osiris" (V 11, 8 , 8)
U Sw "Shu" (VI, 8, 6)
Jt lfr-BMti ''Horns of Behdet" (VII, 2, 9)
~ lfwt-lfr "Hathor" (VII, g5, 1 t)
~ M~tt "Maat" (VII, 7) 21,
1 M "throat"(IV, 7S, t); b,tyt "throat, gullet" (III, 34, 11)

i# s~b-swt "He-of-the-dappled-plumage" (VI, 1 2, 4)
'bb' 'winged beetle" (VI, 1il t, 1)
eR' "Re'"(VI, g3, t4); ltn "sun-disk" (Vll, 2, to)
- inr''stone" (IV, 12, 8)
fi inb "wall" (Vl, 75, 6)
H blmt "pylon" (V, 2 , 6)
T wn-~r ''mirror'' (VII, 8g, 2)
(b) Indirect.
( i) An ideogram can represent an action :
jf~i iM "carry offerings" (IV, 3og, 5)

Y tw;pt"uplift the sky" (Ill, 253, 12; cf. Ill, 236, 2)
.m:. sni-t; "smell (kiss) the earth" (VII, 4, 7)
M pd ss1 "stretch the cord" (1V, t4, 4)
..f.. ms " bear" (V, 1 7 3 , 1 1)
=:::m~~ "see" (JV, g4,

2), hence var. ~~m~; (V, 27ft, 2)
-;m "grasp" (JV, 79 12)
~ ~m( 1 J "grasp" in- 1 1~ ~=rt-J (1, 17, 25) nM ~m m wnmik
" the flail is grasped in thy right hand".
~ pr "come forth" (Ill, 221, 6)
-.-:::1 '(c "enter" (VII, 56, 12)
(ll A t'are use of this sign; for the normal value see below, p. 12 t , no le 1.

-t-to( 99 )-e-t-
( ii) An ideogram can also represent more than one action which though
different can be depicted by the same gesture or symbol (IJ.
J~ i "raise" (VI, o 6 , 6)
1
~tp "carry, load" (11, 3 2, 4 =XII, PI. 3 7 4; cf. Ill, l11, 7)

~ k~wt "lift, bear" (III, 172, 5; cf. IV, 251, 2)
tw! "lift, raise" (IV, 354, g; cf. VIII, 102, 12)
\ dw~ "praise" (I, 435, t4)
~ l i~rv "adoration" (VII, 3t, 3)
2. Ideograms also have a symbolic use, at the root of which, of

course, lies some sort of pun or rebus.
(a) Metonymy : a sign is used for the thing meant :

'
, the crown of Upper Egypt, for nsw (2) "King of Upper Egypt" (VIII,
1 2 o, 6 ) and therefore nswi "rule as King of Upper Egypt" ( lii, 1 4 6, 1),
f.. nsyt "kingship" (III, 78,1), andhencebyextensionsm' in : sm' "Upper
Egypt" (VIII, 97, 11) and~ sm's "'Upper Egyptian crown" (VI, 285, 11).
;j, the crown of Lower Egypt, fot' biti (2) ''King of Lower Egypt" in ;j
(I, 4o, 18=XI, PI. 223) nsw-btt "King of Upper and Lower Egypt" and
(ll This fact often renders it difficult to occur either individually as nsw or biti, or
establish the precise value of a sign , even jointly as nsw-bit in several New Kingdom
though the general meaning of the wo1d is cryptograms (cf. DRIOTON's studies: Revue d'E-
clem. A very close and detailed study of the ifyptologie, I, p. 47, Nos. t53, t54; II, p. 3,
context and of the passages in which such signs noted, p. 12, fig. 6, p. t5, note l; Annates
occur is the only way of establishing the correct du Se1~ice, 4o, 36g, 37t, No. t8t). l.acau
reading, but even then there are a number of ( Z. A. S., 5t, S7) considered that r;;
was
examples in which it is diflicult or impossible substituted for ~ for superstitious reasons hut
to decide which of the alternatives is to be the pa1allel uses of indicate that the origin I
prefened: cf. also note 3, p. 1 o6 below. have suggested is more plausible. The ex-
2
< l Furthe1 examples of this use of ;j
in pi anation of this use given by Chassinat (Revue
classical Egyptian are quoted by LACAU in de l' Egypte ancien ne, 'l , 19) and his argumenls
Z. A~ S., 5t, 57 and GARDINER, Grammar, Sign in favour of the old 1eading su,tn are quite
ListS. 3, p. 4 gt. f..,! as a writing of nsw-blt mistaken, though it is true that does have
occurs in the reign of Sethos I (MARIETTE, the values sln, stn.
Abydos, I, 4o b). and ;j
and theie variants
t3.

-+->( 100 )+t-
therefore bill "rule as King of Lower Egypt'~ (Ill, tU 6, 2) and hence by

extension m~w in ;J- e m~w " Lower Egypt (V, 2 8 6, t 6) and ;J ~ m~ws
"Lower Egyptian, crown" (VI, 285, u~ ).
'f, the double crown, for nsw-blt "King of Upper and Lower Egypt"
(V, 312, 5).
T'the emblem of upper Egypt, for smc ''Upper Egypt" (Ill' U9' u).
T, the emblem of Lower Egypt, for nl~w "Lower Egypt" (VI, 1 58, 9)
and hence
TT t~
wy"the Two Lands" (Egypt) (IH, 8u, t3).
l, the symbol of divinity, for ntr "god" (very common: IV, 1U2, 3) and
hencelllllllll (Mam., 1U1, 3), var.lll~~~lll (IV, 82, u)
psdt "Ennead".
~, the tongue, for dpt "taste" in ~ (Ill, 1 2 9, u).
'"T', thenightsky, forgr~"night"(VIII, t3t, tU).
This is capable of considerable extension :
( i) a pun developes on some characteristic or emblem :

~ BMtl in ~~(VIII, 1 3 9, 8) lfr Bhdtl '' Horus of Behdet ".
11 B~dtl" Behdeti" (VIII, 132, 1 2; t33, u; for the reading, cf. V, 2U3, q).
t flwt-Jf1'"Hathor"(V, 3o7, 7)(1)
\ nbt 'Iumt '' Misttess of Dendera" (C. D., IV, 9, 1 o) (tJ
( ii) Hence by further extension e, the sun, can represent "day" in ~

hrrv "day" (VII, 16, 8), e ssw "day of the month" (in dates: VII, 9 3),
and thus J Re "Re"' is hrw in J): (IV, tU, u), val'r.IJ.: 11
Mam., 11 (
56, 1), flh
1 (VIII, 11 o, t5) hrw pn nfr "this happy day".
(iii) By a form ofinve!'ted metonymy, which has various aspects:
- the effect for the cause : f, a sail fiHed with wind, represents wind,
breath, e. g. gw, nf (Ill, 19, tu);
!'l Cf. Junket's note in z.A. S., li3, t 20. I have no record of any Edfu example of\ nbt 'lwnt.

the cause for the effect :
" ' a tooth, for'' bite" i n " ' (V, 85, 11'1) psb "bite"; (I)
1 and variants, a conventional representation of the throat, for cm ''eat,
swallow" in 1(Ill, go, to) <m "swallow", 111 (IV, 76, 2) <m-t~wy, an
epithet of Thoth, T
(V, 257, 16) s<m "swallow", and also for bn< "fill"
(V, 257, 7), var. :S! (Mam., 85, 3); cf. !'1
(C.D., I, 25,2) bn""throat".
(b) Occasionally from the contents of a vessel
:i::i: irtt "milk" (V, 172. 4).
M irp "wine" ( 11, 2 o 3, 1 1 =XII, PI. 3 9 o).
~ ~ bn~t "beer" (IV, 1 o5, 12 ).
w:. (IV, 258, 12), var. +:.(VI, 93, 10) sntr"incense".
(c) Sometimes a part is used for the whole :

t, the side-lock, for /Jrd "child" (V, 2 09, 7 ).
-.., pha:llus, for man, male in ~ t~ w "men" (IV, 1 1, 9 ).
the pupil of the eye, for.-....: e.g.: m;; "see" (V, 3t2, 2).
~ a feather, forgs "side" in rll" (Ill, 83' 7) gs wnmll"myright side".
(d) A special type of the symbolic use of ideograms is apparently restricted
to a small group of signs that designate the notions "father", "mother"
and "son" :
"-- it, it(i) "father" : "'7-- ;--;--; (VII, 1 9 4 , 1 3) it(i) ityw "father of the
fathers", cf. the varr. (IV, 110, to), .:_~,.:_---it(i) ityw (SETHE,
Amun und die Acht Urgotter, Pl. 2 ).
~ mwt "mother": in~ mwt "mother" (common: VI, 74, 2).

~ s; "son" : e. g. in ~ ~ (VII, 17 4, 7) s~ lJwt-lfr "son of Hathor ".
0Bs. These uses, of course, are not confined to Ptolemaic, but have a long history.
~ and ~ in particular are very ~;ommon. For further examples of "-- lt( i) ''father"
cf. GRDSELOFF in Annales du Service, 43, 3t 6-318. This form of symbolism is presumably
a survival of a distant time when "--, ~ and ~ were the symbols of the "father",
"mother"' and "son" of the clanl 2 l.
<'l The reading pslf is assured by the full writing in the parallel passage SETHE, Amun und die
Aeht Urgolter, Pi. IV (Theb. T. g5 k).- <l Cf. GRnSELOFt' in Annates du Service, 43. 3t7
Bulletin, t. XLIII. t4

-t+( 102 )et+-
B. PHONOGRAMS.
1. By pun or rebus.
(a)Simple puns, the sign used being normally but not necessarily invar-
iably a determinative.
4- b(~)IJ in 4-= (V, q8, 2) B(~)ll(w) "East".
) mrtin )l::1II, 65, q=XII, PI. 373) mrty "ey.es".
--... dtin -=-~~~ (Mam., 2o5, 16) 1' Mt ~n' dt "for ever and ever" .
..... tJ in ~; (V, g8, 16) tjn "be glad".
m nbdin m (VI, 122, 3), varr. ~(IV, 111, 12), ';:m~ (VI, 287, 1)
Nbd, a name of Seth.
h rnpt in 1 JJ" :
~ ~ "f=M ,'. ~ ~ (V, 1 3 9, g-1 o) ~shi rnpwtk r drm M
"I reckon thy years to the limits of eternity".
~ ~ms in~~ (IV, 2, 5) ;ms ihj"his heart rejoices".
h s~b in h w (Ill, t 3 5, 6) s~b-ss "traverse".
~ nds in ~ ( Mam., 1 2 6, 1 5) psdt ndst "the small Ennead ".
I 'n~ in,,~, (V, 3o4, g, cf. 3tt, tt) wd 'n~n nwy "who gives life
to the Two Lands".
r
iT~ 9 in i ,i. (VII, 6, 8) ~;t-sp 19 "year 19"; cf. f il (IV, 52, 5) psd" shine.
* 'n~ in ~ l $ (IV, 1 2, 2) ~nti k;w 'n~w ''at the head of the Kas of the
living", Ulfl f: (IV, 24o, 5) k;w 'n~w "living spirits''.
jr/J,nin jr~ (VIr, 6, 7) IJn "disturb, interrupt"(lJ.
<'I Although only one example of this value 24o ), or that ' Le temple inacheve d'Edfou
is at present known to me it is wol'th noting sert de forteresse aux rebelles" ( JouGUET in
since it permits us to make a slight rectification Precis de l'l/istoire d'E{Jypte, I, 291). This is
in a detail of Ptolemaic history. It occurs in certainly straining the evidence of the text a
[)"f=M~
{!\ I
~~,<=>I
t Jlli~~T=~
~-"-Ill ~. ....
little too much fo all jt says is ''Thereafter
rebellion broke out and ignorant rebels in the
jr~ !l11JP ~ ~~~: (VII, 6. 6-7). southern district interrupted the work (read
This well-known deRcription of the outbreak of [ ~r] bn lc~t) in the Throne-of-the-Gods" (Edfu ).
the native revolts in the reign of Ptolemy lV I imagine that gs-~nt probably refers to sou them
has been misinterpreted in va1ious histories as Upper Egypt, possibly those parts south of
implying that ''bands of insurgents hid them- Luxor. For this meaning of bn cf. ~ ~-
selves in the interior of the temple" ( BEVA:o<, ~=.:_~.,!. H="'- (Uric., I, 3o,
A History rif Egypt "under the Ptolemaic Dynasty, 1 2-t3), a reference that I owe to M1. Grdseloff.

-w-( 103 )ot-t-
(rare) in ~ (JJJ (VUI, 9 3 , 6) rl~ pt re nb "who crosses the sky every

~ rl~
day",~:_: (Vlll, t3o, g) d~n}pt "he crossed heaven".
0Bs. It is important to note the part played by the determinatives in the formation of
values. There is a priori no reason why almost any determinative should not be employed
with the value of the word it determines, and in practice this will be found to be the
case with the vast majority of determinatives. Particularly instructive are ~ d~ and
jf' lm: in the former example it is clear that~ does uot automatically arouse the idea d~
''cross", for while it may convey the general impression of "sailing", "journeying",
this might be any one of a number of synonyms, and the primary idea is that of'' boat",
imw, wi~ or dpt, and the secondary one is ''sailing downstream" TJd (as phonogram TJd,
cf. IV, t44, 1 ). Similarly, jf' does not automatically carry the value l!n, but rather
~bs and other values. In both examples it is clear that~ and jr could hear the values
!},; and l!n respectively because they were the determinatives of 1 ~ and ~ jf' l!n
"tent" (Wb. d. ag. Spr., HI, 368).
It would be easy to multiply similar instances. Thus x is ss in ;, (IV, 1o, 12) ss
"open" (cf. other uses ofx listed by G~RDINER, Grammar, Sign List Z. g, p. 522), and
FM is bnr in m (V, 31, t4) r bnr "out, outside", where in neither case do X and FM
have any connection with ss and bnr except as determinatives. Ft=f .and its variants have
additional values h~w and rk "time" in T
(Ill, 19lt, 10) h;w and 1/ (III, t43, 15)
rk, where again :t:;:~: has no obvious connection with "time" except as determinative (cf.
however Cernfs remarks on this point in Annales du Service, 42, 344 ).
Such usages as these are possible b~cause it is clear that the majority of determinatives
always retained some vestige of their original phonetic significance, the phonograms and
alphabetic signs that accompany them acting as phonetic complements (cf. Annales du
Service, 43, 297, 298). This is also evident from the use of the phonetic determinatives
and from numerous spellings such as~ ( lii, 6, 1 o) wl~ "barque", f gl. (IV, 19, tt)
wbn "rise, shine",+~=-= (VI, 33, 8) b'~ "flood, inundate'',;,:: (VII, 27, 3) rmt
''men",= {!m i n = = (Vlll, 121, 8) m TJms "without her knowing'' or~+
(V, 37, 7) {!,1s ( ~sr) "repulse".
(b) Pictorial or visual puns.

is 7 (sf~) in R.~ (V, 3o5, 1) m~ 27 r-6 "27~ cubits", because of
the seven openings in the head (I), and hence is ph on. sj~ in \_.\,.. (V, 1 3 9,
8) sJM-'bmy, an epithet of Seshat.
*is 5 in ~a (VII, 6, 4) nrlt 26 "25 years".
('l Cf. SETHE, Von Zahlen und Zahlworter, 25.

t4.

-t+( 10lt )ot+-
is 1 m (IV, 6, 4) "8 (cubits)".

is 1 in i: (Vl, 7 5) sb~ 2 "two doors".
~ is p1 m ~~t "he who comes forth from the horizon" (VI, 5, 5) (1)
"W is s~b-swt pr m ~~t ''He-of-the-dappled-plumage who comes forth
from the horizon" (V, 3tt, 12) (1l.
(c) A part is used for the whole :
, the pupil, for .-.. in ~ 1 (VII, 1 4 , 6) lrw ' Jmage", 111 (V, 3lt 8, 5)
Wsir "Osiris".
'1!, for }l in ~ (IV, 7 4, 7) nrm "terror".
'"t' for~ in '"t':
(VII, to3, 12) ~{Jt "field, meadow"for~~(VI, :27, g).
~ for 'h in ~: (IV, 19, 9) h1w pn "this day" (2).
(d) Puns based on certain divine titles, epithets, attributes or symbols :

~ ntr '~ in ~ :.( ~ ~ (VII, 7 9) lfr-B~dti ntr '~ nb pt "Horns of Behdet,
great god, lord of h_~av~"; cf. the title of lhy lt1 (Mam., t63, to) and
Junker's note in Z.A.S., 43, 112(3l.
lJ '~ in UlJ ~H~ '~ ~ ~ ~ (V, 9, t3) ntr '~ !Jntl
t~wy idbm "great god,
pre-eminent in the lands and banks", ~ ~ ~ (V, 5, 3) l)lnvtl '~ '~
1
( Note the difference between these forms.
l which, however, he quotes no Egyptian patallel
('l I have no record of '), itself being used and of whose application to Ihy he produces
for hrw. The Wiirterbuch does not know a no evidence. I cannot ttace any example of
word h~w "donkey", whose existence, however, such a phrase and it must therefore be rejected
is to be deduced from the fact that Seth as a as a possible derivation. The oniy examples of
donkey ( III, 188 , 6 , 7 ; cf. ~ , VI, 3 17,
'C, ~ 1-; 1~, va1. ~ quoted by the Worterbuch
6, St "Seth ", for the reading cf. lli, 188, 1 t.) OCCUJ' in the title ~ f r~ ;- ~ ~\j ~ ::
is not infrequently called G1 ~ ~ i - ( III, 188, 7;
)t ~- ,--=--r--."'S..
..... l.m~ I- ~ =-= (Pap. Greenfield,
cf. also Wb. d. iig. Spr.,II. b7S, 1.!83). ~of
course has the value h~UJ and is used as an indic- 2 ,t.; var. ~ 1 - ; 1~ 19, 12; 2 1, 1 t ). The
ation of the contemporary pronunciation (cf. ~fiJ same title is borne by a certain .-... ~ }(. lf
(Vlll, 131, 1 t.) forh1w "day" and Coptic woy ). on an unpublished stela from the Delta recently
('l DRJOTON (Annates du Service, l!o, 388, acquired by the Cairo Museum : I am indebted
No. 2) suggests that this value originated in to Labib Habashi Effendi for knowledge of this
l J "'";"' -; J i ntr ' "le dieu du chreur ", for additional example.

~~c 1o5 )~~
"Thoth the twice great"; cf. the very common title of Thoth \1jj(II,
26, to=XII, PI. 38o and often): see also Ill, B, 1 f, p. to6 bel~;.
~ nb in 1:~!U~ (IV, t5, 6) mnwjn(t) r-nb "his daily offerings':
the moon is one of the two "lords" of the sky.
~ nb in U~ (VII, 3, 1) nb pt ''lord of heaven" : Hathor is ~ nbt ''the
golden one" (IV, 88, 16). cf. Mam., 78, 6.
~ l~r in t. \\ ~ ~ (IV, 2 t4, 7), var. r:) I~.,: (IV, 2 1 2, 7-8) ntsnt~ l~r
''excellent harpooner",~ J (VI, 6 2, 9) i~r 4d ''excellent of speech": Thoth
is the "excellent" one, t.:J (11, 70, 15), t,,: ~ (1, 377 q); see also
Ill, B, 1 f, p. 1 o6 below.
U M 11 in :J U-=- 1~ (IV, 12 , 1) dr M r km dt ''from eternity to the end

~ dt ' .
of everlasting" UJ.
(e) Puns of association
@) bmw in-=~ (Ill, 221, 7) m-~nw "in": because 'ft-t;wy "Lisht"

was formerly the ~nw "royal residence" (zJ.
~ ljrnnw in~ (Ill, 77 17) lJmnrv "Hermopolis", and hence the num-
ber " 8" in ~ ~ (VII, 1 4, 2 ) mb, 8 "eight cubits".
X !Jmmv in :X: (IV, t4, 8) Jjmnw "Hermopolis", and hence the number
" 8" in ~ X (V, 3 5 1 , 7 ) ssw 2 8 " day 2 8 ".
<J ~ ~ is an epithet of the sun-god (Wb. d. Osiris, nb dt, ~~; dt, is not infrequently
iig. Spr., 11, 3o2; cf. MoNo and MrERS, The equivalent to dt in late texts.
Bucheum, Ill, PI. XLIII, No. 1 3, fi) and of l'l Vikenliev h~s recently suggested this
iiorus ( Wb. d. iig. Spr., II, 3o2; for Edfu origin (Annales du Service, lt3, 119) in con-
examples cf. I, 5t, 7; lV, 211, 5). I do not nection with the occurrence of this value in the
know of another example of U
~~~ at Edfu, but Osireion in the reign of Sethos I ( FRANKFORT,
it is the same notion of Horns as ~~ that lies The Cenotaph of Seti I, JI, PI. LXXXI).
behind the _phrase ;:""' 111111111
:J .... o;:: <=>
...... ,.,.,.,.,.,.,., <:::::::> ~ ~
:J fi itself has the value hnw ~n the tomb of Ra-
le, ~ ~ -==> ) ~
(IV, 56; 2 ) nb fttm dr fi ,. -.-
messes VI in the double writing
~~ 1 min dr J)rty 1' km dt "lord of the universe 8 =-= ~ 1} c:l ..::: (~] (B. I. F.
from eternity until to-day, and from" the falcon" A. 0., lt2, PI. LXX, i); cf. )J fi (Uric., I,
1
(i.e. eternity) until the end of everlasting". 5' lt ).

_ ...( 106 )ot+--
~ s~ : of occasional use only, usually only employed when Isis, or a god-

dess identified with her, is speaking or is referred to : e. g . a~~!,. .!.11
~ (VII, 2 2, 7) dr mts St s~s ~r-m-di ''because Isis lifted up her son therein",
~).::;:: _& ~: (V, too, t3) am s:s m ljbt "who protects her son in Khem-
. "(1)
illlS .
ilJ u
(ifd) in '\,J]"--
~Q;l (V, 6, 5) <m>-'b k~jt4 "together with
his fourteen Kas" (2 ).
(f) Synonyms and puns in reverse.
~ l~r (p. to5), hence mn~ "excellent" m~+ (11, 63, to) mn~ lb
''excellent of heart",~~,:.~ ~ (C. D. IV, 5g, t) k~t mnMt) nt hf:~, ''excellent
work of eternity (3l".
/l '~ (p. to5) hence mr"great" (not frequent): ::fi~1 ~(VII, 3, u)
mmv pn nfr wr "this great and beautiful monument", ~!IJ.lfl ~(C. D.
IV, g, 3) ntr '~ mr1 ntrm nbm "great god, greater than all the gods".
1? s~wy "gold", hence 1? h
(111, t25, 5) nbwt "cows",
nb in 111 -{t 1
S:f 1
(IV, 3 78, t3) nbtym, name of some minor goddesses.
~f~, 7 (p. to3), hence tp "head" in ::
11 1 1 1
11
\ : (VI, 2lt6, 2) tpj"hishead'',
i'iT.
Ill (lV tU ., 6) r tp-hsb
~ ''perfect".
(I) The same usage also occurs at Dendera, disentangle mn~ from l~r. The same difficulty
~ ft ~ (C. D., Ill, (i, 7) "protecting het exists in regard to other signs that can represent
son". words of similar meaning hut different spelling
<'l This use originates in the fact that l1J (cf. p. 99, note 1 ). In such cases a secure
and its vmianls represent the little square kiosk reading is only possible afte1 minute study of
in which the jubilee ceremonies were celebrated the ph1ases in which these words occur and it
(cf. BoRCHARDT, Tempel mit Umgang, 56 jl). is often of very great value to pay close attention
Cf. also the rare ~::: t::dJ
(VI, 6, 7 ). to such factors as alliteration. Thus it is reason-
ably certain that ~ is to be read k~wt in
It has been suggested by the Worterbuclt
( Beleg.ytelten J 11, 2 68, with a quotation from ~~~ 7 ;: (Ill, 1 7 2 , 5) because of
Pap. Berlin 7809, 4, t 4) that ~=to orig- the alliteration ~r k~wt g~wtsn r pr[k], cf. the
inates in the furt that Horns is regarded as fuller writing in IV, :.~5t, :.~. But unfortunately
the tenlb god. Cf. further I, 38, 7-8 = C. D. J not even alliteration is always a sme guide for
-ll.~ e ...... - X~
I, 47, 13; VI, 174, t4-15. We alSO find f1. ~~ ,_..,. _,. I I I ,__ I I I ["""J I ...
3
< J It is naturally exceedingly difficult to (Ill, t53, 3).

- - ( 107 ) -
~;(~in~~, (VIII, 8, t6) ;lz(t)"field, meadow", hence t; in}( 'i ~

(V, 85, 11) p; t; "the earth"; ~ ~ .!_ .!_ .!_ (C. D., IV, 23g, 5 ), t;wy idbw
''the Two Lands and the Banks.
"}l nrlt "year", hence rnpt "year" in ~ Jf ~~:,t! (VII, 79, 17) n Zen
rnpt tn h;w.k "there is no famine in thy time"(Il.
dlw "five", hence Gb "Geb" in 1 1\ 1 11 (Mam., g6, 4; cf. Ill, t8o, t4;
1 1 1
1 1
for the reading, cf. IV, 3 o 3, 3; VII, 17 2, l!) Gb "Geb" : see further Ohs. 2,
below.
n originally gbt "heaven" ( in t7) (Ill, tg6, 7), var. + r-J (VIII,
2
J 111,
1 2), and hence pt "heaven" in ~ h n (V, tl! 8, li) ntr <; nb pt "great
god, lord of hea~en''. -
ftp, tpl "first", hence the number "one" w< in li.K f (VIII, 67, 6)
~;t-sp 11 ''year 11 ", the only example of this value known to me.
Oss. 1. It is probable that Upt in ,U U(VII, 3, 1) nb pt "lord of heaven" originated

in the same way. A common word for heaven is I
(III, 26lt, 11) wtst which, because
oftheconfusionhetween I
andj,isalsowrittenLUII, 1g6,8),j;~(III, 283, 11)
and other variants. Thus the goddess lsis, J, could be interpreted as pt "heaven".
Similarly, J J
is also pt in ~ (Y, 263, 18) lfr-BI;dtl ntr '; nb pt "Hurus of Behdet,
J
great god, lord of heaven" because :.: (V, 19 5, 1 6), Nut, is the sky-goddess.
2. The interesting writing 1 1 1

1 1
11 "Geb", as well as the more common and related
forms * 11, U, arises from the fact that Geb is the father of the Five Gods (cf. De BucK,
11, 11Sf),just as Nut is their mother(~~=~*, VII, 2go, l1-S).

Coffin Texts,
Thus Geb himself is considered as the god Five, ~ Jl-=; Jl:
1 1 1
1 1
~ (IV, "i.:
110, 13) Gb lri-p't ntrw, Dlm nb 8f1f1 !Jntl B~dt "Geb, prince of the gods, God Five, lord
ofdignity in Edfu", and also as wr dim "chiefofthe Five" in ~*~AAt::' (VII, 2qo,
<=> ---*' .
3) Wl' dlw mttnj diw "chief of the Five, who begat the Five". 1 now consider it likely
that when the king is called ~J~:~:11(V, 2g3, 2, quoted AnnalesduService, lt3, 26o)
"image of Geb" is likely to he better than my origina'l suggestion "image of the god
Five". Note the parallel between this use and ~ = 1 o referred to above p. 1 o6, note 2.
(I)See ful'ther Annates du Service, ~3, 3o3; (~) The figure of the woman represenls l\'ut,
BLACK MAN in Liverpool Annals, 2 5, 1 36; note ~; who' acquires the value gbt as the feminine
J. E. A., 29, 2l!. counterpart of Geb.

(g) Extended puns.
~ mr (imi-1') "overseer" in ~ Jll (IV, 3o7, 16) mr st !Jnt, a title.
1. nnt in,;., (VII, t66, 12) 1'mt "men"l1l. Hence (by substitution?)~
acquires the same value in ~ ~ ~ (Vri, 2 1, 5) rmt "men".
Osw, the god Shu (Ill, t58, 16); more usual var. 00 (VI, to3, t),Jess
frequent g (Ill, 183, 12)(2l.
l_ptw, as simplification of old S( in C"J (IV, 5, 5) ~nrv ''chapel" and
3
)
i C"J (Ill, 2 2 2, t6) m-lmw "within, in".

m ~d-tp (the hair being ''that which is on the head") in ~ tn (VI, 4, t5)
l_trlt-tp "diadem" and also ~ri-tp "chief" (noun: V, 287, t3), "rule" (verb:
V, ~Gt, 11) and "chief" (adjective: VI, 87, g).
~ !Jft-~r (that which is before the face) in<=>~ (V, 186, q) r bjt-~r
"before", var. <=>Q~ (V, 191, 2) .
..J !Jsdb in ~ (VIII, 7 2, 7) !Jsdb "lapis lazuli" (J.
,:!' kmvin 1 __,~,:!'?-~(V, 325, t5-t6) d~ ptm-~nw(M)sktt ''who
""""" sly in the evening barque".
sails across the
<'l This has been explained as 1' + mt = 1' mt the suggestion made above ( p. 1o 1) that ~
"mouth of the vultute" (cf. LEFEBVr.E, Gram- was the symbol of the ''mother'' of the clan,
maire, p. 38). Although at first sight this it is dear that as the symbolic equivalent of the
seems very attractive, and in spite of the variant Egyptian word mwt 'mother" it could have
1.: l
~ ~ rmt (Tomb 11 'l, Thebes; unpu- acquired the phonetic value mwt, mt without
blished, reign of Tnthmosis Ill) and other there being any necessity to assume the existence
variants, there are certain difflcnlties in the of a word mt "vulture". In spite of this
way of accepting this detivation, lt is rather destructive criticism, I am unable at present to
far-fetched to interpret 1. as the "mouth" uf offer any other suggestion.
Lhe vulture, there is no evidence to support <l Sw "the empty ( cartonche)" : this does
this. The ftequent use of~ for rmt is dif- not explain, howevet', why the normal writing
ficult to tecoocile with this derivation, though is with two cartoucbes.
it may be a case of simple substitution, 1. <J Cf. SETHE in Z. A. S., 5g, 6 t-3.
being apparently earlier than~ in this sense; <~l Explained by Goodwin ( Z. A. S., 6 [ 1868],
but see );" ~~~ (DE BucK, Coffin Text.~, I. 76 ). 7) as IJ.if db "stop-pig". This is certainly
Finaliy, there' is no certain evidence that wrong and quite impossible as an explanation.
Egyptian had a word mt "vulture". It is often I would tentatively suggest, though there are
assumed that such a word must have existed unvious objections, IJs(r) db ''who drives away
because of ~; "mothet" but in view of the hippopotamus''.

-t-te( 109 ),..........._
:2. By loss of weak consonants, m accordance with the Conson-

antal Principal.
(a) By loss of the initial consonant (not common) :
' - originally lM becomes M in ~,., (VII, 1 55, 1 2) Ms "calf".

t originally l~b becomes ~b in tj ~ (V, 368, 1S) ~b!J "unite, join".
Ons. L In Ptolemaic t
and its variants regularly replace old which survives in af,
new form ' that is not of very frequent occurrence, e. g. ' j .:!:_ (VI, 1 99, 1 o) ; bw
''Elephantine".
2. is to
be included in this class unless it be considered purely uniconsonantal in
~(V, :w8, 18), var. HJ
(III, 159, 7) ~'w "flesh" (see further p. 75, note 2).
(b) By loss of the medial consonant :
~ originally k;wt becomes k;t in j. (VII, 2, 9) k;t "work".

,,
n in~ (Vf, 2U2, g) 'ntyw "myrrh".
(
@!8 tn
h s;b sp in =h (Ill, 11 8 , 1 6) m sp ''together".

h m;l ml in h (IV, 7) ml " like".
1 1,
1 lwn in in 1'Tm (V, t53, 2) inm "hue, skin".

1 w;s ws in 1~ (VIll, 23, 8) Wslr "0siri(.
1 ldn in ( l[ w ]n) in jl (I V, 1 4 3 , 1 o) = 3!t 1: (I V,
1u2, t8) b;w 'hvnw "soulsofHeliopolis", >M~(Vlll, too, 3)="Mi:(Iv,
85, 1 o) k~ 'lwnw ''bull of Heliopolis".
Ons. The rlisappearance o f - from the middle of the word, though not common,
for- is not .usually weak in this position, is well attested, cf.~:;! (V, 1 26, 3) for
ldr "herds". -falls away in similar conditions, as in ~;;b; (V, t25, t), ~ ~S (III,
'257, t5) for itr "river" ( e10or ), \ L!
fj (I, 179, t 6 : not collated) for m-ltrty "near,
beside", cf. the common writing~ (lll, 1ho, 3) l'or plr "see". As far as my present
information goes, this disappearance o f - and - only occurs when they are followed
by-=- or-

-++( 11 0 )ot+-
(c) By loss of the final consonant :

~originally imw becomes lm in==~ (IV, 87, 1) rnwlr imj" thy seed
IS he"(I),
~ originally im~ becomes lrn in ~ ~} y: r it (VI'
I 118' 6) n r!Jnf bw
iwsn lm "he did not know where they were".
T Ol'iginally sm~ becomes sm in T~ (V, 2 2 8, 5) smsro "eldest"
~ ss in~--- (IV, 13, 2) ss"open".
-;. wtt tvdin-;. (IV, 379 4)wd(i) "emit".
~
3. By retention of one of two identical and consecutive syllables

or consonants (2 ) (cf. Ill, B, 4 c, p. 11 3 below).
M originally m~m~ becomes m/.: in mM (IV, 1o, 1) lrn mk(t)J "let us

protect him"; f.:::..!.~ (I V, 9 o , 13) tb.k Mp /:trl mk( t) f" thy heart resting
on its proper place".
~originaHyd~d~t becomes d~ in ~~~!-(IV, 14, 8)d~$U', minor gods.
~ wrrt wrt in j ~ ~- (IV, 9, 8; probably also IV,
7 3, t) st wrt "Great Seat" (3).
'\ originaHy n!JIJ becomes n~ in .}_ ;=: (V, 3 1 2 , 4) f!'~ -Js~ mr -J' 'he protects
his beloved son".
Ons. There is a tendency in Ptolemaic to omit one of two consecutive and identical
consonants: e.g.} j ~ ~ ( Vlll, 9, t6) for wbssnnk ''they flourish for thee", W!: I!J
(VIII, 66, 7) for ~r brp btsn n k~k "offering their produce to thy Ka".
<'l For this construction, which is quite above p. 6 4 , ll , A, '.! (c) and Ann ales du Service,
common at Edfu in certain contexts, see JuNKER !,3' 296 ).
in W. Z. K. M., 22 (tgo8), q5-g; SETHE, (JJ The reading st nfrt, which would normally
Nominalsatz, g8, and DRIOTON in Annates du be one's first choice, seems to excluded by the
Service, 4o, 61 g-6 '.! 1. general sense of the context, for the passage
<l There are naturally very few examples of refers to the temple in general or, less likely,
this owing to the relative rarety of words with to the sanctuary. At Edfu st nfrt is usually
suitable reduplicated stems. The process in- the Treasury (cf. VII, 1 7, 1 o ). ~ wrt is rare
volved is in parallel with that already noted in and the reading though probable is not abso-
connection with certain alphabetic signs (see lutely assured in either of the examples quoted.

- - ( 111 )ot-t-
lt. Phonetic change.
(a) Simple:
h originally s~b becomes spin 1h (VII, 7 1) ~~t-sp "regnal year".
~ nrlt nlwt(l) in~ J.ltlttl~~ A!l'!J (VII, 21, 6) sst~f
m-~nl niwtj [)b~ "his image is in.his city Edfu".
- originally ht becomes br in - ~ ~! l (IV, 6, 3) i]r dM nw l}t-ntl'
"containing the requirements of the divine cult".
+originally ib becomes ;bin~= (VIII, 128, to) ;bdw "Abydos".
+-<= l];t( 2 ) - ~wt in::;-
(VI, 21, 2) Nbt-~wt "Nephthys".
?'?' mr mi in ~- ~ .~ ( Ili, 1 o 5, 1 1) tni t; 1]1 psdt 'like
earth with Lhe Ennead", ~=-~(IV, 3, 9) nwnmilts "without its like" .
....-.-originally !Jt becomes ~r in rh~~* (V, 3o4, 11) ~r~;t-sp 25
"in year 2 5", ~ ~ (Ill, 12 8, 6) !Jr-m-dl "within" (3).
:t- otiginall y sbi becomes sy in :t- iT4 ~ ~:: (VII, 2 5, 1 6) sy ky m-
snt rj''what other (god) is like'unto him?''.
originally'~' becomes'~; in:: (Ill, too, tt)Mnb'~;"allthepanoply
of war".
T originallytm;becomesdmin,! ~(Ill, 6g, 18) dm~t-pdwt, an epithet
of Nekhbet; T~a"'-- (V, 44, 5) dm. tw rn-f" his name is pronounced".
2 1
0Bs. 1. It is probably phonetic change that lies at the root of/( (IV, 1ft, 5), ' (
(VII, 21, 7), +(V, 261, 8) f (V, 34, 3) and other spellings of~= Since Coptic
uses only 2N,
as alternatives of I =
it is impossible, I think, to suggest transliterations such as *ttr, *tt', *~r', etc.
~n', and moreover these are all undoubtedly only different spellings
of a single word. The transliteration ~n (')or ~n' is to be recommended in all examples.
In general, these writings appear lobe due to two phonetic factors, (a) the relationship
between ,._,. and -=-, and (b) the association of ~ and --'
(1) Cf. Annales du Service, li3, 3o3. inscriptions, cf. ~:; (M am., 167, 9) for
<~l There is little evidence at Edfu of the Nbt-~wt '' Nephthys;;~and -:: ~ (Mam.,
1 t ~, 3)
change from - or CD to ~ (cf. p. g5 above) for "second stanza".
and it is clear that this process was only in its <J Cf. the varr. ~~(IV, 17, 7), ~~
beginning al the time cove1ed by the temple (VII, ~ 6 , 7), etc.

_ , ( 112 )++---
2. Note the interesting use of..., mc!d for md~ in .lj(...,} .l (11, 85, 6) =--\' i ~ ""f
(I, 3gg, t8) mc!~i, an epithet of Min, and~:: (I, 471, q=XII, PI. 355) var.
-"'-!.(C. D., Il, 145, 9=MARIETTE, Denderah, IT, 42 b; C.D.Il, t55, 8=MARIETTE,
op. cit., 11, ft2a) m(')d~. a basket or container for dates (for m'd~ M.li.J~.X see now
Gardiner's note in I.E. A. 26, t57, t58). .
( b) Metathesis :
~originally ss~ becomes ss in~._.. (IV, t3, 2) ss "open".
0 ss ss in oT(lll, t32' 2) ssm "guide, lead".
tm~ in ~(Ill, 1 3 2, 6) tm~-' "strong of arm".
0Bs. Metathesis does not appear to be very common as far as the values of individual
signs are concerned. A rather doubtful case is the word T; (VII, 1 46, 2) "mother"
which it is tempting to transliterate as mwl. It is, however, by no means certain that
it would be correct to do so in every example : the word occurs in special contexts and
I have as yet no clear evidence of its occurrence in phrases where beyond any doubt it
replaces ~,(I) except in fl\
~..:"M~ (IV, 283, 7; C. D., IV, 8o, q) mwt-ntr ~t
K~-mwtf (cf. VIII, 3.5, 5, quoted p. 122 below), and it may very probably be tm~t
(cf. Wb. d. iig. Spr., V, 3o8 ). Until clear evidence to the contrary is forthcoming, it would
be more cautious to transliterate in most cases as tm~t.
The degree to which metathesis affected Ptolemaic vocabulary is uncertain and it would
be as well for the present to approach the question with caution and reserve. One of the
difliculties is that the normal and regular writings of a number of words seem to show
metathesis as compared with their earlier forms, e. g. :!:
j (VI, 36, 5) bsdb for
old ~sbd "lapis lazuli", ~=(VII, 111, 11), ~=(V, 44, 5) ~rs for old ~sr "drive
away". In spite of such forms as =A: (V, 122, 7), it is not yet certain whether
there was real metathesis in these words which seem to owe their form, like such writings
as - j : (VII, 1o 3 , 2) for bd "natron ", ~ .. j -:- (Ill, 1 9 5, 1) sb/rt, a name of the sacred
eye, to the desire to obtain better groupings. On the other hand, such aesthetic con-
siderittions are not apparent in~~ (VII, 162, 4) wj' for wj "smile", or~~
(IV, 2 t 2, 13) s~f fol' 1~ "loose, unloose ", though the latter may be influenced by ..!.__ l
(V, t45, 3), a better grouping than ~1, or by Coptic CMI)4 "seven".
In addition to those words that regularly seem to show metathesis, there are numerous
examples of apparent metathesis 121 that occur sporadically. The majority of these are
(I) Sethe, however, read Jf;mwt in l.~ Amun und die Acht Urgotter, p. 88 ).
fl\;
~ ~ .~.-..~ -==;:::; ,__, which he translated I') Cf. LA~AU' Metatheses apparentes en egyptien
as dei' gute Gotl, der Sohn des Verbergenen in Rec. de Trav., 25, t3g-t6t.
( Amun), zm Welt gebracht rlurch Mut'' ( SETHE,

-Ho( 113 )oH-
purely graphic as~2(VI, 3lt, 8) for ~'pi "Nile",~ ...... (VI, 1lt9, 2: fairly
common) for psg "spit", -;::: ~; fn J
(IV, 282, 11) for m~nt "uraeus ", ; : (IV, 1 5t, 1 6)
for sbn "mix", ~;j (VI, 3tlt, 6) for ibr "unguent". In the same tradition are such
groupings as t.i-: (V,
..._.,..-.w
t3t, 9), ~
t I--:;: (V,
tD
t3t, 5) for ljwt-Hr nbt 'Iwnt, 11.-...
~>t~
(Mam., t5t, q) for ndm ptrj "pleasant to see",~ (VI, 162, 12) for hnw "kin-
measure",~~ (llfam., 91, 7) for mhr "suckle''. Other examples, however, are due
to scribal errors, as;::! (II, 6o, 11 =XII, PI. 371; VIII, 29, t6) for nb pt, ~t":
(VI, 87, 9) for ly-m-~tp ''lmholep", HJ~...:..~T (VII, 1lt7, 8) for ~bs-Jnk bht
"he protects thee", ~ IJ
(IV, 210, t3 for ~sb "count".
Further research and study will be necessary before it will be possible to speak with
finality on the part played by metathesis. It is clear, however, that the scribe had not
the slightest compunction in subordinating the strict order of signs to purely aesthetic
and graphic considerations whenever it suited him to do so. This is yet another sign
of the importance of the decorative aspect of Ptolemaic writing.
(c) A ssirnilation (cf. Ili, B, 3, p. 11 o above).

tt:tl. originally ssp becomes sp in --. ~ (I, 3 7 3, 8) nsp "breathe".
- originally ssp becomes sp in T (VI' du' 5)' var. r; (VI' ~48 , 3)
for ssp "light''.
(d) It is convenient to mention here a special case, not at all frequent, in

which a sign acquires a special value or acts as a substitute for that value,
not because of any phonetic change in the sign itself but as an indication of
the changes which certain combinations of consonants have undergone.
_.... nv (lu') replaces~ mr (iml-r) in ti:\1':tn~ 1 (Ill, 1~9. 8) rnr brntv-
1
ntr n( m) ntrw ntrtvt "overseer of the priests of the gods and goddesses"; _....
) ~(Ill, t3t, ~) mr st-~nt, a title (cf. the var. quoted above under Ill, B,
1. g, P: 1 o 8 ). This particular use of _...., which is not uncommon, is due
to the combination m+r giving rise to l as in Coptic >-.MHHG), >-.AG)AN.
1t is in accord with the same tradition that there arise such writings as
p~ ~ ~ (lV, 5, 7) forsarw "plans" and hence m
(V, 7 3)forirts~rW=PG)IG)I,
or r:* (V, 352, 6),;: (V, ~oo, 4) for sb~ "star", plural P}S (1, 16, 4).
A slightly difl'erent phenomenon is illustrated by the rare use of ....-4 rm~
instead o-nb(t) in (t (TV, 3o3, 13), varr.:;....-4~;(IV, to5, 2),[];11
(VII, 3o7, 14) forlVbt-~wt ''Nephthys". The following explanation of this
Bulletin, t. XLIII.

---t-to( 11ft )ot+-
I owe to Mr. Grdseloff and Dr. Polotsky who point out to me that we have
here a further example of the phenomenon already pointed out by Lacau (I).
Nbt-~wt= *nmM (cf. J\ ~ J;) and becomes rm~e (cf. pM2) which gives rise
to the artificial graphic writing rm(n)-Mwt). This is a purely graphic trick,
for the spoken language preserved the etymological form Nesew, but it is
a trick founded on a genuine phonetic phenomenon.
5. By employing old or familiar signs in new forms or from

different aspects.
~ for U( 2
) m Jl--- ~ \-:;:- ! .i (IV, 8, 6) whm tw il\t) k;t m lftp-
nbwy, for which the parallel text has j j--.. ~ T!HHl ~ ( VJI, 7, 3) whm tw lr(t)
k~t rn f:lwt-~n "work was resumed in ljtp-nbwy (var. /fwt-~n )".
! , var. in frequent use 1, for ..J in o 1 (IV, 1o, 13) llr ~~t "before",
lh (VII, 8, 7) ~~t-sp "regnal year".
\.,\.. for v(sJ in ~=~(I, lu, 3 =XI, Pl. 2 2 3) wp c~wy B~dt "open
are the doors of Behdet", " - ~ (I, 3 79, 7) wps "illumine ".
~ for~ lm in~~!~~ (IV, 1 o, 9), l)b~ pw db~ Ytl rn-lmj' it is Retribution
Town (Edfu) in which the {enemy is punished". See further Ohs. 2 below.
Oos. 1. There is, of course, a strong element of punning behind some of these uses,
especially that of'\,_\.,, where there is clearly a play upon the notion of division ".
Similarly * 5 (see above Ill, B, 1 b, p. t o3), which is due to a visual pun on the five-
1 1 1
pointed star, is also in a sense a new form or aspect of the normal 1 1 Se the, however
( Von 'Zahlen und Zahlwiirter, 2 5) was inclined to see in * 5 a derivative of* dw~.
(I) Cf. LACAU' Sur le- ( n) egyptien devenant PI. 34t) "the handiwork of the two ladies".
r ( r) en copte in Recueil Charnpollion, 72 t -7 3t . In the near future I hope to devote a note Lo
( l This use has already been no led in crypto- the reading of\.\. and its variants: the reading
2
grams; cf. DRIOTON in Revue d' Egyptologie, I, 1nsnty proposed ..by Wb. d. iig. Sp1., 11, t44 is
3g, No. !,5. I suspect that lc~t is the best most improbabie.
reading in .~~ l!J -== H \..\.. : lf~ ('l Noted in an Eighteenth Dynasty ctypto-
gram by DRIOTON in Revue d'Egyptologie, I, 4 t,
(C. D., IV, t t3, 6, note the alliteration) and in No. 78. Hence at Dendeta, but not apparently
~ \~ (1, 376, 5), ~ \..'\.:) J J at Edfu, V is used to denote the number 2,
(IV, 28g, 3), cf. ~ \.,\,.:: lf" (VII, e. g. ~ .~~ 3 "Lhl'ee cham hers" ( DuMICHEN,
t5g, t), T~ "::~llll (I, 432, lt=XIT, Baugeschichte, XIII, 3 ).

2. ~acts as a variant of~, e.g. w~ (IV, 19, 12) 's "cedar".
~also has the value !Jt in~~ (IV, 18, 1) !Jt "inscribe",~~ (IV, 11, 6) m-!Jtj
"'-
''in his train, after him" (cf. also IV, 18, 6; 20, 2; tg5, 7) and hence by phonetic
change is equivalent to !Jr in ~ ~ (IV, t6, 1) !Jr-m-di "within". Here also ~ may
simply be acting for~' which also has the value fJI, e.g.-- .,!.!.~L,!_ (V, 263,
q) s!Jpr !Jpr nb m-!Jt !Jprj "who created every being after he came into existence". On
the other hand, it is possible that in these examples~ is only acting as a variant of_,.......,
I am rather inclined to favour this second alternative.
6. Abbreviation.
Apparently restricted to the use of 1 for tvd~ and for snb in the common r
fir and related phrases. Under the influence of this formula, however,
both i and r very occasionally have the values wtf:; and snb in other contexts :
e.g. r1~ (ll, 26, to= XII, Pi. 38o) swd; B;~t "who protects Egypt"; 2
-~(VI, g5, 11; Marn., 129, t5) ml snbt ''as thou art well", ~n (VI,
g6, 8) ~ri-tbt 1n snb "thy middle is well".
7. From the hieratic
" m'b~ in~ (Ill, 33, 2) m'b~

"spear"(r).
=;. hw in =;. (V 25 8) hw ''smite" .
. ~ ' ' .
r
= 4 in r:~ (VI, 92, t3) ljmmv "Hermopolis", cf.~: (VI, t68, t5).
par in ~ (VII, 1 92, 11) pbr "walk round".
--.3 9 in~____.$ (VII, t5, g) ml], 9 "nine cubits".
r
i s; in ...!... i ~ (VI, t 9, 11) rd nb ~r s; t; ''everything that grows on
the back ofthe earth", r~.il~ (VI, 2o3, 5) s;w "wall" .
mn for J~ f2l in ~ (VII, 2 53, 1) b.mn "scent".
Ons. Misunderstanding or misreading of the hieratic sometimes leads not to the crea-
tion of special forms but to the replacement of the correct sign by a combination that
has no real connection with the word or sign in question, as in ;;: :.: (IV, 59, 8) sti
"shoot" for the correct..;. ........... (IV, 363, 4), or==~:: (VJI, t5g, to) for m-stl n
"before, in the presence of".
(I) Cf. FAULKNER, Pap. Bremner-Rhind ( Bibliotheca Aegyptiaca, Ill), p. g4, note on p. lt3, line 6.
- ('l CL Annates du Service, lt 3 , 2 6 8 , Nole XL.
15.

----c 116 )...__
8. By false analogy.
~ originally lrl, irym is par because of:: p/Jr in ~ ~ (VII, 4, 7) par

corridor"~
originally r, lrl is plw because of:: p/Jr in =(VII, 33, t3) ts p/Jr
<==-
''vice-versa".
, is normally < and is substituted for __, and hence acquires the value dl,
because__, is confused with~. in '7 (III, t 19, 5.) rdl "give".
is gb in J~(VII, 8g, 7) Gb '' Geb" because it was imagined that since
could be substituted for ;..., s~ "son" it could therefore be substituted for
;..., in ;..Jlf.
9. Confusion betmeen signs.
Very frequent with certain signs. There is, of course, nothing essentially
'' Ptolemaic" in these uses and many of the most common and typical examples
occur in earlier periods also. 1 only give a ve1y brief selection.
~ ~d and t is : ~ is often is as in ~ ~ ~ ~if 1 1 1 (VII, 2 7, 1 t) for lst "crew".
}(.. p~ and~ ~n, /pn~: }(..is ~n in}(..,! H (VIII, 106, 1l!)~njb,rb~nt
" he alights on the pylon"; and ~m~ in )(..:: ~ ;:: (Mam., 8 8 , 17) (cm ~nj
mnnt "he created that which exists".
and : is lr in ~ J (Ill, 16 8, 5) lrw "image".
j mdw and 1Mw, bpt : j is ~r in j jl ! (Ill, 8 6 , 1 o) ~rwym "enemies"
and bp in Tj./\ (VII, 166, 8) m ~P "in haste"; 1is mdm in :::J.I 11 (VIII,
1 1 9 , 7) d_,d mdw " utterance" .
stp and "'""' nw : .t:'-.. is nw in ~ '";" (VII, 8, l1) nwb "he drunk",
.t:'-..
~-;-.t:'-..~7J (Ill, 285, 6) ms nw~ 'lnp(w) "who brings the adze of

Anubis" (cf. Wb. d. iig. Spr., 11, 222); ,..._,is stp in~ (III, 127, to) stp
"cut up".
e and@ sp and f!l nlwt :~~~(Ill, 127, 1 o) for whi spf, an epithet
of Seth; ! 1 (V, 176, 8) for nlwt "city" (cf. the alphabetic uses of ,@ and
e mentioned p. 66 ,above).

C. COMPOSITE SIGNS.
To complete the preceding survey I add a brief outline of the principal

types of composite signs. The classification is based on the form or structure
of the signs and will serve, it is hoped, as a guide to what is permissible and
what is not permissible when deciphering texts that employ such signs. It
will be realised that the component elemepts of such signs could obtain their
values in any of the ways already indicated in other sections of this paper.
1. Two or more uniconsonantal signs are combined :
'bin+~ (Ill, 88, 9) 'b' "boast".

+ b' in ~))) (VIII, d9, 6) db'w "fingers".
b~ in + ~ .._ (Ill, 316, 16) b~~ "phallus "( 1l.
+M in+= (Ill, 49, t3) B(~)IJ(w) "East".

I bi in+~ (IV, 336, 9) b# "vomit".
l sb in +I~ I
+
jin in j! Jt 1 , '*?
workers in their craft".
1
f =
(Ill' 118, 2) sbtv "provisions".
(V, 4, 5) in ~mw tpi n wnwtsn ''by the foremost
u- sr in ~ '"*1- (I , 4 o , 1 4 XI , PI. 2 2 2) msr " evening".

=
~ pn in : : fi ~ 1J (VII, 3, 4) mmv pn nfr ''this beautiful monument".

(1, 25, 8=XI, PI. 2d) ~t "inscribe",
-\ in j_
......__
drjin - ~ ( Mmn., 12 2, 11) t~ drj "the whole earth".
~ (2)dsj in : ~ (I, 41 1, 1) ~p( r) dsj ''self-created".
dsr in ==-~f.~:.:,.: (I , 4 32 , 1 1 =XII, PI. 34 7) r dsr ~ 'wlc "in
order to make sacred thy body".
jf 'hh in ft......,_ (VI, 87, 2) 'bb "harpoon".
<l A very rare value due solely to the juxta- <l In rt j ~, however, which occurs in
position of ...........~ and ~ and not occurring in the titles of Hathor ~ irt ~ (Mam., t3lt, to)
other contexts : see further Annates du Service, ~nwt s~bwt, and j ;-: rtj ~ (VII, 167, t) t
43, 250 r Note IV. spst nt s~bwt, ~ acts as determinative.

Bulletin, t. XLill. 16

- - ( 118 )oe-t-
:# b'b' in :# ...... (VI, 77, 8) b'b' "drink".

j:f gbgb in #\(VII, 292, 12) gbgb "slay".
Oss. 1. Note the exceptional combinations of the type :fi
foe 'bb in :fi- (IV, 374,
1) 'bb "harpoon" and# for sbsb in J:ox (IV, 3o9, t3) sbsb "divide". For such
signs and writings, see Annales du Service, 43, 253, Note XIX.
2. There is no rule governing the ordet in which the component elements of com-
posite signs are to he read. Either the vertical or the horizontal sign can he read first
according to the circumstances and if need arises a sign can he read in two ways. It is
clear that a very considerable proportion of these signs are formed from a desire to have
more pleasing and square groupings of adjacent signs (see p. 1 2 6 ).
2. Uniconsonantal and nurltiliteral signs are combined.
(a) Simple combination of uniconsonantaland multiliteral signs :

u.a tdiin : : (VI, 162, 12) rdi r w~;t ''put into a cauldron".
\JIB dsr in \JIB~ (I, 4o, 1 2 =XI, PI. 2 2 2) dsr sit; "sacred of image".
~ rswt in J~ ~-~ ~ (I V' 17' 4) St-wrt m rswt " the Great Seat IS
tn . "
JOY
~' var. :tJ (IV, t4, to)bs; in!;~ (VII, t3, 7) ~r ir(t) bs;j"protect
him".
4 mds in !( ~ -t.:::! 1~ (Ill, 287, 9) nid.~ ~[C) m 'bbj ''who slays the
crocodile with his harpoon".
~wmtin~t(II, 121, 8)wmtib "stout of heart".
rwd in 11~+ 1:: (VU, 19, 8) t~nwy wrw rwd m-rwlsn "the
+ j two great obelisks are firm before them".
rwt in=+--- (VIII, to6, t4) m-rwt "beyond, outside".
1
_f_ t;i in _f_ 1 ' (VIII, 8, 1 5) t;i "boundary".

f !!- qnts in f ?!-l ; m~ HT j.:_ (I , 42 0 ' 5 = XII ' Pi. 3 43) l;nts ntrat
m im; j "the goddesses rejoice in his grace" : var. !.. ~ in the parallel
passage (1, li26, 8-9=Xll, PI. 3lt8).

-c 119 )+~--
ESl imn in <e!3~(VII, 1u7, t5) 'Jmn "Am,un"(tJ.
Ea snsin ~(IV, 4o, 4; cf. the parallel V, 27, t5) sns, name of the nw
of the XXIInd (supplementary) nome o Lower Egypt.
~ .~ns in~ (IV, 4o, 6; cf. the parallel V, 28, 2) sns, name of the
XXllnd. (supplementary) nome of Lower Egypt.
-} nt-' in-}~ (VI, 102, 3) nt-' "rites".
(b) Phonogram or ideogram plus phonetic complement :

11 smstv in ~ 11 f.1 (VIII, t3g, 9) s~ smsw n Wsir" eldest son of Osiris" ( l. 2
~ sd in W:! (IV, tug, 2) /.ib-sd "jubilee".

\j. 'bin =i (IV, ih8, 5) m-'b "together with".
~ wtt in~ (IV, 18, 12) wtt "beget".
--l-- !J,sf in --l-- 1.--J (VI , 2 7, 7 ) !J,sf "repel".
(') <23 was explained by SETHE, Die Bau- und langes Maspero, I, 36~.
Denkmalsteine der alten Agypter und ihre Namen <'I If 11were the only writmg of smsw,
(Sitz,b. heuss. Akad. d. Wiss., Phil.-Hist. Kl. there would be no obvious objection to sug-
tg33), 8, note 1 8, as i m n = "i togethet gesting that it originated in s m sa' a man ( s)
with n' '. This is not impossible, there is together with sw ". This explanation appears
certainly no objection to it from the grammatical less satisfactory when other spellings are taken
point of view, but 1 have increasing doubts as into account. e. g. the very common TJ1l
to the accuracy of suggested origins of the type (VI, 28g, 6) or fj (IV, 200, 2). The most
"A m B" ="A together with B", for signs of satisfactory explanation is to see in J1l a com-
this type are rare (though this does not prove bination of the ideogram jj smsw and the
this sott of origin to have been impossible) and phonetic complement sw, and 1 can see no
all known to me can he explained in other ways.
= im +
essential difference between ~ T /] (Ill, 78,
The simplest explanation of <23 imn is
- . n= imn. = depicts "what is inside",
12) and T11 beyond the fact that in the second
example, to give a more compact grouping,
im (suggested by DtttOTON in Revue d' Egyptologie,
the man is depicted holding ~ instead of the
I, 4g, No. 180), the underlying idea being
staff. Note that very occasionally ijl itself acts
similar to that by which it was possible to use
(!,;for ana, or as imi ( Urk., IV, 46, t4; 4g, as determinative e. g. rT 11
t } (IV, g~, ~8).
7), which led to the further use of ~ within This conclusion is only reinforced when we
an egg as im, first suggested by Sethe (in take into account the use of such signs as a in
SPIEGELBERG-NottTHUIPTON, Excavations in the l}; _~ ~ (C. D., IV, 115, 2) sms(w)ts~tR'
Theban Necropolis, 1 o) hut of which lhe earliest "eldest daughter of Re'" and the masculine
example known to me occurs in a text of the form lJ(V, 9 3 , 5) for which a parallel phrase
Thirteenth Dynasty pnhlished by RANKE in Me- gives TJ1l (V, t43, t8).
16.

--Ho( 120 )ot-t-
l:: s~nt in A:~ (VII, 75, 6) ~~nt "stl'ong".

+skin+~ (VII, 20, 2) sk "perish".
-f> (Ill, 1S7, 2), var. -f.> IV, t5o, u) snt~ "slay".
~ ssrn in"!' if). (VII, t3u, t5) ssnt "guide".
(c) Phonogram plus following suffix pronoun (apparently restricted to ._ ).
i- sm.~f"he unites" (IV, g, 4)

4-- wnmi f" his right hand" (VIII, 1 4 5 , 17)
..f.- {p.v f "he protects" (VII, 2 u, 6)
1- tr f " his season" (V IJ , 1 2 o , u )
't ~s f" he praises" (V11, 2 u, 5 ).
0Bs. Note the unusual use of~ for njr + sulfix k in ~ (C. D., III, t o6, 11) nfrw k
"thy beauty".
(d) Hare are combinations such as

+ i n : + . = (IV, 38o, 6) 6k~ Fn~w "ruier of Phoenicia",
4'--
of his father": but note 'r 4:-
in~~ (VI ,,6, 7), var. 'f (Vl, 285, 12; 288, 1) nd itf" protector
(V, 9, 8) g ~rndbf'' the earth on its foundation".
0Bs. These infrequent forms are clearly imitations of the combinations already men-
tioned under (c) and are used, like nearly all composite signs, with the purpose of making
better groupings.
3. Two or more phonograms are combined to form a single word,

a compound word or a complete phrase.
(a) Simple combinations :
~ msdm in ~; (V, 191, 11) msdnt "eye-paint" (I).

A ntyw in A; (VII, 8g, 1) ntyw "myrrh".
< l ~ appat'ently is not to be regarded as an either~ (11, 84, t3; 297, 17) or some other
error for 1which one would expect. Much spelling (e.g. I, 88, 4; 425, tt; Ill, t43,
to my smprise I have been unable so far to find q-t8; t4-4, 5; VII, 277, to-tt) ~is a Den-
a single Edfu example of :1
and Edfu uses dera form (e.g., C. D., IV, 267, 3).

-t-te( 121 )++-
J s~ R' in J~ (VIII, 68, 7) s~ R' nb b'(m) "Son of Re', iord of diadems".

Jt. nn-ib in Jt.: (VI, 6 6 , 13) :-n-ib "styrax".
1
of frequent occurrence in the name of Ptolemy XI Auletes, e.g.

~ 'nb+'lmn (-;l.:~!t:::::::IJ.~) (VIII, go, 5) lw' np(:) ntr nti
IJ. R' + sbm n~m, stp Pt~, lr M~'t R', sam 'n~ 'lmn "Heir of the Saviour God,
chosen of Ptah, doer of truth of Re<, living image of Amun ",
~ lrt R' in~~~ (Ill, 353, t3) lrt R' nbt pt "Eye of Re', mistress of heaven".
ft 'nb ntr in ft 1J (Ill, 1 6 o, 8) 'nb ntr njr ''long live the good god".
!J dd mdw "utterance" (V, 205, 17 ).
j nfr ~r in !---"~t'~~r( (V, 22g, 7) Jfr-B~dti ntr '~ nb pt nfr M
~rl stj w1t '' Horus of Behdet, great god, lord of heaven, beautiful of face
on his great seat".
!k ssp-'nb, in~- (V, 3o4, 6) ssp-'na n S:b-swt "living image of Him-
of-the-dappled plumage".
\h As(~)-sn' in ~~2 (HI, 88, g) ~s(~)-sn' m dtjdsf"powerful(?) of
body''; cf. ~Hh~2 (l, 374, 3)(1J.
4", var. ;: 4" (V, 3 9 o , 11), srls Myt in 4" T if sJ. ~ (VU, t 96 , 1) sr(~
Myt n bw nb ''who causes the throat(s) of all men to breathe" .
.. ~..... ~nk M~ 't ''offering truth" (V, 3 59 , 7 ).
(tJ The precise meaning of ~8:-sn' has not 9; I, 37 4, 3 quoted above; DE MoRGAN, Ombo8 I,
been determined; in most examples ''strong, 21, No. ~6) and fOI' r~z, (III, 122, 4;
powerful, power'' appears to make good sense, cf. I, 2lJ2, u) we have Jt? ~ g (I, 82,
though "fierce, ferocious" would sqit certain
to; cf.ll, 85, 3). Compare also \h T~! ~
passages. Professor B!ackman and I were at
one time inclined to read all examples of \h (1, 82, 8) with~ fP}f)l~~~ ~ ~ ._.
(1, 16, 12). Only in the group ?t'w-'11~, nfrw
as :m because it was usually used with reference
have I been unable to find any full spellings
to Min or Hqrus and was connected with words
with ~8~-sn' and it is possible that in this group
that either mean or might mean ' 'phallus", e. g.
we should read ~m.
~ dt(III, 87, 8-9; 88, 9; V, 241, 15), ;-;-:
-tt \ - There are other phrases in which \h cannot
nljt (lll, 122, 4), h~._ ~'w-'nlj (IV, 71,
read ~m and where ~8~-sn' must be used, e. g.
7-8) or~ nfrw (IV, 271, 4). Thisbreaks Ill, t32, t5; t88, to; IV, 299, 6(?); 383,
down, however, on further examination, for
instead of~~ (V, 24t, t5) we find ~ fP t3; I, 375, 10. Note that Minis 7117::-'ic
(IV, 270, t5) nb ~s(:)-sn' "lord of power".
h ~
..c=~.-.
l lI (I, 375, t4-t5; cf. alsolll, 88

-Ho( 122 )ot+-
,.L: gs-dp in!~~(V, 368, 11) ~r ir(t) gs-dpk "protect thee".

{ 4r-'~~ in { : (JV, 3g, 8; for the reading cf. V, 2 7, 5) ~1'- '~~'' Babylon ''( 1l.
J ntr ntrt in JJJ (V, 36g, 7) ntrw ntr1~t "gods and goddesses".
4 mwt-ntr in~ (V, 346, 4) mwt-nt1' "god's mothe-r";sometimes merely
mtrt, e. g.~;~"-- (VIII, 35, 5)mwt-ntrn&-mwtf" mother of Kamephis".
Hl .fJ.r-BMtl ntr '~ nb pt "Horns of Behdet; great god, lord of heaven"
(V, 3t2, 4).
~ (VII, 1 9 3,
3) bile n nb "falcon of gold" (usually written at Edfu as
though to be interpreted "falcon of the Golden One").
(b) Punning combinations :

1 in ~rt (2 ) in 1 ( ~ (I,
2 5, t5 =XI, PI. 2 tl1) in ~rt n nbs "who brings
3
)
the Distant Eye to its lord", 1~" l(VI, 229, t3) 'In-~rtSw "0nuris-Shu".
j nsw( 4) "king" (V, 229, t3) (=in sw "who brings it", i.e. the eye).
\ nsw(5 ) in~~,\).( VIII, t33, 1 )nswntru)1"m1'' king of gods and men".
~ J 'in-~rt in ~TI;;;<:l;> (JII, 278, t6) 'ln-~rt ntr '~ nb Tn "Onuris,
~ great god, lord of This".
lt. Combinations of signs one of which acts as support or deter-

minative.
~ nsw m ~r f /]!Ut.~.~ (VII, 8 ,.3) srnrw nsw 'h' m IJkrwsn "the royal
companions stood in their fine array".
J (V, 3tt, to), varr. ~(V, 311, 11), uJ (VII, 3, 2) k~ "Ka, spirit".
J ;M in fl J (Mam., 116, g) imi ~{l.t "He who is in the horizon".
<'l This interesting writing was communi- ntrt'IJ "Amen-Re' king of the gods" ( Guu.MANT,
cated to me in tglt3 by Dr. A. H. Gardiner. Le Tombeau de Ramses IX, Pl. V, collated).
<> Cf. JuNKER, Die Onurislegende, 6. Piankoff informs me, however, that he has seen
<'l The exact form of this sign is not in the an example of j nst'IJ in an inscription of
fount : in the. original the free arm is bent Ramesses li in the Temple of Luxor.
across the breast. <l The eatliest example known to me occurs
4
< > The earliest exam pie of this value known in a text of Ramesses 11 in the chapel of Khons
to me occu~q in Ji ~~~ 'lmn-R' nsw

in Lux or Temple : cf. DARESsY in Rec. de Tra~.,
t6' 54.

~< 123 )~
'J bm in T4 !_ ~ ~ ~ "~ ~ 3
(VII, 8, 6) br wts bmj d1 hrw pn r km dt
U bnwt in _U l l =
"uplifting His Majesty ( Horus) from this day to the end of eternity".
(Ill, 4t, 4) bnrvt T~-ntr "Mistress of God's-land ".
~ nlrvt in ~ ~ t (IV, 1 1, 1 3) bsj R' r nlwtj" he gives thanks for his city".
J rvtst in ~@ J(IV, 11, 6) psdt Wtst "the ennead of Edfu".
J sb~inf=tJ (V, 4, 3) w'nb lmm sb~ nfr "each one of them is a
beautiful door".
==>
pkr in : ; 'X' T f
fills their hearts".
= (HI, 2 o, 17) mrrvt-k pkr m ib-sn "love of thee
_/\ dbn in ~; ~ ~ ~ (V, 52, 7) lfr dbn(y) dhn hh '' Horus the
traveller who traverses the sky".
'3!" sm "go" (VI, 1 12 , 3 ).
5. One or more signs, usually but not invariably ideograms or

phonograms, are combined with a determinative.
(a) Simple combinations.
tli (V, 2 86, 6), b~ "eternity".
+ sm~ "copulate" (IV, 384, q).
. . wtt "beget" (VII, tl7, 3).
~ nb "lord" (VIII, 111, 12).
~ s[pn :powerful" (Ill, 35, 8).
+ W "stand" (VI, '2 7o, 2 ).
+ (VII, 6, 5), var. +V (VII, 3, 7) M"inscribe".
1 tr "season" ( Vll, 8, 7 ).
Jl ljdt-N{Jn, an epithet of Nekhbet (V, 237, t 6).
$ nt-'rv "rites" (VI, g, 8 ).
j: sm' "Upper Egyptian grain'" (VI, 2 81, 1 ).
0s. Note that very occasionally a combination of phonogram and determinative is

used simply as a phonogram, e. g.
+ lFv in +(V, 23t, 4) ~wd "enrich".
~ nd in~' (VIII, 26, 2) ndb "foundation''.

-t-to( 124 )ot-t-
(b) Very common in geographical or place-names are combinations with

m, ........ (or its substitute - ) and ....., .
~ (VH, 230, g), t (Ill, 64, 1), I (Ill, 110, 1), t (VI, 12, 6), ~(IV,
225, d), t
(Mam., 122, t) for Smc "Upper Egypt".
~(V, 177 7), "f (Ill, 25, 1),; (VII, to, g), I (VI, 7 1) for M~w
"Lower Egypt".
frt..(VI, 276, 2) I[Mrvy "the T~o Sources" (Egypt).
2: (VI, 296, 7) Wtst-/fr "Edfu".
1 in J: (VIII, tlt5, 12) i~bt "Easf'.
1 in (V I , 2 9h , 1 4 ) lmnt " West".
(c) Where the nature of the .sign permits, the whole or part of the spell-
ing is placed within the determinative.
Ill(V, 3 11 , 1 2) bbnt "pylon".
m;n (IV, 6, 4) /:t~yt "court".
]! (Vlll, t t t , 7)rwt"portal,gate".
@ wsb in @ (JV, 9, 8) swsb "extend, increase".
Ej (VI, 87, 12) wsbt "court".
~ (VII, 5, 3) wsbt wdn "court of offerings".
EJ (VIII, 62, 16) Kmt "Egypt".
(d) Very rarely a determinative is combined with a following pronoun.

~... in ~ e ~ ~"' (Ill, 2 20, 4) ayk "thou art uplifted".
min ~;:m (VII, 11, 6) mnu, pn "this monument"
6. Certain ideograms or phonograms, whose form lends itself to

such uses, enclose or ''hold" other signs in order to form
complete words or phrases.
(a) The sign encloses one or more signs that give the whole or part of
the spelling of the word or a following suffix : particularly common with Q
S3 (VI, t54, 2) dt "eternity".
C"-l (V, 3t5, t4) rn-f "his name".

~>( 125 )~
m_ (IV, t3, 1 o) bdf" his shrine" (or perhaps, lc~rf).

I
[j] (VI, 3o6, 5), var. b~ (IV, .t 1, 8) bmt-ntr-f "his temple''.
\ bwt-ntr "temple" (Ill, 1, 14 ).
~ j ~mt-blk '' Man~ion of the Falcon" (VIII, 11 o, 5 ).
( .(:lmt-Qr "Hath or" (V H, 2 8, 9).
~ Ijwt-f!.r nb(t) in~!';' (VI, 24g, tu) lfmt-lfr nb(t) 'lwnt "Hathor,
mistress of Dendera ".
~~(VIII, 63, 4), var. ~(VII, 7, 3) bwt ~n "Mansion of Valour" (a
name of the temple of Edfu ).
I )( ~ ~ 'MJ(I 11 ' 1 0 u, 2 ) ' var. E~ 'MJ(IJI ; 1 l 3.' 1 0) ' ~ ~ rtn (I 11 ' 1 6 6'
6) ~rot
tvry( t ).
~ ( Mam., 3g, t3), var. ffi (Mam., 3g, 16) msM ~tp(tv) "hall of offerings''.
r=:1 (Ill, 33g, g) pr md;t "the (temple) library".
m~ (Ill' 346' 3) pr <11~ "the house. of life", i.e. the scrlptorimn (I).
I (VII, q, to) pr ~d "treasury".
E=3 (VI, 3 tg, 6), varr. ~ (VI, 3 21, 4), c-:::1 ~- e (VI, 3tg, 8) pr dt,
1
one of the names of the temple of Edfu.

Cf. also~ ntrl n in ~f!J-~11 (Ill, 253, 12) mw ntri n ir wnn(t)
"Divine seed of the creator of what exists".
(b) Aspecial class of'' holding" sign is that in which U forms part. There
are numerous examples of this type of combination, the signs that are held being
determinatives or other words he they nouns, verbs, prepositions or pronouns.
~ k~ ''spirit" (VIl, 75, 16).
l!J! k;w ''provisions'' (V, 3tt, 11 ).
W0! dllc~w "give provisions" (V, 3 1 1, 1 1 ).
I"- I~ btvt le~ -f" the abomination of his Ka" (V lJ, 1 1 3, 3).
l!J n k~-k "for thy Ka" (V, 6u, 3).
~=le (U) plus determinative () in ~~{VIII, 107, u) tnk ''joy, festivity".
~ n~b k~ in ~ ~ ~~ ~ (VII, 7 1) n~b k;-j ls ims "his name was inscribed
therein", hut note [!!j (VU, g, 7) nfJbtw k;:f"his name was inscribed".
(I) Cf. GARDINER, The House of Life in J.E. A., 24, 137-179

7. Final remarks on the Composite Signs.
The values of the different signs that make up the composite signs are
controlled by the same rules that govern the use and formation of all uni-
consonantal and multiliteral signs. It is clear, however, that the chief reason
for their formation and use was the desire to enhance the decorative aspect
of hieroglyphic writing, an aspect that it is certain must always have been
strongly in the mind of the scribe. The vast majority of the composite signs
are simply combinations of normally consecutive signs combined in such
ways as to form neater and more compact groups than if they had been
written one after the other in the more usual manner. Such combinations,
at least to the Egyptian eye, must undoubtedly have increased the decorative
value of the texts by grouping signs in more pleasing ways and by creating
new forms and thereby introducing an element of variety.
It may, perhaps, be thought that the analysis just given of the composite
signs is needlessly elaborate and it could certainly have been presented in
more compressed form if I had so desired. The present method of pre-
sentation has been adopted deliberately in order to illustrate as fully as
possible with my present material the ways in which the composite signs
could be used and to gain some idea of the manner of their formation. The
important poi:p.t that emerges from an examination of these signs is that
their component elements are inseparable, in decomposing and decipheiing
a composite sign it is impossible to insert another word or phrase between
any of the signs of which it is composed and these signs must be read con-
secutively. This, of course, is only to be expected, for the composite signs
are nothing but substitutes for signs that are written consecutively in normal
writing.
There may seem to be a contradiction between this statement and the
phrase \!!)quoted above ( p. t 2 5), but this is not really so. The scribe was
always free to take certain liberties with the strict order of signs if he could
thereby obtain a better grouping (see above p. 1 1 3 ). There were definite
limits, however, to the liberties that he could take, but he could always alter
the order either of the signs composing a word, if it suited his purpose, or
of some slight formative elernent of the verb, the indirect genetive or, very

- - ( 127 ) - -
rarely and in special circumstances, two consecutive words. What he could

never do was to split up a composite sign and use the separate signs as widely
separated words or to spell words that are not consecutive. The utmost
lengths to which he could go are illustrated by the special uses of f f ndm
such as ( ~ (:: ( Mam., t51, q) ndm p( t)rf" pteasant to see", i] Uf.!.=
(VII, go, 2) for n~n nfi ndm ptr[JJ "a goodly stripling pleasant to see"
(cf. theparallel V, 2l.g, 1g), or Lfnl (VII, go, 3) for ndm'nlj,, a mime
of Edfu.
Another good example of the splitting of a composite sign is afl'orded by the
name of Ptolemy XL In addition to the spelling quoted above ( liJ, C, 3( a),
p. 1 2 1), we find variants that employ the indirect genitive, ;: IJ. ~ ~ lr M;'t n
R' s~m 'n~ n 'lmn ( Vlll, 58, 1 o), where clearly the scribe Wi:IS reluctant to
abandon his neat grouping, particularly useful in the restricted space of a
cartouche, and it was felt that the insettion of the indirect geneti ve did not
seriously split the composite sign.
Yet another apparent but deceptive example of splitting occurs in the
group l~/r-BMtl .... mry which occurs in 11
&~ WU3 ilHtJ ~ j 'f (V,
3olt, 1 o-11) lfr-B(ldtl ntr '; nb pt S;b-swt pr m ;bt R'-f:lr-;!Jty !Jntl st-wrtj
mry ''beloved of Horus of Behdet, great god, lord of heaven, He-of-the-
dappled-plumage who came forth from the horizon, Re'-Harakhte pre-
eminent in his great seat". The same is to be seen in~ l '=-'6E:2 JT::-;
~ -x .-. A. n- L\.. , ,...........
r ;a;. :.f.
=-=
(VIII, 3o, tlt-t5) /fr-B~dti ntr ~ nb pt S;b-it}'t P'' rn ;!Jt R'-lfr-;!Jty
!Jntl St-wrt rnry "beloved of Horus of Behdet, great god, lord of heaven,
He-of-the-dappled-plumage who came forth from the horizon, Re'-Harakhte
pre-eminent in the Great Seat", ~ rt ~~ H~B (VIII, 58, t o-11) lfr-
B~dtl ntr '; nb pt mry &b-smt pr [nL ;!Jt J ... , :7; l;:j ~; i ~ j
(Viii, 4t,
16) lfmt-IJr nbt 'Imnt irt R' nbt pt ~nwt nttm nbm mry "beloved of Hathot',
mistress of Dendera, Eye of Re', lady of heaven, mistress of all the gods".
In all the examples the inversion of the position of rnry is not real, it is due
to the fact that the divine names and titles are written in retrograde sctipt,
but mry which is written in the normal direction occurs in its usual position
at the end of the phrase and thus happens to coincide with the first sign of
the phrase.

-Ho( 128 )-e-t-
The same alteration of the strict order is to be seen m other contexts.

Thus we find ~ 1~ for *~ ---1:;: in ~ UZ ~ 1~ ~ :7: (V, tf!t, 9) dli
mrwtk ssti ~r lp; nbw "I cause love of thee to be spread among all men" or
+.::;for+.;: in +n--+.~r ..:..:.
(I, LJ71, q-t8=XII,Pl. 355) <b(~)k
<b(~)ti m bw nb nfr "thy offering table is endowed with every good thing"; or
we have displacements of pronouns as in U (VII, t54, 5) m nb,t:f ''in his
strength",==~ (V, 87, .1 2) !Jn!Jn:f"its rattling" (reference to the,noise
made by the sistrum when shaken), or even ~.(VI, 7 7, 1 o) lbsn "their
hearts". It was always possible to take liberties of this sort either with the
full speilings of words or with the composite signs, but the scribe could not
go further and it was uttedy impossible to split a composite sign and insert
complete words or pheases betw~en its component elements.
D. SIGNS OF UNKNOWN ORIGIN OR READING.
The values of the vast majority of Ptolemaic signs can be explained in one
or other of the ways outlined in the preceding sections. Nevertheless, it is
not possible at pt'esent to explain all signs and there remain some whose
reading is certain but whose origin is unknown, including even some of the
most common values, and there are others for which a reading cannot be
suggested or concerning whose reading there are doubts. There is little
doubt that in time and with increased knowledge and documentation most of
these ditliculties will be solved, but in ordet~ to complete the record I give
below some of the signs for whose origin or reading I have no certain sug-
gestions to offer.
1 very often used to write g "land", e. g. I; (VH, 1 o, '9) c m~w
t~ :
"Lower Egypt", !!! 11 (VIII, 68, 7) nsw-blt nb t~wy "King of Upper and
Lower Egypt, Lord of the Two Lands".
J
'm Ww : e. g. l ~(V, 2 86, 6) IJ,sb <IJ,<w "reckoner of time", an epithet
~ k~t: e. g. =
of Thoth, ~(VI, 335, 5) <IJ,<wk "thy length of life".
ffi ckL ~ ~ J... (VII, 3, 7) r sdd. k~sn (tr k~tsn ''in order
to establish their names ontheir work",~..:.~$ (IV, 9, 6) mk~tnt iswt
"as the work of ancient days".

- - ( 129 )ot-t-
'n!J, : only noted at Edfu in ,i) Ill (Ill, 1 o 4, 1 5) = ~ l' 'n!J. ntr nfr
''long Jive the good god", vae. ~' (C. D. IV, 22 o, 1 o ).
I(IJ 'n~: I1 (V, 3oo, t5) 'nl~ ntn~fr; J~;Mfi~IhrU~(IV, 5, 3)

=~~.;;A~).! j ~ .!f- j~~ U~(VII, 21, 7) M~'t m-b~b,j n b,r r llm:rnltj imt~
r'-nb ' Maat is before him, not being distant from His Majesty, and he lives
on her every day; ,-Jf- ~~)_=I; l (VIII, t 54, 1) n~f 'n!J. 'n~lw m 'n~:f
"He is the Living God by whose life men live"; ~I=1.\::r~J (C. D.,
III, 1 6 5 , 1 i)) s'n!J.ns rmt m-,!Jt ml "she vivifies men after death"; I ~ (I,
t47, 9) 'n~ "goat". IV, t5, 8; 1~), 8.
See also
Fflnfl': only noted at Edfu in ~Ill (Ill, to4, 1S) 'nltnlrnfr;cf.I'J')f
(C. D., lV, ~ ;{ 1, 1 o = MARIETTE, Denderah, IL u) 'n!J ntr nfi; J 'lf (MAR1ETTE,
Dendemh, Ill , 55 a) ntt 1ifr.
,~ P~': H~~ (V, t4g, 1 o ), S~b-smt p1 m ~!Jt 'He of Lhe dappled
plumage who comes forth from the horizon",~-~-=~ (IV, 11, 3-ll)
'py prtl ut Pwnt "the winged scarab is come forth from Punt" .
.... varr. - , wo and ..., pr : T~ ,:: ~ ; (lll, 84, 1 [,), var. 1tt ~
(Mam., 55, g) S~b-swt ]J1'm ~!Jt; i /!(V, 212, to; III, ~G, 1o)prmSt"who
came forth from Isis". Note the writing :2 wo pr (V, 221, 15) in a context
that is not very clear to me.
~pkr: ~(VII, 3, 5) p!Jr "corridor", 1-Z~~~~(VII, ~6, g)
nin't r-drs p~rti m nhm "the whole city goes about rejoicing".
[ was at
one time inclined to guess that pb,r must be a name of as a dagger sheath f,
covered with lion's skin, hence b. as determinative, under the influence
off b. "'h
~ ~ W~: (I, 4t 2, 1 4) piJrf w~dt-.f m b,b f tpl'' he walks about
his shrine at his Fiest Feast". This is obviously a very wild suggestion. and
it is, moreover, difficult to reconcile with the variants h (Ill, 1 1 5, 13)
and~ (rare: IV, t4, 8). I have no useful suggestion to make as to the
origin, but the reading is certain.
~ varr. ~ and ,..,. This sign certainly appears to be equivalent to
lcn in ;~ ~ = ~ ( VII , g 2 , 1 7) = r. :_
~ \~ (V II , 8 8 , 9) 'n b,r ~n m sqm,
the origin being ~ } )m b:m:v ''span , horse ( Urk., Ill, 8 , t 1) cf. ~)m t:
(ll Not to be confused with ! ~~~'P
Bulletin, t. XLIII.

----t-to( 130 )-c+-
fpp l;nw (Wb.d.iig.Spr., lll, 32g). The reading (m would suit Q~ (VII,
t5g, g) ~wt l;n(?) and seems reasonably assured in~ T~ (IV, tq, t5;
107, 3) ~n s'n~ ra.yt; fl~"tf4' (V, 267, t3) 'n~ ntr nj1 (en m s'n~;
~ <=> T ~ (IV, 11 1,1 8; t3t, 9; 2 87, 4) l;;n r s'n~ r~yt and ~ 1 f''
(V, 3 o lt, 9) l;n wd 'nl~ n t~ W!f, but are we still to read lcn in ~ 5:::H f
(Mam., 203, 12; cf. IIJ, 6o, 4; VII, 67, tt)f5n/;nms'n/}(?)orin+ 9 T
~:~',(IV, gt, 11-12; cf. C. D., IL 223, t5) stv m l;nn(t) psdt (?) ot
~ ~r.ic (V, 1 oo, 8) for l;n n ~nrnmt(?).
$ : that this sign is to be read m~d seems certain from certain puns on
w~d in various passages in which it occurs : - fft t TT~$ (IV, 3 9 2 , 5) stlLn
~r.~: m w~d n W~dyt ''thy face is brightened by the papyrus-sceptre of
J
Edjo ", : == $: T ~ T; tJ (MARlETTE, Denclerah, JlJ, 52 t) nn (nmw) m
W~dt w~d n W~dyt "youth in W~dt, offspring of Edjo", Tl!JnJ J=$
(IV, 3gt, t6-3g2, t)wdlc~{w)nwdb,m W;dt"whogivesfood totheyouth
in W~dt". $ appears occasionally as a spelling of the name of the goddess
W;dyt (IV, 3g2, 5.) but is more frequent in the place-name W;d, $;(C. D.,
Ill, to5, t3; tt8, t6; C.D., IV, 56, 7; MARIETTE, op. cit., Ill, 52)$
(I, 4o2, to; IV, t8, 8; 3g2, t; V, g, 12; VIL 24, g; 25g, tt, etc.).
Although the reading thus seems assured, ( do not understand the form of
the sign or the function of the two boat-shaped objects.
IV. - CONCLUSION.
The system outlined above is simple and direct. It is not based on any
particular theoretical considerations but is derived directly from a.nalysis of
the inscriptions and their decipherment. It contains nothing that cannot be
observed in the classic.al and better known stages of Egyptian hieroglyphic
writing or that could not have developed legitimately from known procedure.
It is, moreover, practical and has been proved to work in the course of readings
with friends who had no previous experience of Ptolemaic. Our failure as
yet to discover the values borne by certain signs or the origins of some of these
values does not necessarily indicate that there may be some still unsuspected
principle at work, but is rather a measure of how much we still have to learn

-t+( 131 )oH-
about Egyptian. The difficulties that attend the reading of late hieroglyphic
texts are very largely due to the unfamiliarity of their outward appearance
and not to any new or foreign procedure that had no part in the texts of earlier
periods. The successful overcoming of these difficulties is dependent on
commonsense, practice and familiarity, together with the realisation that they
are not really subtle, complicated or involved. The one certain way of courting
trouble in attempting the decipherment of texts of "Ptolemaic". type is to
approach them with fear and suspicion as though every sign concealed a trap
or a bite; such an approach leads inevitably to trouble if not disaster, it creates
difficulties where none really exist and repeatedly produces versions that give
rise to doubts. The royal road to the successful decipherment of these texts
is the way that is simple and direct.
At the root of the values borne by Ptolemaic signs lie the same factors that
always governed the use and selection of hieroglyphic signs, the main difference
being that Ptolemaic has a tendency to use a greater variety of signs (largely
because so much of the inspiration of Ptolemaic lies in the early and formative
periods of the language modified somewhat by the impact of contemporary
events and conditions) and that Ptolemaic is archaistic and gives added em-
phasis to and revives processes that were largely obsolete in classical Egyptian.
Ptolemaic writing depends essentially upon three things : (a) the origin of
hieroglyphic writing in picture writing, which made possible the use of ideo-
grams; (b) the consonantal nature of Egyptian writing, and (c) the wide use
of the pun or rebus, which was only possible because Gf the consonantal nature
of the writing, to create phonograms from ideograms. All the subsidiary and
contributory factors such as phonetic change, loss or elision of radicals, the
influence of hieratic, the extensive use of composite signs and even errors
and confusions are in the final analysis based and dependent upon these funda-
mentals. These are features that existed to a greater or lesser degree at all
known stages of the language and the Ptolemaic system of writing is not
separated or apart from the main stream 'Of hieroglyphic but is part of it and
is governed by the same rules.
These observations are obvious and axiomatic. The chief point on which
dispute may arise is the question of the part played by the Consonantal Prin-
ciple and Acrophony in the formation of the uniconsonantal values. It is

- ( 132 )C+-
here that the views expressed in this and in my previous paper come into
strong conflict with those held and advocated by Dr. Drioton. This is unfor-
tunate, for no one can work on Ptolemaic texts and not be very conscious of
the deep debt, the stimulus and inspiration he owes to Dr. Drioton's crypto-
graphic studies, which contain much of permanent and abiding worth to every
student of Ptolemaic as well as cryptography, hut this very fact makes it all
the more necessary to combat the error of Acrophony that is distorting his
results and methods and that thereby regrettably throws doubt on those parts
of his work that are sound and permanent. I confess frankly that in my earlier
reading of Ptolemaic I accepted Dr. Drioton 's theory of Acrophony without
question; I have been compelled to abandon it because it led me into repeated
error and trouble and because I found that it did not apply even to Dr.Drioton's
cryptograms to anything like the extent that he claimed.
It is true that bath the Consonantal Principle and AcrO'phony are only
theories, and that in the nature of things it is impossible to give definite
proof of either the one or the other. There is, however, a great difference in
the quality of the evidence that can he advanced in support of these rival
theories, for while there is a good sub-stratum of solid fact underlying the
Consonantal Principle, it is impossible to find a single positive item of evidence
in favour of Acrophony beyond the ass'ertion, as unsupported as it is dogmatic,
that it must exist.
The Consonantal Principle is based on a simple and natural fact, the fact
that Man is careless and slipshod in his speech and is ever prone to slur, drop,
.distort or otherwise modify certain sounds and letters. This is a very
ancient and common characteristic of the human race and there is clear evid-
ence that what may be observed in the speech of the living peoples of the
modern world also existed in Ancient Egypt. There is general agreement
among modern scholars that, in so far as their origins can be discovered or
suggested, the signs forming the normal Egyptian "alphabet" originated
through the working of what I have called the Consonantal Principle, by the
reduction of certain words, under certain strict conditions, to a single strong
consonant. It is legitimate to postulate that the less familiar and Ptolemaic
equivalents of the normal alphabetic signs also originated in the same way,
and it would be quite unjustified to assume that they did not without first

-t-1<( 133 )oH-
attempting to work on the old, traditional lines. It is certain that some of

the Ptolemaic signs did originate in the Consonantal Principle (such signs
as t and~ for~' for instance). This assumption is also supported by the
fact that it is undeniable that a certain number of the multiliteral values were
obtained in the same way by the loss of weak radicals, and it is natural to
suppose that a similar loss of weak radicals may have led to the formation of
uniconsonantal values. Moreover, it will be noted from the preceding analysis
of the formation of Ptolemaic alphabetic and multiliteral signs that they form
part of a similar, uniform and coherent system.
When Acrophony is considered the position is entirely difierent. The
theory that certain signs became uniconsonantal by the selection of the initial
consonant of the word or words which they represented is not based on cus-
tomary usage or any natural phonetic process but is something arbitrary or
even capricious. The argument in favour of .Acrophony is the purely negative
one that no other explanation is known or can be thought of. A negative
argument undoubtedly has its value, but it is a very limited one; it is .exceed-
ingly dangerous to build ari entire theory and system upon negative evidence
and such evidence is only valid, final and conclusive when it is certain that
everything is known about the subject under discussion. No one will be so
bold as to claim that we are even beginning to know everything about the
Ancient Egyptian language, writing or vocabulary and it is utterly impossible
in the present state of our knowledge to state that any value could only have
originated in Acrophony, that would be palpably false, for in no branch of
Egyptian philology can we be said even to be approaching finality. Until
it is certain that we know every word ever used by the Egyptians and that we
fully understand their language and system of writing it cannot be claimed
that Acrophony is the only explanation of any value of any sign employed
by an Egyptian scribe. The most that can be claimed is, perhaps, that it is
"probable", but even that claim I believe to be contrary to the facts we
possess.
Acrophony is open to further objections. It fails to solve the problem of
origins because experience shows that repeatedly there is more than one word
from which a unicon~onantal value could have arisen by Acrophony. It is
true that even on the Consonantal Principle there are a number of signs for
Bulletin, t. XLfii. t8

----Ho( 134 )ot-t-
which alternative ongms can be suggested, but they are exceptional, their
number is very small and infinitely less than in the case of Acrophony and there
is good reason for believing that only the incomplete state of our knowledge
accounts for these apparent alternatives.
The contention that Acrophony does not solve the problem of origins is not
difficult to prove, but lest I be accused of being too partial or of pressing the
argument too far, let me quote Dr. Drioton himself, who cannot be accused
of being prejudiced against Acrophony. In a discussion of the value ,__,. = m
Dr. Drioton has written ",__,. =m, valeur frequente dans l' ecriture ptole-
mai:que, JuNKER, Uber das Schriftsystem im Tempel der .Hathor in Dendera, Berlin
1 go 3, p. 16. n est toutefois difftcile de preciser par acrophonie duquel des
nombreux mots commen~ant par m qui designent une barque en egyptien,
1111111.
,__.. \..Jt ~, 1111111-,
~ ~
-.:c ~
- , <><=><. 8~ ~
<=;:::>
"' , ""
.1.\ '-~_,-""""'
.... etc. La valeur im de ce signe,
courante ala basse epoque, ferait pencher pour une acrophonie consonantique
de ~-=:::. ~}""""' "barque" (lJ. Here even Dr. Drioton is compelled to admit
that Acrophony fails him and that what is really the Consonantal Principle
is operative. What is clear from his own words is that he made no attempt
to find an origin by traditional methods until he found that his new theory of
Acrophony gave him no help. Unfortunately, having one~ realised the truth,
he has failed to realise that the same argument applies to many other supposed
examples of acrophonic origin.
Acrophony affords no control or check over the accuracy of decipherment
and in practice it will be found thatr the habitual use of Acrophony enables
practically any desired result to be extracted from any series of hieroglyphs.
Thus we find ourselves in the absurd position in which different scholars
produce entirely different and contradictory versions of the same text and
our science and our methods are brought into disrepute.
In my previous article (2l, in illustration of the way in which the application
of Acrophony can lead to differing versions of one and the same text, I cited
the versions of the Athribis cryptogram produced by Professor A. M. Blackman,
Dr. Drioton and Mahmud Hamza. Dr. Drioton has been quick to try to defend
himself by asserting that my claim "est en realite sans valeur. Le fait allegue,
P> Annalesdu Service, !w, 366, No. 6o.- t> Annales.du Service, 63, 3o5, note t.

---+to( '13 5 )++-
d'abord, n'est pas exact" (tJ. Since it is Dr. Drioton's statement that is not
exact, the facts will repay some examination.
Dr. Drioton first claims t~at Hamza has not proposed any serious decipher-
ment because he has only stated ''The group of five signs also appears to be
enigmatical and may be either epithets of the heart of Osiris or of the divinity
inside the temple, i. e. Horus-Khenty-Khety, who was associated with Osi-
ris ".( 2) Dr. Drioton has, however, obscured and su'ppressed vital facts, for
Hamza expressly states ''I believe that we are here face to face with the name
of the great temple of Athribis, which probably reads H.t-lb-'; '' (3) and then
makes a brief attempt at justification. The use of the words "I believe"
will indicate to most of us that Hamza was putting forward a serious suggestion
in which he had confidence. In fact, Hamza proposed and attempted the
justification of a decipherment of half the text and made no attempt to decipher.
the other portion, although he hazarded a vague and unsupported guess as
to its nature, and it is to this guess that the words quoted by Dr. Drioton refer.
Dr. Drioton then turns his attention to Professor Blackman 's version and
claims that this was no more serious than that of Hamza because he states
that his decipherment ''seems not altogsther impossible(~) ''. Thus Dr. Drioton
quite unjustifiably twists Professor Blackman's modest understatement into a
confession of no confidence in his own suggestion. Does anyone seriously
believe that a scholar of Professor Blackman's calibre and reputation, writing
in a serious, technical journal, should print a decipherment of a text, append
a justification of every value and reading suggested, and then in the same
breath tell his readers that he did not mean it, that his solution was wrong
and not serious and his arguments not valid? Moreover, I personally had
many opportunities of discussing this version with Professor Blackman while
he was preparing it and I can testify that he had every confidence in it, and
certainly neither of us had the faintest suspicion that Dr. Drioton was going
to produce a solution that so patently diverges from the truth.
Having thus airily dismissed the solutions of his rivals the way is now dear
for Dr. Drioton to make his triumphant claim "Il ne reste done qu'un
<'>Annates du Service, 43,322, note 1 . - <> Annates du Service, 38,200.- <> Annates du
Service, 38,198, 199- <> LiverpootAnnals, 25,187.

~( 136 )~
dechiffrement qui ait !'intention d'en ~tre un et qui puisse Hre critique comme
tel" {t) and he gives a cross reference to his own version published in Annales du
Service) XXXVIII, 1 og-116. The attitude revealed by this chain of argument
and the claim that follows it bears a striking resemblance to that popularly
supposed to be adopted by the ostrich on the approach of danger, and is
just about as scientific and effective. How very weak must be the case whose
defenders have to resort to such shifts and expedients.
In spite of Dr. Drioton' s denials it is certain that three scholars working
on the same general lines have produced three entirely different versions of a
single, short and very simple text that can be read simply and directly. Such
a result is bound to raise doubts and queries and the only scientific course is
not to dismiss the alternative versions as not being serious but to submit all
the versions to a fresh and searching examination to discover where the error
lies and the reasons for it. If three independent attempts to decipher an
ordinary hieroglyphic inscription produced similar conflicting versions, every-
body would immediately realise that something was seriously wrong and would
insist that the versions and the methods of deciph~rment must be examined
and controlled and checked. Jt is no less imperative to submit cryptograms
and Ptolemaic to the same criticism and control, but' Dr. Drioton refuses to
face the clear warning contained in these circumstances and seeks comfort by
declaring in effect "La crypt~graphie c'est moi".
Dr. Drioton hits the nail squarely on the head in his final words '' il faudrait
de plus abandonner tout espoir de dechiffrer jamais le fameux cryptogramme,
car toute solution nouvelle sera forcement la quatrieme, et devra automati-
quement etre tenue pour fausse''. Exactly, there could be no better des-
cription of the regrettable state to which the decipherment of cryptograms
has been reduced. As long as the method is wrong, eve~y solution will be
wrong. It is useless to shut our eyes to the facts; if a system of decipherment
makes it possible to produce three, four or even a hundred versions, all are
equally discredited, the system and the methods are discredited and must
be checked and if need be revised or abandoned. It is for this reason that
I refrain from publishing my own version, though I believe it to be the correct
(I J Annales du Service, b. 3 , 3 2 2 , note 1.

~te( '137 )-c+-
one, for who will now believe any proposed decipherment of the Athrihis
cryptogram until a secure foundation has been established?
The study of cryptography has been reduced to a state of well-nigh hopeless
confusion. Thanks to this systemless system, which even its inventor claims
is artificial, practically anything can be done with any text and any sign, and
there is no criterion to enable the student to judge where lies truth or error.
The accepted methods of procedure can be thrown overboard if deemed necess-
ary, all things are permissible, and even rules of grammar need no longer
apply, for Dr. Drioton tells us that a short phrase which he has deciphered
almost exclusively by Acrophony is to be read U ~ ) ffi p}> ~ ~ ~ ~ (IJ J
where classical Egyptian would require ~ ~--- ffi }> ~ ~ ~ so that r J
even the elementary rule that rdl must be followed by the sif,m{ need no
longer be observed and grammar is also relegated to the limbo of the past.
Truly the form of Cryptography that is created by Acrophony is a world all
on its own.
There must be some way of establishing the correct solution and it behoves
us to seek that way. The fact that the three published versions are all based
on the same general principle, the key-stone of which is Acrophony, is a hint
that it is perhaps the method that is faulty. At the very least, if we are honest
with ourselves, we are hound to try to find a way that does not produce alter-
natives and that reduces doubt and lack of confidence to a minimum. The
evidence not only of the Athribis cryptogram hut others as well indicates that
Acrophony does not provide the required assurance.
In assessing the claims of the rival theories, Consonantal Principle versus
Acrophony, it will be seen that it is generally admitted that the Consonantal
Principle was operative in the formation of the normal alphabetic values, that
it was a natural process, that beyond all reasonable doubt it did play a part in
the formation of some phonetic values and that it adds considerably to the
credibility of decipherments and our ability to control or check them. Acro-
phony, on the other hand, has no natural basis, there is no concrete evidence
in its favour, or even hint of such evidence, decipherments based on it are
difficult if not impossible to control, they are facile, arbitrary and do not
I 'l Revue d' EIJ yptolo[Jie, I , 2 1.

- ( t38 )et-t-
engender confidence. The sound procedure when attempting to decipher

any hieroglyphic text is surely first of all to attempt to work on traditional
and known lines, which include the Consonantal Principle, and to have re-
course to Acrophony or any other new procedure only when all other normal
methods have clearly faile'd, and even then only with extreme caution and
great reserve. Neither in Ptolemaic nor in any other kind of hieroglyphic
text whose decipherment is established and certain does Acrophony play any
definite and proven role, and the contention that Acrophony played any large
part in the formation of the uniconsonantal values of any period or any text
rests on very insecure foundations.
There is always a very slight possibility that a few isolated and occasional
values may sometimes have originated in Acrophony but it is certain that
Acrophony was never in operation as a general rule and principle.
The attraction of Acrophony is that it affords us an easy way of escape from
our difficulties, its danger is that there is never any guarantee that it is the
right way. The Consonantal Principle, which must be combined with all
those processes that contribute to the decipherment of inscriptions, does not
always render inscriptions more easy to decipher, but it does render the final
result more probable and secure. That decipherment should be difficult
leaves me personally unmoved as long as the final result is safe, for it is better
to have a solitary text of whose reading all can be certain than a hundred
easily obtained readings and all of them wrong.


Fairman An Introduction To The Ptolemaic PDF

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Fairman An Introduction To The Ptolemaic PDF

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

MINISTRE DE L'DUCATION NATIONALE, DE L'ENSEIGNEMENT SUPRIEUR ET DE LA RECHERCHE

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138

FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

An Introduction to the Study of Ptolemaic Signs and their Values.

IF 976 La Bible murale dans les sanctuaires coptes Pierre Laferrire

IF 978 Wazra. The Killer of Many Husbands Pieter Smoor

IF 982 BIFAO 107

IF 968 Dendara. Le temple d?Isis Sylvie Cauville

IF 960 Cahiers de Karnak 12

IF 959 Les inscriptions de Shel Annie Gasse - Vincent Rondot

Institut franais darchologie orientale - Le Caire

During the Winter of 1g43-1g44 at the request of a number of friends and

(I) Annalesdu Service, 43, 3tg-34g.

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

of its V'eakness, and therefore I see no reason to alter or modify any of my

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(I) Little Jack Horner Hieroglyphen, 3, and GARDINER, Grammar, p.1 2.

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

AND THE METHOD OF APPROACH TO ITS DECIPHERMENT.

'1. Ptolemaic Writing. By Ptolemaic Writing we are accustomed to refer

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

2. Characteristics of Ptolemaic Writing. The chief characterist~s of this

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(c) An increase, as compared with Classical Egyptian, in purely alphabetic

Grammatical characteristics are omitted from this brief enumeration, partly

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

3. The Approach to Ptolemaic and its Decipherment. These brief preliminary

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(a) Ptolemaic is a logical system of writing and as such it is not to be treated

(b) At the outset an attempt should be made to read and interpret it in

(d) In general, the simple and direct explanation is to be sought m

(e) No sign can acquire a value

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(f) The explanation that leaves no alt~rnative

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(j) Detailed recording and study of determinatives is essential.

11. - ALPHABETIC SIGNS.

I have recently devoted a paper to a somewhat detailed study of the alpha-

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(ii) The rnedial cons0nant only is retained :

} ( 1 7 d) rn from imtl (1). ~ (2o2) rn from im;.

(iii) The final consonant only is retained :

7f ( tlt2) l from it. ~ (167a)jfrom lwf

(b) By the weakening and subsequent disappearance of.......,. when in direct

J (16 c) /p from f;.

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

whether they are alphabetic ~ or biliteral ~, but the former alternative is

(c) By coalescence of two identical consonants or two closely related con-

~ (2) n from nn. ...... (239e)mfrommnt( 3l.

The foilowing is only a brief indication of the values acquired by phonetic

(a) Normal alphabetic signs.

( i) The following are common in certain circumstances :

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)

(ii) Less frequent and apparently under more restricted conditions :

J is replaced by= (t66c) and 1 (266b).

+ (16ft b) p from lb. 8 (3t2 b) t from dl.

4. Occasionally an old sign is depicted from a new aspect

> 1 15) r for <=>.

"'!_ ( 1 9 3 g) j for .__.

('l See below, p. 92, nn. 3 and 4.

BIFAO 43 (1945), p. 51-138 FAIRMAN (Herbert W.)