.n

Egyptian

Etymology 1

Loprieno hypothesizes development from an earlier form *-ina. In any case, perhaps ultimately from a form such as Proto-Afroasiatic *ˀan- (first-person pronoun (plural exclusive?)); compare Iraqw -ni, Arabic ـنَا (-nā).

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ʔɛn/
  • Conventional anglicization: .en

Pronoun

 pl 1. suffix pronoun

1. we, us, our (see usage notes)

Usage notes

This form of pronoun attaches directly to the preceding word, and means different things depending on what it is attached to.

• When attached to a noun, it indicates the possessor of the noun.
• When attached to a verb of the suffix conjugation, it indicates the subject of the verb.
• When attached to an infinitive verb (especially of an intransitive verb) whose subject is not otherwise expressed, it indicates the subject of the verb.
• When attached to a transitive infinitive verb whose subject is otherwise expressed or omitted, it indicates the object of the verb.
• In the third person, when attached to a prospective participle, it indicates gender and number agreement.
• When attached to a particle like jw or a parenthetic like ḫr, it indicates the subject of the clause.
• When attached to a preposition, it indicates the object of the preposition.
• When it follows a relative adjective such as ntj or ntt, it indicates the subject of the relative clause (except in the first person singular and third person common).

Inflection

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of .n  

.n	.n

In Late Egyptian, the presence of this pronoun results in the retention of final -t when the word it is attached to ends in this consonant; this is as a rule expressed by adding before the pronoun to indicate the retained -t.

Etymology 2

Most likely grammaticalized from the preposition n (“to, for”).

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ʔɛn/
  • Conventional anglicization: .en

Suffix

1. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Forms the perfect of all verbs.
2. (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) Forms the perfect relative form of all verbs.
3. (Late Egyptian) Optionally marks the preterite of all verbs.
4. (Late Egyptian) Optionally marks the perfective active relative form of all verbs.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of .n  

.n

References

• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 50, 227.
• Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, pages 52, 66
• Werning, Daniel A. (2008) “Aspect vs. Relative Tense, and the Typological Classification of the Ancient Egyptian sḏm.n⸗f” in Lingua Aegyptia 16, pages 261–292