𓋹

Middle Egyptian

Grammar & Exercises

Sections

• Writing System
• Nouns & Plurals
• Pronouns
• Verbs & Word Order
• Example Paragraphs
• Exercises

Middle Egyptian Grammar with Gardiner codes & your Z2 (𓏥)

A compact reference for Middle Egyptian: writing system, nouns, pronouns, verbs, examples, and practice exercises. Plural strokes use 𓏥 as Z2, exactly as you requested.

1. Writing System

Phonograms, logograms, determinatives

Basics

1.1 Phonograms (sound values)

Sound	Glyph	Code
/ꜣ/	𓂝	D36
/i/	𓇋	M17
/n/	𓈖	N35
/m/	𓅓	G17
/r/	𓂋	D21
/s/	𓋴	S29
ꜥ-n-ḫ	𓋹	V30

Remember: vowels are not written explicitly; transliterations (like nfr) are conventional.

1.2 Logograms

Word	Glyph	Code	Meaning
s	𓀀	A1	“man”
s.t	𓁐	B1	“woman” (as logogram)
pr	𓉐	O1	“house”

1.3 Determinatives

Determinatives are unpronounced and always come at the end of the word.

Glyph	Code	Use
𓀀	A1	male human (man, son, etc.)
𓁐	B1	female human (woman, mother, wife, etc.)
𓉐	O1	building, place
𓏛	Y1	abstract concepts

2. Nouns & Plurals

Gender, construct, and your Z2 (𓏥)

Forms

2.1 Gender

Masculine & Feminine

Masculine is usually unmarked: s (𓀀 A1) “man”.

Feminine often ends in -t (𓏏 X1).

s.t “woman” → 𓋴 𓏏 𓁐 (S29 – X1 – B1)

2.2 Plural (Your Z2 = 𓏥)

You chose 𓏥 as Z2 for plural strokes. It always comes after the word it pluralizes.

Meaning	Glyphs	Code	Translit.
men	𓀀 𓏥	A1 – Z2	s.w
houses	𓉐 𓏥	O1 – Z2	pr.w
women	𓋴 𓏏 𓁐 𓏥	S29 – X1 – B1 – Z2	s.t.wt

2.3 Construct “of” (Genitive)

Two nouns in a row = “X of Y”. Example: pr nsw “house of the king”.

𓉐 𓈖 𓋴 𓍿 𓅱 (O1 – N35 – S29 – V28 – G43)

3. Pronouns

Suffix forms with nouns and verbs

Reference

3.1 Suffix pronouns

Meaning	Form	Glyph	Code
my	-i	𓇋	M17
your (m)	-k	𓂓	D28
his	-f	𓆑	I9
her	-s	𓋴	S29

3.2 Examples

pr-f → 𓉐 𓆑 = “his house”

pr-i → 𓉐 𓇋 = “my house”

nfr.k → 𓄤 𓂓 = “you are good” (stative)

4. Verbs & Word Order

sḏm.f; past; negation; VSO

4.1 Example verb: sḏm “to hear”

Root: 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 (S29 – D46 – G17)

sḏm.f → 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓆑 = “he hears”

sḏm.n.f → 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓈖 𓆑 = “he heard”

4.2 Word order (VSO)

Verb – Subject – Object: sḏm s.f

𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓀀 𓆑 (S29 – D46 – G17 – A1 – I9) → “the man hears him”

4.3 Negation

nn sḏm.f → 𓈖 𓈖 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓆑 = “he does not hear”

Prohibition: n sḏm = “do not hear!”

Quick Reference

• sḏm.f → non-past “he hears”
• sḏm.n.f → past “he heard”
• r sḏm.f → “he will (go to) hear”
• nfr.k → “you are good” (stative)

5. Example Paragraphs

Read, then reveal transliteration & translation

5.1 Paragraph 1

Hieroglyphic line-up

𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓀀 𓆑
𓅓 𓉐 𓈖 𓋴 𓍿 𓅱
𓋴 𓏏 𓁐 𓏥 𓄤

Transliteration
sḏm s.f
m pr nsw
s.t.wt nfr.wt

---

Translation
“The man hears him.
He is in the house of the king.
The women are good.”

---

Notes

• sḏm s.f → verb + subject + object.
• m pr nsw → “in house (of) king”.
• s.t.wt nfr.wt → plural noun + agreeing plural adjective.

5.2 Paragraph 2

𓂋 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓏥 𓀀 𓊪
𓅓 𓉐 𓄤 𓏥
𓋴 𓈖 𓏏 𓁐 𓏥 𓂝 𓅓 𓉐

Transliteration
r sḏm.w s pw
m pr nfr.w
snt.w aꜣ m pr

---

Translation
“The men will hear – it is the man.
In the house there are good things.
The sisters are great in the house.”

---

Notes

• r sḏm.w → future/prospective “will hear”.
• pw makes an emphatic statement (“it is ...”).
• snt.w aꜣ m pr → noun (plural) + adjective + adverbial phrase.

6. Exercises

Try first, then reveal answers

6.1 Exercise 1 – Translate

1) 𓉐 𓏥 𓄤
pr.w nfr.w

2) 𓅓 𓉐 𓀀
m pr s

3) 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓋴
sḏm.s

4) 𓇋 𓈖 𓀀 𓆑
in s.f

6.2 Exercise 2 – Type of sentence

Classify each as: (a) construct genitive (b) verbal (c) adverbial (d) emphatic

1) 𓀀 𓄤

2) 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓀀

3) 𓂋 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓆑

4) 𓉐 𓈖 𓋴

6.3 Exercise 3 – Add plural (use your Z2 = 𓏥)

1) 𓀀 → ______

2) 𓁐 → ______

3) 𓉐 → ______

4) 𓋴 𓏏 → ______

6.4 Exercise 4 – Into Middle Egyptian

1) “The good man.”

2) “The women hear.”

3) “In the house is the king.”

4) “Do not hear!”

Answer Key

Exercise 1

1. “Good houses.”
2. “In the house (is) the man.” / “The man is in the house.”
3. “She hears.”
4. “It is the man.”

Exercise 2

1. Adjectival/nominal sentence.
2. Verbal sentence (VSO).
3. Verbal / prospective (“will hear”).
4. Construct genitive (“house of the king”).

Exercise 3

1. 𓀀 𓏥 → s.w “men”
2. 𓁐 𓏥 → s.t.wt “women”
3. 𓉐 𓏥 → pr.w “houses”
4. 𓋴 𓏏 𓏥 → s.t.w “women”

Exercise 4

1. “The good man.” → 𓀀 𓄤 (s nfr)
2. “The women hear.” → 𓋴 𓏏 𓁐 𓏥 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 𓏥 (s.t.wt sḏm.w)
3. “In the house is the king.” → 𓅓 𓉐 𓈖 𓋴 𓍿 𓅱 (m pr nsw)
4. “Do not hear!” → 𓈖 𓊃 𓂧 𓅓 (n sḏm)