The Narrative Verbal System of Old and Middle Egyptian

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Éric DORET

THE NARRATIVE VERBAL SYSTEM OF OLD AND MIDDLE EGYPTIAN

Patrick CRAMER Éditeur 13, rue de Chantepoulet

GENEVE 1986

PREFACE This study is a revised version of a doctoral dissertation (Ph. D. dissertation, University of Chicago, 1981). Above all, I would like to thank the chairman ofmy committee, Dr. Klaus Baer, for his careful reading of the successive drafts. His suggestions and criticism were particularly helpful with regard to the translation of the Egyptian texts. The two other members of my committee, Drs. Janet H. Johnson and Edward F. Wente, have also contributed many valuable comments on and additions to the grammatical analysis. I would also like to express my deep gratitude to the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique" and its president, Professor Olivier Reverdin, for a research grant which enabled me to stay at the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago from 1978 to 1980, in order to write this book. Thanks are also dueto the "Commission de Recherche de l'Université de Geneve" and to the "Société Académique de Geneve" for two grants which gave me the opportunity to study at the University of Chicago from 1972 to 1975. I am also very grateful to Professor Erik Hornung from the University of Base!, and Professor Wolfgang Schenkel, from the University of Tübingen, who were kind enough to read my manuscript and suggest severa! corrections. Finally, I am greatly indebted to Mr. Patrick Cramer, publisher, and to his scientific ad visor, Mr. Enzo Lucchesi, for having accepted this book in the series "Cahiers d'Orientalisme," to the printer, Mr. Serge Passini, who handled a very difficult task so carefully, to Mrs. E. Sherman, who checked the English of this book, and to the "Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique," who assumed the publication's costs.

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CONTENTS

PREFACE

p. p.

INTRODUCTION

5

13

PART ONE: THE OLD KINGDOM CHAPTER I: THE S])M.FCONJVGATION PATIERN . Forms . Functions . The Indicative Form of the Sdm.] . The Negative Indicative Forms . l. Nj S to dig five canals in Upper Egypt, and to build 3 ws1Jt-barges1396 and 4 sstboats+"? of acacia wood of WJwJt,1398 and the foreign rulers of Jr[t,1399 WJwJt, JJm1400 and M/~-1!, see COUYAT and MONTET, 1912-1913, p. 92 and pi. 34. 2082. On the citle mrjj-ntr, see GARDINER, 1947 a, vol. 1, pp. 47*-55*; HABACHI, 1958, pp. 171-172. 2083. On T.Jwt. (j)-jqr, see MARTIN-PARDEY, 1976, pp. 227-228. 2084. On this use of the preposition m, see n. 160 on p. 29 above. 2085. On this meaning of the verb jnj, see GUNN, 1929, p. 11; PEET, 1932, p. 123; CERNY, 1961, p. 8, n. l. 2086. On this passage, see KAPLONY, 1966, p. 20. On c4 "fat" written with the bull's head (F 1), see FISCHER, 1960 d, pp. 169 (e) and 178; Moussx and JUNGE, 1975, pp. 33-34. 2087. See CoUYAT and MoNTET, 1912-1913, pp. 77-78 and pi. 29. Note that lines 6-7 from this inscription are quoted as Ex. 221 on p. 129 above. On this inscription, see also DE Bucx, 1963, pp. 76-77. 2088. On the construction sdm pw jr.n.f, see HINTZE, 1950-1952, pp. 36-38; LEFEBVRE, 1955, par. 622; GARDINER, 1957 par. 392. 2089. Read l (wdn) and not ~ (sms), as does ScHENKEL, 1965 d, p. 263, n. g. 2090. On this translation of ssss, see FAULKNER, 1962, p. 211.

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174

THE FIRST INTERMEDIATE PERIOD

back until she reached this august rnountain (and) this stone-which was (still) in (its) place-(intended) for this lid of this sarcophagus. She gave birth u pon it (i. e., the stone), this troop of the King looking on. Then her (the gazelle's) neck was cut, she having been placed upon it (i.e., the stone) as a burnt-offering. (Afterward), it (i.e., the stone) carne down (to the Nile Valley) safely. In this way it was the Majesty of this august God, Lord of this highland, who gave the offering to his son, Nb-tswjj-R", living forever, in order that he rnight be joyful, that he rnight live u pon his thrones forever and ever, (and) that he rnight celebrate rnillions of Sd-jubilees." ExAMPLE 318, Harn. 191, II. 1-6:2091 njswt-bjtjj Nb-t.twjj-R" cnlJ 4t ms.n mwt njswt Jmj .Jbd 2 .Jht SW 23 wdt e m- kswt m 4w pn m jnr w.JIJ nb=nh whm bj.Jt jrt IJw m.J.J l]prw nw nir pn djt b.tw.f n rl]jjt jrt l].Jst m nwjj bst mw IJr n}J.J n jnr gmt hnmt m hr-jb jnt mli JO r mh 10 IJr r.J.s nb mh.ttj) m mw r nprt.s sw'b.ttj) stwr.t(j) r ghzw sst.J.t(j) r prt h.J.Jt IJr gswjj.sjj jn ms" n tp(jjw)-cwjj njwswt2º921Jprw hr }J.Jt... [Jwntjjw "The King of Upper and Lower Egypt, Nb-tswjj-R", living forever, born to the King's Mother Jmj. Sec-

ond Month of the .1/Jt-season. Day 23: setting to work on this mountain in durable stone for the sarcophagus. A wonder happened again.F" Rain2094 carne. The forrns of this God appeared revealing his power to rnen (rl]jjt), rnaking the highland a pool. Water flowed forth over dry rock(?),2095 anda well was found in the rniddle of the valley, 10 cu bits by 10 cubits at its every opening ( and) filled with water to the brirn, purified and kept undefiled by gazelles, concealed frorn the tribesrnen (Jwntjjw). Soldiers of old and Kings who lived aforetirne went out and back in its (the well's) vicinity (lit. by its sides), (no one ever having seen it). "2096

2091. See COUYAT and MONTET, 1912-1913, pp. 97-98 and pi. 36; DE BUCK, 1963, pp. 77-78; BRUNNER, 1965, pi. 7. 2092. On the plural njwswt, see n. 436 on p. 46 above. 2093. The first wonder is reported in Ham. 110, Ex. 317 immediately above. 2094. On hw , see SCHENKEL, 1965 d, p. 268, n. b. 2095. On nh.t, see FAULKNER, 1962, p. 136 and WB 2, p. 291, n. l. Note that SCHENKEL, 1965 d, p. 268, would translate otherwise: "Hervorquellen des Wassers auf der rauchen Oberfliiche des Steinblocks" (see also ibid., n. e: ,. D.h. über die noch ungegliittete Oberfliiche des Sarges"). 2096. For two more examples ofthe infinitive used as a narrative verb-form, see hst, Ham. 192, l. 19 (= Ex. 313 on p. 171), in CüUYAT and MüNTET, 1912-1913, p. 99 and pi. 37;prt, Abisko Gr. 3, 1. 2, in BROVARSKI and MURNANE, 1969, pp. 18 and 15.

TABLES RELATED TO PART TWO TABLE9

INITIAL INDICATIVE

Transitive Verbs

1st person

¡

jw

3rdperson

¡

jw

Negative

nj sdm. (j) 13

Verbs of Motion

¡ jw.(j)pr.kw5

sdm.n.j'

cf:¡,c.n. (j) pr.kw6

cf:¡c.nsc]m.n.j2

.........

sdm.n.]? e/Je. n sdm. n.f4

7

......... 8

nitwti:"

Other lntransitive Verbs

jw hnt.n. (j)9 jw 1Jpr.n10 { jw+ Noun +hpr. (w)11 jw + Noun + mwt. (w)12

I nj qs. (j) 15 l nj shm. (j) 16

19

{ Pronominal Subject Passive Nominal Subject 18

17

{ jw. (j) hsb.ktw) jw.(j) scb.k(w)2º cf:¡,c.n qd. (w).s21 c!J,c. n

se. w22

l. See pp. 125-126 above. 2. See pp. 125-126 and n. 1484 above. 3. See pp. 125-126 and Ex. 245 on p. 142 above; Ex. 277 on p. 157 above; Ex. 282 on p. 159 above; Ex. 309 on p. 169 above. See also BM 1671, l. 10, in PoLOTSKY, 1930, p. 195; stela of Htpj, ll. 3-6, in GABRA, 1976, p. 48; Mo' alla V,~. 2, in VANDIER, 1950, p. 239: Siut 5, l. 22; Ham. 113, ll. 10 and 13; Ham. 114, l. 10; Ham. 192, l. 11; stela of l)Jrj, l. 2, in CLÉRE and VANDIER, 1948, par. 18; stela of Ttj, BM 614, l. 4, in CLÉRE and VANDIER, 1948, par. 20; MMA Acc. No. 26.3.217, l. 9, in HA YES, 1949, pi. 4. 4. For references to examples, see n. 1484 on p. 126 above. 5. See pp. 125-126 above. For an exception, see jw zbj.n. (j) in the stela of Mrr (Cracow, MNK-XI-999), l. 5, quoted as Ex. 213 on p. 127 above. 6. See pp. 125-126 and Ex. 252 on p. 145 above. 7. Not attested in our corpus. 8. Not attested in our corpus. 9. See Ex. 212 on p. 126 above. 10. See Exs. 210 and 211 on p. 126 above. 11. See Ex. 258 and n. 1742 on p. 147 above. 12. See Ex. 257 on p. 147 above. 13. For references to examples, see n. 1529 on p. 129 above. 14. Examples of the negative form nj jw!jj used in initial main clauses occur in the formula nj jw!jj !Jt jm. (j)/f "Nothing wrong happened to me/him," see n. 1529 on p. 129 above. 15. See BM 614, l. 9, in CLÉRE and VANDIER, 1948, par. 20. 16. See Siut 3, l. 11, in BRUNNER, 1937, p. 44 and SCHENKEL, 1962, par. 21 b. 17. See p. 129 above. 18. See ibid. 19. See Ex. 222 on p. 129 above. 20. See Ex. 223 on p. 129 above. 21. See Ex. 224 on p. 130 above. 22. See Ex. 221 on p. 129 above.

176

TABLES

TABLE 10

NON-INITIAL INDICATIVE1

Transitive Verbs

VerbsofMotion

Other Intransitive Verbs

lstperson

sdm.n.j?

pr.kw4

[sq,m.n. (j)]6 wn.(n).(j)7 spss.n. (j); 3/J.n. (j); cJ.n. (j)8 jm3.n.(j)9

3rd person

sdm.n.f"

hnt. (w); hd. (w)5

......... JO

Negative

nj sq,m.f11

nj jw/jj12

nj shm'?

Passive

sdm. w 14

l. On non-initial indicative forms, see Chapters VI and VII above. 2. See pp. 133-135 and n. 1589 above. 3. For references to examples, see n. 1589 on p. 134 above. 4. Seepp.147-148above. 5. See Ex. 261 on p. 148 above. 6. See pp. 135-136 above. Note that , except in the case ofverbs ofmotion, intransitive verbs in the stative express a concomitan! circumstance (present circumstantial), see pp. 148-150 above. First Intermediate Period narrative inscriptions follow Old Kingdom usa ge in this respect ( see p. 66 abo ve). 7. See Ex. 234 on p. 136 above. 8. See Ex. 235 on p. 136 above. 9. See p. 135 and Ex. 240 on p. 139 above. 10. Not attested in First Intermediate Period narrative texts. 11. For references to examples, see n. 1617 on p. 137 above. 12. Examples of the negative form nj jwljj used in non-initial main clauses occur in the formula nj jwljj l]t jm. (j)lf"Nothing wrong happened to me/him," see n. 1617 on p. 137 above. 13. See the stela of Dmj, l. 5, in T. G. ALLEN, 1922, p. 57 and GOEDICKE, 1960 d, p. 288, fig. l. 14. See pp. 137-138 and n. 1630 above.

177

TABLES

TABLE 11

NOMINAL FORMS OF THE VERB Nominal "Emphatic" Sdm.n.f Form

Transitive Verbs

Verbs of Motion

Other Intransitive Verbs

1st person

sdm.n.j'

pr.n. (j)4

wn.(n).(j)7 clJ,c.n. (j)B

2ndperson

sdm.n.k?

... ... ... 5

......... 9

3rdperson

sdm.n.f?

pr.n.f6

f!pr.n.f10 wn.n.f'!

Negative12

Passive

· s4m.(w).f13 \ sdm.n.t(w).f14

l. See pp. 158-166 above. 2. SeeEx. 296onp. 163(andn.1961)above. 3. See Ex. 269 on p. 153; Ex. 272 on p. 154; Ex. 281 on p. 159 (and n. 1907); Ex. 282 on p. 159; Ex. 293 on p. 163; Ex. 294 on p. 163 (and n. 1954); Ex. 295 on p. 163; Ex. 297 on p. 164 above. 4. See pp. 152-154 above. 5. Not attested in our corpus. 6. For references to examples, see n. 1843 on p. 154 above. 7. See Ex. 273 on p. 155; Ex. 274 on p. 155 above. 8. See Ex. 276 on p. 156 above. 9. Not attested in our corpus. 10. See Ex. 277 and n. 1884 on p. 157 above. 11. See Ex. 275 on p. 156 above and Siut 4, l. 18, in BRUNNER, 1937, p. 54. 12. Narrative texts dating to the First Intermediate Period contain no examples of the negative tm used to negate the nominal sdm.n.f (tm.n.f sdm, see n. 403 on p. 44 above), nor of the nj ... is negative construction which negates the emphasized adverbial adjunct following emphatic nominal sdm.n.f in bare initial position (nj sdm.n.] js, see n. 979 on p. 83 above), see p. 166 above. 13. See Naga-ed-Dér , no. 69, l. 4, in DuNHAM, 1937, pi. 24, 1 and pp. 80-82, quoted as Ex. 305 on p. 167 above, and Ham. 191, l. 6. quoted on p. 167 andas Ex. 311 on p. 170 above. 14. Seer ssnb.n.tw.f, in Hat. Gr. 16, l. 10, quoted as Ex. 306 on p. 167 above (= ANTHES, 1928, p. 36 and pi. 16).

178

TABLES

TABLE12

PRESENT CIRCUMSTANTIALS

Transitive Verbs

Verbs of Motion

Other Intransitive Verbs

lstperson

sdm. (j)1

......... 3

spss.kw;6 c.J.kw; 7 wsr.kw8 mds.kw;9 (etc.}'"

3rd person

sdm.]?

iti)'

jm.J.fll

hnt.j?

Negative

nn + Infinitive12

Passive

......... 13

1. On the circumstantial form ofthesqm.f, sec Table 1 on p. 115 above. SeeEx. 288 on p. 163 above; stelaof Mggj, l. 4, in CLÉRE and VANDIER, 1948, par. 22: sjJIJ. (j); stela of Hnjj, l. 7, in CLÉRE and VANDIER, 1948, par. 17 and HODJASH and BERLEY, 1982, no. 25, pp. 64-65: smj. (j). 2. See Ex. 269 on p. 153; Ex. 295 on p. 163; Ex. 297 on p. 164 above. 3. Not attested in First Intermediate Period narrative tcxts. 4. See Siut 3, l. 10, in BRUNNER, 1937, p. 43 (= Ex. 275 on p. 156 above). 5. Scc Abisko Gr. 1, J. 6, in BROVARSKI and MuRNANE, 1969, pp. 18 and 11. 6. See Ex. 263 on p. 148 abovc. 7. See Ex. 264 on p. 149 above. ~- Sec Ex. 264 on p. 149 above. 9. See Ex. 265 on p. 149 above. 10. For other cxamples of intransitive verbs used in the stative to indicate a concomitant circumstance, sce n. 1772 on p. 150 above. 11. See Turin, 1310, J. 5, in VANDIER, 1964, pi. 1 (= Ex. 297 on p. 164 and n. 1972 above). 12. On nn + Infinitive, see p. 36 and n. 284 above. Note that no example of the negativc form nj-js + circumstantial sdm.f (see p. 36 and n. 285 above) occurs in First Intermediate Period narrative texts. For examples of nn + infinitivc, see Ham. 110, J. 4, in CouYAT and MONTET, 1912-1913, p. 77 and pi. 29 (= Ex. 317 on p. 173 abovc): nn "n.s; Harn. 113, J. 14, in CouYAT and MoNTET, 19121913, p. 80 and pi. 29 (= Ex. 272 on p. 154 abovc): nn "q; n(n) IJtlJt and n(n) mwt; Ham. 191, J. 6, in CouYAT and MoNTET, 1912-1913, p. 98 and pi. 36 (= Ex. 311 on p. 170 above): n(n) hr; Hat. Gr. 22, JI. 12-13, in ANTHES, 1928, p. 48 and pi. 22 (= Ex. 283 on p. 160 above): n(n) rdjt; Siut 4, J. 33, in BRUNNER, 1937, p. 57 (= Ex. 296on p. 163 above): nn c~J; nn sttand n(n) si]; Siut 5, J. 6, in BRUNNER, 1937, p. 65: nn mJJ. 13. Not attestcd in First Intermedia te Period narrative texts. On the passive circumstantial sqm.tw.], see p. 38 and n. 310 above.

TABLES

179

TABLE 13

PAST CIRCUMSTANTIALS

Transitive Verbs

Verbs of Motion

Other Intransitive Verbs

lstperson

sdm.n. (j)1

hJ.kw 3

......... 5

3rdperson

sdm.n.]?

......... 4

. ........ 6

Negative7 8

{ Pronorn. Subjcct

{ s1Jnt.(w).j scJ. (w). (j)9

ssbq.kw'" Passive Nom. Subject

11 { r1Js.(w) sft. (w)12 dj.(w)13

Circumstantial "Emphatic" Sdm.n.f sdlJ.n.f14

l. above. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

zbj.n. (j) 15

"nh, n. (j) 16

See Ex. 266 on p. 152; Ex. 271 on p. 154; Ex. 279 on p. 158; Ex. 250 on p. 140 and n. 2058 on p. 170 above; Ex. 310 on p. 170 See Ex. 309 on p. 169 above. See Ex. 262 on p. 148 above. Not attested in First Intermediate Period narrative texts. Not attested in First Intermediate Period narrative texts. Not attested in First Intermediate Period narrative texts. Not attested in First Intermedia te Period narrative texts. See Ex. 312 on p. 171 above. SeeEx.314onp.171above. See Ham. 113, l. 10, quoted as Ex. 277 on p. 157 and in n. 1710 on p. 143 above: ssbq.kw. See Ex. 313 on p. 171 above. See Ex. 313 on p. 171 above. SeeEx.313onp.171above. See Ex. 311 on p. 170 (and n. 2064) above. See Ex. 266 on p. 152 and p. 169 (n. 2046) above. See Ex. 308 on p. 168 and pp. 168-169 above.

TABLES

180

TABLE 14

INFINITIVE

Transitive Verbs

Verbs of Motion

Other lntransitive Verbs

wdt; 1 djt; 2 jrt; 3 whmi" m.J.J;5 gmt;6 ms(j)t pw jr. n.f7

jwt; 8 hst; 9 h.J.Jt; 10 prt· 11 bst· 12 h.Jtpw jr.'n.J13

......... 14

l. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

See Ex. See Ex. See Ex. See Ex. See Ex. See Ex. See Ex.

318 on p. 318 on p. 318 on p. 318 on p. 318 on p. 318 on p. 317 on p.

174 above. 174 above. 174 above. 174 above. 174 above. 174 above. 173 above.

8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

See Ex. 316 on p. 173; Ex. 317 on p. 173 above. See Ex. 317 on p. 173 above. See Ex. 318 on p. 174 above. See Ex. 318 on p. 174 above. See Ex. 318 on p. 174 above. See Ex. 317 on p. 173 above. Not attested in our corpus.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS In CHAPTER I of this volume, we used the paradigms of mutable verbs (III weak, 11 gem., jnj "to bring," rq,j "to give," jwljj "to come," and wnn "to be") to isolate the four forms of the sdm.f in Old Egyptian: indicative, circumstantial, subjunctive, and nominal. 2097 The indicative sdm.] of transitive verbs functions as the past declarative. 2098 It occurs only in the third person, 2099 with a nominal subject (s4m + Noun). 2100 To complement this form, Old Egyptian uses the stative (jr. k (j)) with the first person of the past indicative. 2101 The form sdm. (j), which exists in our corpus, occurs in non-initial position and is probably circumstantial in meaning. 2102 The negative of the indicative sdm.f is nj sdm.f, 2103 and its passive, sdm. t(j).f (i.e., the "indicative" stem + infix. t(j)). 2104 In Old Egyptian clauses of time and circumstance, the circumstantial sdm.f conveys events concomitant with the action of the main verb (present circumstantial). It is also the form which follows the particle (j)IJr "now when" and occurs in the compound form wn.f sdm.f "He used to hear." 2105 Verbs of motion, however, are always circumstantial in non-initial sdm.f constructions, 2106 the past indicative of this verbal class being conveyed by the stative. 21º7 Yet while the sdm.f of verbs of motion occurs with suffix prono un, the present circumstantial of other intransitive verbs must use the stative (spss.k(j); jqr.k(j)); cnlJ. w) with pronominal subjects. 2108 Only with a nominal subject can the sdm.] of an intransitive verb occur circumstantially (nfr + Noun). 2109 In Old Egyptian, the negative of the circumstantial form is njj sdm.f, 2110but first examples of the negative forms that eventually replaced njj sdm.f in Middle Egyptian (nn + Infinitive and nj-js s