Glyphs and Grammars

Part II: Advanced resources

Compiled for the Egyptologists' Electronic Forum (EEF) and the Ancient Egyptian Language list (AEL).
Version 11 (December 8, 2010)

Contents:
I) General resources
II) Old Egyptian
III) Middle Egyptian
IV) Late Egyptian
V) Demotic
VI) Hieratic
VII) Ptolemaic
VIII) Coptic
IX) Vocalisation

This page seeks to gather the prime resources for those who want to venture into more advanced areas of the Ancient Egyptian language, after having mastered Middle Egyptian (Part I). A lot of work was done by Michael Tilgner. Please send any additions (missing titles, advices for self-study, etc) to A. K. Eyma.

(I) General Resources

• Hannig, Rainer - Großes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch. Die Sprache der Pharaonen, 2800 - 950 v.Chr. (2nd ed., Mainz, 1997. 1473 pp.; Kulturgeschichte der antiken Welt, 64 = Hannig-Lexica, 1; ca. DM128/US$75/GBP60; ISBN 3-8053-1771-9)
  Covers Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian and Late Egyptian. Based on the WB and later research like ALEX (without giving credits). See FAQ1.
• In Part I: resources for beginners you may find online resources: websites dedicated to the Egyptian language, computer tools, fonts, online word lists, etc.
• Loprieno, Antonio - Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction (Cambridge University Press 1995; 322pp; ISBN 0-521-44849-2; paperback £ 14.95)
  Basically written for linguists and very thorough, covering all stages of the Egyptian language plus vocalisation. So much material can hardly be found anywhere else in a single (not expensive) volume. Essentials are not emphasized, but it is comprehensive.
• Schenkel, Wolfgang - Einführung in die altägyptische Sprachwissenschaft (Orientalische Einführungen; Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1990)
• Meeks, Dimitri - Annee lexicographique, Egypte ancienne" (3 vol.; 1980-1982; now reprinted by Librairie Cybele; Vol 1 (xxiii+ 457 p.) = ISBN 2-9512092-1-5; Vol 2 (xv+ 450 p.) = ISBN 2-9512092-2-3; Vol 3 (xiv+351 p.) = ISBN 2-9512092-3-1)
  The aim of this work (short: ALEX) was to collect all the lexicographic information contained in all egyptological publications (books and periodicals) issued every year, no matter the modern language they use. That is: a complete 'indexation' of word discussions (even modest ones), a complete 'indexation' of all hieroglyphic and hieratic texts left untranslated by their editors (for instance, Kitchen, Ramesside inscriptions, vol 2; Chassinat, Le temple de Dendara vol. 8) and uncommented vocabulary of translated texts. All the periods of the Egyptian language, from the origins to the Roman period, were taken into account. Each year all the references were grouped under their word entry, with occasional comments of the author and proposals for translation (in French), to produce a kind of dictionary. The three published volumes cover the publications issued in 1977 (5300 word entries) - 1978 (5000) - 1979 (3700). The three issues indexed about 1600 "new words". Since then the author (dimitri.Meeks@wanadoo.fr) has continued this indexation, which for some years now is computerised; the ultimate goal is the production of a general dictionary of the Egyptian language, with proper bibliographical and textual references, covering all periods (demotic script not included).
  As a successor and extention of the ALEX volumes, Dr Meeks has engaged in a project called "Dictionnaire Égyptian - Français" which aims to produce a dictionary (Ancient Egyptian - French) that will remedy the shortcomings of the existing (English and German) dictionaries (which basically base themselves on the old WB with only minor and insufficiently referenced additions), by incorporating the most recent research and the lexicographical references collected by Dr Meeks over the past 30 years.
• Rami van der Molen, A Hieroglyphic Dictionary of Egyptian Coffin Texts, Leiden etc. 2000 Brill = Probleme der Agyptologie, 15, 16 x 24 cm; XXI, 912 pp.

(II) Old Egyptian

• Allen, James P. - The Inflection of the Verb in the Pyramid Texts (Bibliotheca Aegyptia II; Malibu: Undena, 1984)
  A very important recent Old Egyptian grammar resource.
• Doret, Eric - The Narrative Verbal System of Old and Middle Egyptian (Cahiers d'Orientalisme 12; Geneva: Patrick Cramer,1986; 239 pp.)
  Another very important recent Old Egyptian grammar resource.
• Edel, Elmar - Altägyptische Grammatik, 2 vols. (Rome, 1955-1964. 625 pp.; Analecta Orientalia 34/39)
  Till today the only complete grammar of OE and a very fine reference grammar.
• Gundlach, Rolf and Schwarzkopf, Barbara - Altägyptische Grammatik. Elmar Edel. Register der Zitate (Rome, 1967, 55 pp.)
• Kahl, Jochem, Das System der ägyptischen Hieroglyphenschrift in der 0.-3. Dynastie, Wiesbaden, Harrassowitz Verlag, 1994 = Göttinger Orientforschungen. IV. Reihe: Ägypten, 29.

(III) Middle Egyptian

• For the current dictionaries, teaching grammars and reference grammars of Middle Egyptian, see Part I: resources for beginners. Some more specialistic titles:
• Champollion, Jean-François - Grammaire égyptienne ou Principes généraux de l'écriture sacrée égyptienne (Paris: Typographie de Firmin Didot Frères, 1836 [reprint 1997]. 640 pp.)
  Outdated, but of historical interest. For a digitised version, look at URL or URL.
• The website project "Wortdiskussionen" (Ägyptologischen Seminars der Universität Basel) searches journals for discussions about AE words, thus listing AE words with brief meaning and references: online at URL
• Jansen-Winkeln, Karl - Spätmittelägyptische Grammatik der Texte der 3. Zwischenzeit (Wiesbaden, 1996, 556 pp.; Ägypten und Altes Testament 34)
• Schenkel, Wolfgang - Frühmittelägyptische Studien (Bonn, 1962, 160 pp.; Bonner Orientalische Studien, Neue Serie, vol. 13; out of print)

(IV) Late Egyptian

• Cerny, Jaroslav and S. I. Groll - A Late Egyptian Grammar (4th ed., Rome, 1993, 704 pp.; Studia Pohl, Series Maior 4; the 3rd edition was by Editrice Pontificio Instituto Biblico (Biblical Inst. Press), 1984, and could still be sold; ca. GBP47 or USD50; ISBN 88-7653-435-0)
  The standard Late Egyptian reference grammar in English (not a teaching grammar); knowledge of Middle Egyptian required; it focuses on non-literary texts.
• Erman, Adolf - Neuägyptische Grammatik (Leipzig: Wilhelm Engelmann, 2nd edition 1933, [reprint 1995]; 520 pp.)
  Generally outdated, but still needed as an indispensible reference grammar for morphology and orthography. The standard grammar for LE literary texts.
• Frandsen, Paul J. - An Outline of the Late Egyptian Verbal System (Copenhagen: Akademisk Forlag, 1974).
  Essential modern analysis of the Late Egyptian verbal system and all types of verbal sentences.
• Groll, Sarah Israelit - The Negative Verbal System of Late Egyptian (London and New York, 1970)
• Groll, Sarah Israelit - Non-Verbal Sentence Patterns in Late Egyptian (London: Oxford University Press, 1967)
• Junge, Friedrich - Einführung in die Grammatik des Neuägyptischen (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 1996; 404 pp. ; ISBN 3-447-03820-9; ca DM100; 2nd rev. ed. forthcoming)
  Only Late Egyptian teaching grammar in German, requires knowledge of Middle Egyptian. Also available in translation:
  Friedrich Junge - Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction (translated by David Warburton, 391 pp., 1999, Griffith Institute English edn 2001, ISBN 0900416769. Paperback. Price US $45.00).
• Korostovtsev, Michail - Grammaire du néo-égyptien (Moscow, 1973)
  With plenty of information, oriented to structuralism, but indebted to Erman's Late Egyptian grammar.
• Lesko, Leonard H., and Barbara Switlaski Lesko, eds. - A Dictionary of Late Egyptian, 5 vols. (Berkeley and Providence: B.C. Scribe Publications, 1982-1990. 279 pp., 219 pp., 179 pp., 178 pp., 115 pp.; being reprinted?)
  Only Late Egyptian dictionary, with basic meanings only, but useful for finding references.
• Neveu, François - La langue de Ramsès. Grammaire de néo-égyptien (Kheops, Paris, 1996. 364 pp.; ca. GBP45)
  A modern teaching grammmar in French.
• Peust, Carsten - Hieroglyphisch. Wort für Wort (2nd ed., Bielefeld, 1999. 160 pp.; Kauderwelsch-Sprachführer, vol. 115; ISBN 3-89416-317-8, price: DM 14.80)
  Colloquial Late Egyptian for time travellers to the Ramesside era. More a 'for fun' booklet.
• Satzinger H. - Neuägyptische Studien (Vienna, 1976)
• Winand, Jean - Etudes de néo-égyptien, vol. I: La morphologie verbale (Aegyptiaca Leodiensia II, ser. ed. Michel Malaise; Liège: Centre informatique de philosophie et lettres (CIPL), 1992; 597 pp.)
  After a long time the first modern analysis of the morphology and graphematics of the Late Egyptian verb.
• An English introduction to basic traits of, and constructions in, Late Egyptian may be found at the website of Serge Rosmorduc

(V) Demotic

• Bourguet, Pierre du - Grammaire fonctionelle et progressive de l'égyptien démotique (Peeters, Louvain, 1976, 1997; 116 pp.; ca. GBP19.50)
• Bresciani, Edda - Nozioni elementari di grammatica demotica (Milan, 1969)
• Erichsen W. - Demotisches Glossar (Copenhagen, 1954)
  The most thorough and usefull dictionary.
• Janet H. Johnson (ed.), The Demotic Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago (CDD). An ongoing online publication that seeks to update Erichsen, available at URL and URL.
• There is also a French dictionary, but it is a bit outdated: D. Chardon & L. Denisse - Dictionnaire demotique.
• Johnson, Janet H. - Thus Wrote 'Onchsheshonqy. An Introductory Grammar of Demotic (2nd rev. ed., Chicago, 1991. 133 pp.; Studies in Ancient Oriental civilization 45; ca. GBP20).
  Out of print, but there is a free online version available!
• Johnson, Janet H. - The Demotic Verbal System (Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 38, Chicago: The Oriental Institute, 1976).
  The 2nd revised edition (2004) is now availaible as free online version! (in PDF).
• Lexa, Frantisek - Grammaire démotique, 7 vols. (Prague, 1947-1951)
• Lüddeckens, Erich (ed.) - Demotisches Namenbuch (Wiesbaden, 1980 - ongoing)
• Simpson, R.S. - Demotic grammar in the Ptolemaic sacerdotal decrees (Oxford, 1996. 293 pp.; Griffith Institute monographs; ca. GBP41)
• Spiegelberg, Wilhelm - Demotische Grammatik (Heidelberg, 1925 [reprint 1975]. 272 pp.) and: Vos, R. L. - Index of Citations in W. Spiegelberg's "Demotische Grammatik" (Amsterdam, 1975; Eg. Hl., 9)
  Still a basic reference grammar except for the verbal system; see Johnson, Demotic verbal system, above.
• Willy Clarysse, "Demotic for Papyrologists. A first acquaintance", in: Papyrologica Lupiensia, no. 4, pp. 87-114 (1994)
  Online as pdf-file (2.0 MB) at URL
• Demotische Wortliste (DWL), Demotic database that allows online searches for word parts and determinatives.

(VI) Hieratic

• Goedicke, H. - Old Hieratic Paleography (Halgo, Baltimore, 1988; 166 pp.; ca. US$84/GBP67)
  Covers up to the early 12th Dynasty.
• Gosline, Sheldon Lee - Writing Late Egyptian Hieratic. A Beginner's Primer (Winona Lake, 1998; Eisenbrauns, 1999; 126 pp.; ca. GBP28)
• Gosline, Sheldon Lee - Hieratic Paleography 1: Introductory Late Egyptian (Shangri-La Publications, 1999; ISSN 1527-2281, ISBN 0-9677201-0-9; $35.50; cloth bound; 240pp + vi)
  First volume of a new (10 vol.) series for hieratic, which when complete has the goal of replacing Möller's century old paleography and providing a huge corpus of hieratic truetype fonts, based on a wide range of hieratic sources. Along with this first volme, a completely new introductory hieratic TTfont for Late Egyptian, based on a standardized stroke sequence, is available on disk (CD-Rom: $90.00). Some of the planned future volumes: (2) Late Egyptian Stories, (3) Letters, (4) Calligraphy. Note that on its own, vol. 1 is not a "palaeography" in the true sense. Info at URL or URL.
• Möller, G. - Hieratische Paläographie. Die ägyptische Buchschrift in ihrer Entwicklung von der 5. Dyn. bis zur römischen Kaiserzeit, 3 vols. and 1 addendum bound as 1 vol. (2nd rev. ed., Leipzig, 1927-1936; reprint: 1965; ca.DM 360 / US$203).
  It is online as a free scan at URL. As Möller uses a hieroglyphic numbering system that is different from Gardiner's, a conversion chart, available online and made by Filip Vervloesem (PDF, 332 kB), might be of use.
• Möller, G. - Hieratische Lesestücke für den akademischen Gebrauch, Erstes Heft: Alt- und mittelhieratische Texte, Leipzig, 1909. 25 pls.
  Available online as pdf-file (2.6 MB) at URL, and (with an English translation of Möller's comments) as pdf-file (9.7 MB) at URL
• Wimmer, Stefan - Hieratische Paläographie der nicht-literarischen Ostraka der 19. und 20. Dynastie, vol. 1: text, vol. 2: plates (Wiesbaden, 1995. 292 pp., 460 pp.; Ägypten und Altes Testament 28)
• William Clay Poe, The Writing of a Skillful Scribe. An introduction to hieratic Middle Egyptian through the text of The Shipwrecked Sailor, Santa Rosa, CA, 2010. 344 pp. Available online as pdf-file (11.6 MB).
• Hieratic Font Project of IHAC, with discussion of hieratic, project goals, hieratic instruction and links to other Egyptology sites.
• For beginners, Stephen Fryer has a Basic Hieratic Primer on his website.

(VII) Ptolemaic

• Daumas, François, et al. - Valeurs phonétiques des signes hieroglyphiques d'époque greco-romaine, 4 vols. (Montpellier, 1988-1995. 859 pp.; Orientalia Monspeliensia 4)
  In the Greco-Roman period there was an enormous expansion of the set of hieroglyphic signs. This is the most comprehensive compilation of Ptolemaic signs and their values.
• Fairman, Herbert Walter - "An Introduction to the Study of Ptolemaic Signs and their Values", in BIFAO 43 (1945), pp. 51-138. Can be found online.
• Fairman, Herbert Walter - "Ptolemaic notes", in ASAE 44 (1944), pp. 263-277
• Kurth, Dieter - Einführung ins Ptolemäische. Eine Grammatik mit Zeichenliste und Übungsstücken. Band I und II. Backe-Verlag, Hützel, 2007/2008. Band I, ca. 600 pp. ISBN: 978-3-9810869-1-1, price: EUR 83. Band II: 570 pp. ISBN: 978-3-9810869-3-5, price: EUR 86
• Kurth, Dieter - A Ptolemaic Sign-List. Hieroglyphs Used in the Temples of the Graeco-Roman Period of Egypt and their Meanings. Backe-Verlag, 2010. 224 pages, ISBN: 978-3-9810869-9-7. EUR 27,90
  Abbreviated English version of the sign-list in the above mentioned Einführung, with additions.
• Kurth, Dieter - "Zum Schriftsystem in den ägyptischen Tempeln der Spätzeit", in GM 29 (1978), pp. 63-68.
• Kurth, Dieter - "Die Lautwerte der Hieroglyphen in den Tempelinschriften der griechischrömischen Zeit - zur Systematik ihrer Herleitungsprinzipien,"in ASAE 69 (1983), pp. 287-309, with "Ein Nachtrag (Prinzip XII)," in GM 103 (1988), pp. 45-49.
• Sauneron,S. - L'ecriture figurative dans les textes d'Esna (with a note by J. J. Clere), Cairo: Institut Francais d'Archeologie Orientale, 1982
• Wilson, Penelope - Ptolemaic Lexikon: a Lexicographical Study of the Texts in the Temple of Edfu (Peeters, 2000, 469 pp.).
• de Wit, Constant - "Some Values of Ptolemaic Signs", in BIFAO 55 (1955), pp. 111-121. Available online

(VIII) Coptic

• Crum, W.E. - A Coptic Dictionary (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1939; reprint 1999/2000 by Sandpiper Books; 953 pp.; ISBN 0198644043; GBP35/USD59.50)
  The most accurate and complete Coptic dictionary.
  As Crum opted to avoid the issue of etymology, there are three (expensive) dictionaries that attempt to supplement Crum in that area; they range between giving only solidly provable etymologies (Cerny) to including very speculative etymologies (Vycichl), with Westendorf taking the middle ground.
  Crum's Coptic Dictionary is avalable online (pages as .GIF files).
• Cerny, J. - Coptic Etymological Dictionary [out of print]
• Vycichl, W. - Dictionnaire étymologique de la langue copte (Louvain, 1983; 548 pp.)
• Westendorf, Wolfhart - Koptisches Handwörterbuch (Heidelberg: Carl Winter, 1965-1977; 704 pp.)
• Eccles, Lance - Introductory Coptic Reader (1991; $32.00)
• Lambdin, Thomas O. - Introduction to Sahidic Coptic (Macon, 1983; 394 pp.; ISBN 0865540489; US$45.00)
  The book used in most university classes in the USA and Canada. Also suited for self-study. With Coptic texts and word list. A Key to the Exercises of this book is online.
• Polotsky, Hans J. - Die Grundlagen des koptischen Satzbaus, 2 vols. (Atlanta, 1987-1990. 272 pp; American Studies in Papyrology vols. 27 and 29)
  An extended reorganization of the Coptic morphology, also influencing the description of the Late Egyptian grammar.
• Shisha-Halevy, A. - Coptic Grammatical Categories. Structural studies in the syntax of Shenoutean Sahidic (Roma 1986; Analecta Orientalia 53)
  
• Shisha-Halevy, A. - Coptic Grammatical Chrestomathy (Leuven, 1988)
  Tabulates all the important grammatical categories.
• Smith, Richard - A Concise Coptic-English Lexicon (Resources for Biblical Study No 35; 1999; US$36.00)
  A quick reference glossary for students, mainly good for Sahidic and some Sub-Akhmimic dialects (Lykopolitan), but it will not allow you to read anything terribly advanced.
  
• Steindorff, Georg - Lehrbuch der koptischen Grammatik (Chicago, 1951; [reprint 1981]. 270 pp.)
• Till, W. C - Koptische Grammatik: Saïdischer Dialekt (Lehrbücher für das Studium der orientalischen and afrikanischen Sprachen I; Leizpig : verlag Enzyklopädie, 4th edition, 1970)
• Vergote, J. - Grammaire copte, vol. 1: Introduction, phonétique et phonologie, morphologie systématique (structure des semantèmes), 2 parts, (Louvain, 1973 [reprint: 1992]. 116 pp., 172 pp.), vol. 2: Morphologie syntagmatique, syntaxe, 2 parts (Louvain, 1983. 156 pp., 152 pp.)
• Walters, C.C. - An Elementary Coptic Grammar of the Sahidic Dialect (B. H. Blackwell, Oxford, reprint 1999; Paperback GBP12; ISBN 903563 00 2)
• Plumley, J. Martin, Introductory Coptic Grammar, London: Home & Van Thal, 1948; mimeographed sourcebook for the Sahidic dialect. Available online (pages as .GIF files), online (in HTML)
• St Shenouda: site with an introductory Bohairic Grammar (12 lessons, plus a set of three fonts).
• B. Layton, Coptic in 20 Lessons. Introduction to Sahidic Coptic with Exercises and Vocabularies. Peeters, Leuven, 2007 ISBN: 978-90-429-1810-8; 204 pp.; EUR 27. info: URL
• Johanna Brankaer, Coptic. A Learning Grammar (Sahidic), Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden, 2010. Pb., XII, 203 pp. ISBN: 978-3-447-05894-0, price: EUR 24.80. info, including TOC, at URL. This textbook is written for students (classroom teaching or private study) and consists of two main parts, elements and constructions, followed by application exercises and a selection of texts.
• For links to some digitised 19th c. grammars and for links to Coptic texts online, see the Coptica website of Pierre Cherix.

(IX) Vocalisation

• Czermak, Wilhelm - Die Laute der ägyptischen Sprache: Ein phonetische Untersuchung (Wien, 1931-34)
• Fecht, Gerhard - Wortakzent und Silbenstruktur (Ägyptologische Forschungen XXI, Glückstadt: Verlag J.J. Augustin, 1960)
• Hoch, J.E. - Semitic Words in Egyptian Texts from the New Kingdom and Third Intermediate period (Princeton University Press, 1994)
• Loprieno, Antonio - Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction (Cambridge University Press 1995; 322pp; ISBN 0-521-44849-2; paperback £ 14.95)
• Osing, Jürgen - Die Nominalbildung des Ägyptischen, 2 vols. (Mainz/Rhein: Philipp von Zabern, 1976)
• Peust, Carsten -. 1999. Egyptian Phonology: An Introduction to the Phonology of a Dead Language (Monographien zur ägyptischen Sprache 2, ser. eds. Holger Gutschmidt and Carsten Peust; Gottingen: Peust & Gutschmidt Verlag GbR, 1999). Now available online (73 MB).
• Schenkel, Wolfgang - Einführung in die altägyptische Sprachwissenschaft (Darmstadt: Wissenschaftliche Buchgesellschaft, 1990)
• Schenkel, Wolfgang - Zur Rekonstruktion der deverbalen Nominalbildung des Ägyptischen (Göttinger Orientforschungen IV/13, Wiesbaden: O. Harrassowitz, 1983)
• Vergote, Jozef - Phonétique historique de l'égyptien: les consonnes (Louvain: Bureaux de Muséon, 1945)
• Vycichl, Werner - La vocalisation de la langue égyptienne, vol. 1: La phonétique (Bibliotèque d'Étude 16, Cairo/ Le Caire: IFAO, 1990, ISBN 2-7247-0097-x)
• Worrell, William H. - Coptic Sounds (University of Michigan Studies, Humanistic Series 26, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1934)
• Zeidler, J. - "A New Approach to the Late Egyptian 'Syllabic Orthography' ", in: Sesto Congresso Internazionale di Egittologia, Atti, Vol. II, pp. 579-590, Torino/Turin.