Translingual
Symbol
jw
- (international standards, obsolete) Former ISO 639-1 language code for Javanese.
- Synonym: jv (current)
Egyptian
Pronunciation
Particle
proclitic
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) asserts the reality of a following statement with a verb in the perfect, perfect passive, or imperfective, or else with an adverbial or adjectival predicate, probably serving as a realis modal particle; see usage notes
- (Old Egyptian, Middle Egyptian) introduces an adverbial clause with a pronominal subject; see usage notes
- (chiefly Old Egyptian, rare, with a following bare noun phrase) there is, there are; introduces an independent existential clause
- (Late Egyptian) introduces a subordinate circumstantial clause
- (Late Egyptian) introduces a sentence in the third future
Usage notes
In Old and Middle Egyptian, this particle can stand at the beginning of adjectival, adverbial, and verbal sentences; it is followed by a nominal subject, a demonstrative pronoun, or an attached suffix pronoun. There is significant debate over what exactly it indicates in these stages of the language:
- According to Allen, it indicates that the statement in the sentence is presented as true at the time of the statement, in contrast to false statements and statements which are always or generally true. It occurs at the start of independent clauses, but never those verbal clauses beginning with an imperative, bare stative, perfective, prospective, subjunctive, biliteral suffixed (contingent), or emphatic form. It also occurs at the start of subordinate adverbial clauses if their subject is pronominal, but never if it is nominal.
- According to Loprieno, it is a ‘particle of initiality’ indicating that its sentence opens a new segment of discourse, with the semantic scope of an overt assertion of truth, and pragmatically relating the sentence to the speaker’s situation without necessarily implying direct involvement. However, in simple adverbial clauses with a pronominal subject, it can also serve as a semantically and syntactically neutral morpheme that only serves to carry an attached subject pronoun. In extremely rare cases, it can introduce the subject of an existential sentence consisting of just one element, an apparently archaic usage.
- According to Hoch, it indicates that the statement is one that the speaker wishes to present as a fact, and it only occurs in main clauses.
- It has frequently been characterized as an assertion particle, sometimes noting its apparent modal role marking realis statements.
- In the so-called Standard Theory, its role was often considered purely syntactic, marking independent clauses; this view is no longer common. Some scholars working in the frame of the Standard Theory have suggested that bare (proclitic-less) sentences following one introduced by jw are main clauses that become hypotactically linked to the initial sentence in a chain of discourse, with the particle conveying the syntactic or pragmatic ‘theme’ of the whole and functioning as a nominal element.
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
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jw
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j
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jy
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jyw
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jꜣ
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r
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[Old Kingdom]
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[Old Kingdom]
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[Old Kingdom]
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[Late Period]
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[Late Period]
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before suffix pronouns
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before names
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before names
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Derived terms
Descendants
- Coptic: ⲉ- (e-)
- ⇒ Coptic: ⲉⲧⲉ- (ete-)
- ⇒ Coptic: ⲣⲉϥ- (ref-)
Noun
m
- island
c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE,
Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) lines 39–41:
- ꜥḥꜥ.n.j rḏj.kw r jw jn wꜣw n(j) wꜣḏ-wr
- Then I was put on an island by a wave of the sea.
- (in the plural) regions, lands (+ genitive: of (the earth, Egypt, etc.)) [Greco-Roman Period]
Usage notes
In late writings this word becomes confused with jꜣt (“mound, lands, regions”) and is often written identically. Furthermore, in late usage this word comes to be used and written chiefly in the plural form.
Inflection
Declension of jw (masculine)
singular
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jw
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dual
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jwwj
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plural
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jww
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Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
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jw
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jw
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jꜣ
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jww
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rww
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rww
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rww
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jꜣww
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[Late Period]
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[Late Period]
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[chiefly Greco-Roman Period]
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[Greco-Roman Period]
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[Greco-Roman Period]
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[Greco-Roman Period]
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in the plural
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in the plural
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in the plural
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in the plural
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in the plural
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Derived terms
Descendants
- Bohairic Coptic: -ⲓ- (-i-) in ⲡⲓⲗⲁⲕϩ (pilakh)
Noun
m
- wrongdoing, misconduct, evil [since the Middle Kingdom]
- ― jw nṯr ― sin against a god
- ― jw n nṯr ― sin against a god
- wrongness, injustice, error
- misfortune; wrong or evil suffered
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
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jw
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jw
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ꜣw
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ꜣw
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ꜣw
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[18th Dynasty]
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[Late Egyptian]
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[Late Egyptian]
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[Late Period]
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Derived terms
Noun
m
- dog [Middle Kingdom to New Kingdom]
- Synonyms: jwjw, ṯzm
Inflection
Declension of jw (masculine)
singular
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jw
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dual
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jwwj
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plural
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jww
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Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
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jw
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[New Kingdom]
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in hieratic
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Derived terms
Verb
2-lit.
- (transitive) to sever, to cut off (something) (+ r: from (something else)) [since the Middle Kingdom]
- (transitive) to sever, to cut through (something)
Inflection
Conjugation of jw (biliteral / 2-lit. / 2rad.) — base stem: jw, geminated stem: jww
infinitival forms
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imperative
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infinitive
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negatival complement
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complementary infinitive1
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singular
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plural
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jw
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jww, jw
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jwt
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jw, j.jw
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jw, j.jw
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‘pseudoverbal’ forms
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stative stem
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periphrastic imperfective2
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periphrastic prospective2
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jw
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ḥr jw
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m jw
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r jw
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suffix conjugation
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aspect / mood
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active
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passive
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contingent
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aspect / mood
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active
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passive
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perfect
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jw.n
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jww, jw
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consecutive
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jw.jn
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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terminative
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jwt
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perfective3
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jw
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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obligative1
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jw.ḫr
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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imperfective
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jw, j.jw1
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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prospective3
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jw
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jww
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potentialis1
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jw.kꜣ
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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subjunctive
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jw, j.jw1
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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verbal adjectives
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aspect / mood
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relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms
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participles
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active
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passive
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active
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passive
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perfect
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jw.n
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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—
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—
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perfective
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jw
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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jw
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jww, jwwj6, jw2, jww2 5, jwy2 5
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imperfective
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j.jw1, jw, jwy, jww5
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active + .tj1, .tw2
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j.jw1, j.jww1 5, jw, jwj6, jwy6
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jw, jww5
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prospective
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jw, jwtj7
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—
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jwtj4, jwt4
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1 Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian.
2 Used mostly since Middle Egyptian.
3 Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective.
4 Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn.
5 Only in the masculine singular.
6 Only in the masculine.
7 Only in the feminine.
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Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
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jw
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jw
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[Middle Kingdom]
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[Late Period]
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in hieratic
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Adjective
- perfective passive participle of jwj (“to leave boatless, to strand”): boatless
Usage notes
This participle is practically always used nominally to mean ‘boatless person’, ‘stranded person’, ‘the boatless’.
Inflection
Declension of jw (perfective passive participle)
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masculine
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feminine
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singular
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jw, jwy
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jwt, jwyt
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dual
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jwwj, jwywj
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jwtj, jwytj
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plural
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jww, jwyw
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jwwt1, jwt2, jwywt1, jwyt2
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1 Archaic in Middle Egyptian when modifying a noun.
2 From Middle Egyptian, this feminine singular form was generally used for the plural.
In Late Egyptian, the masculine singular form was used with all nouns.
Verb
2-lit.
- (intransitive) to wail, to lament (+ n: for, over (someone)) [since the Coffin Texts]
- (intransitive, with ḥr) to compain about (someone)
Inflection
Conjugation of jw (biliteral / 2-lit. / 2rad.) — base stem: jw, geminated stem: jww
infinitival forms
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imperative
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infinitive
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negatival complement
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complementary infinitive1
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singular
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plural
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jw
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jww, jw
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jwt
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jw, j.jw
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jw, j.jw
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‘pseudoverbal’ forms
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stative stem
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periphrastic imperfective2
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periphrastic prospective2
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jw
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ḥr jw
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m jw
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r jw
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suffix conjugation
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aspect / mood
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active
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contingent
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aspect / mood
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active
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perfect
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jw.n
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consecutive
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jw.jn
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terminative
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jwt
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perfective3
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jw
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obligative1
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jw.ḫr
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imperfective
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jw, j.jw1
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prospective3
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jw
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potentialis1
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jw.kꜣ
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subjunctive
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jw, j.jw1
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verbal adjectives
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aspect / mood
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relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms
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participles
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active
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active
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passive
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perfect
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jw.n
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—
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—
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perfective
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jw
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jw
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jww, jwwj6, jw2, jww2 5, jwy2 5
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imperfective
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j.jw1, jw, jwy, jww5
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j.jw1, j.jww1 5, jw, jwj6, jwy6
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jw, jww5
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prospective
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jw, jwtj7
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jwtj4, jwt4
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1 Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian.
2 Used mostly since Middle Egyptian.
3 Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective.
4 Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn.
5 Only in the masculine singular.
6 Only in the masculine.
7 Only in the feminine.
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Alternative hieroglyphic writings of jw
Noun
m
- (hapax legomenon) hunchback [Middle Kingdom]
References
- “jw (lemma ID 21881)”, “jw (lemma ID 21940)”, “jw (lemma ID 21990)”, “jw (lemma ID 21970)”, “jw (lemma ID 21960)”, “jw.w (lemma ID 400636)”, “jw (lemma ID 22000)”, and “jw (lemma ID 21900)”, in Thesaurus Linguae Aegyptiae[1], Corpus issue 18, Web app version 2.1.5, Tonio Sebastian Richter & Daniel A. Werning by order of the Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften and Hans-Werner Fischer-Elfert & Peter Dils by order of the Sächsische Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Leipzig, 2004–26 July 2023
- Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache[2], volume 1, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 5, 42.12–43.11, 47.4–47.11, 47.13, 48.1–48.3, 48.5–48.10, 48.17–48.19
- Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1928) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache[3], volume 2, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 408.4–408.10
- Faulkner, Raymond Oliver (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford: Griffith Institute, →ISBN, pages 11–12
- James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 114, 132, 193, 210, 317.
- Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, pages 11–12, 146
- Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 162–168
- Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, pages 110, 122
- Uljas, Sami (2007) The Modal System of Earlier Egyptian Complement Clauses: A Study in Pragmatics in a Dead Language, page 23–24
- Oréal, Elsa (2022) “The negative existential cycle in Ancient Egyptian” in Ljuba Veselinova & Arja Hamari (eds.), The Negative Existential Cycle, Berlin: Language Science Press, pages 197–230