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2019/2020

Egyptian Language I

Code: 43621 ECTS Credits: 15
Degree Type Year Semester
4315555 Egyptology OB 1 1

Contact

Name:
Josep Cervelló Autuori
Email:
Josep.Cervello@uab.cat

Use of Languages

Principal working language:
spanish (spa)

Teachers

Marc Orriols Llonch

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites.

Objectives and Contextualisation

The general objective of this module is that students acquire initial knowledge of Middle Egyptian language (grammar, writing) by means of theory and practical classes and get started in philological and linguistic methods and techniques in Egyptology. These are the contents that they will work:

1) Introduction to the Egyptian language and scripts: genetic affiliation and history of the language, features and uses of the scripts and their decipherment.

2) Introduction to the Egyptian hieroglyphic script and reading exercices.

3) Introduction to Middle Egyptian grammar (nominal morphology, basic verbal morphology, elements of syntax) and exercises.

4) Reading and grammatical analysis of Middle Egyptian literary and funerary texts of low and medium difficulty (initial level) in hieroglyphic script.

5) Introduction to the Egyptian epigraphy: materials, graphs, formulae, types of texts (funerary, court, religious epigraphy...).

6) Reading exercises and analysis of epigraphic texts dating to the origins and the Old Kingdom.

Competences

  • Act in a creative and original way with solidarity and spirit of scientific collaboration.
  • Assess the quality, self-imposed, rigor, responsibility and social commitment, both in training and in the scientific and informative work.
  • Critically analyze a given scientific problem based on historical and cultural sources.
  • Critically interpret texts as historical and cultural sources.
  • Define the assignment, the type and the successive stages of development of the ancient Egyptian language.
  • Demonstrate knowledge of grammar of medioegipcia languages ??(and antiguoegipcia) neoegipcia and Coptic.
  • Identify the different systems of Egyptian writing (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic and Coptic) and their uses and timelines, and in the case of hieroglyphic, hieratic and Coptic, also its paleography, its signs and its operation.
  • Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  • Read, translate, parse, interpret texts critically and edit antiguoegipcios, medioegipcios, neoegipcios and Copts of different genres and on different media.
  • That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Act in a creative and original way with solidarity and spirit of scientific collaboration.
  2. Assess the quality, self-imposed, rigor, responsibility and social commitment, both in training and in the scientific and informative work.
  3. Chronologically locate and distinguish the different evolutionary phases of the ancient Egyptian language.
  4. Critically analyze a given scientific problem based on historical and cultural sources.
  5. Demonstrate basic knowledge (morphology and syntax) grammar of medioegipcio (and upstream, the antiguoegipcio).
  6. Describe how the box hieroglyphic writing system and the position and orientation of the signs.
  7. Describe how the deciphering of Egyptian hieroglyphics in their historical and cultural context took place.
  8. Describe the place of the Egyptian language in the typological and genetic classification of ancient languages.
  9. Identify the different systems of Egyptian writing (hieroglyphic, hieratic, demotic and Coptic) and their uses and chronologies.
  10. Identify what the Egyptian morphosyntactic transformation throughout its history.
  11. Identifying the signs of hieroglyphic writing and phonetic value logográfico or overlooking the reading of texts.
  12. Knowledge and understanding that provide a basis or opportunity for originality in developing and / or applying ideas, often in a research context.
  13. Medioegipcias critically interpret textual sources (and antiguegipcias) of low-medium difficulty.
  14. Parse and translate medioegipcios (and antiguoegipcios) passages of low-medium difficulty hieroglyphic writing.
  15. Read, translate, parse and interpret epigraphic texts antiguoegipcios (Old Kingdom origins).
  16. Report the main texts produced in each of the evolutionary phases of the Egyptian language.
  17. That students are able to integrate knowledge and handle complexity and formulate judgments based on information that was incomplete or limited, include reflecting on social and ethical responsibilities linked to the application of their knowledge and judgments.
  18. Translate and interpret texts medioegipcios low-medium difficulty hieroglyphic writing.

Content

This module includes three courses:

1) Introduction to Hieroglyphic Writing and Middle Egyptian Language

2) Middle Egyptian Texts (initial level)

3) Egyptian Epigraphy I (Old Kingdom)

 

COURSE 1: INTRODUCTION TO HIEROGLYPHIC WRITING AND MIDDLE EGYPTIAN LANGUAGE

CREDITS: 5

PROF. JOSEP CERVELLÓ AUTUORI & MARC ORRIOLS i LLONCH

CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE:

From 16th September to 11th October 2019

M-Tu-Th-F 16:00-17:30 h. (Theory classes)

M-Tu-Th-F 17:30-19:00 h. (Practical classes)

 

WEEK 1

Theory classes

1. The Egyptian language: classification and history

1.1. Egyptian: an Afrasian language

1.2. History of the Egyptian language

1.2.1. The Egyptian language in time, space and use

1.2.2. From synthetic to analytic language

1.2.3. First phase Egyptian: Old Egyptian, Middle or Classical Egyptian, Late Middle Egyptian

1.2.4. Second phase Egyptian: Late Egyptian, Demotic, Coptic

2. Egyptian scripts

2.1. The hieroglyphic and cursive hieroglyphic scripts

2.2. The hieratic script

2.3. The demotic script

2.4. The coptic script

Practical classes

1. The monoconsonantic phonograms

2. The biconsonantic phonograms

3. Reading and writing exercises

WEEK 2

Theory classes

1. Champollion and the decipherment of the Egyptian hieroglyphic writing

1.1. Background

1.1.1. The Egyptian hieroglyphs in Classical and Coptic writers

1.1.2. From the Egyptian Arabic Middle Ages to the European Renaissance and Baroque

1.1.3. Enlightenment and a change of paradigm: the Rosetta stone

1.1.4. Thomas Young

1.2. Jean-François Champollion and the decipherment. The Lettre à M. Dacier

2. The hieroglyphic signs: typology and functions

Practical classes

1. The triconsonantic phonograms

2. The logograms

3. The determinatives

4. The root-signs, the secondary logograms and the phonetic determinatives

5. Orientation and disposition of hieroglyphic signs

6. Reading and writing exercises

WEEK 3

Theory classes

1. Elements of Spanish syntax (by way of review)

2. Elements of Middle Egyptian phonology. Transliteration and transcription

3. The nominal inflection: the noun

4. Personal pronouns. The suffix pronoun

5. Prepositions and adverbs

6. Introduction to syntax of the simple sentence: the five types of sentences

7. The sentence of prepositional or adverbial predicate preceded by the enunciation particle iw

Practical classes

1. Grammar exercises: translation and grammatical analysis of clauses and sentences

2. SIGN TEST: THURSDAY 03/10/2019

WEEK 4

Theory classes

1. The nominal inflection: noun coordination and disjunction, apposition

2. The nominal inflection: the adjective

3. The degrees of the adjective: comparative and superlative

4. The dependentpronoun

5. The sentence of prepositional or adverbial predicate preceded by the enunciation particle mk

6. The sentence of prepositional predicate with m and r of predication

7. The sentence of adjectival predicate

Practical classes

Grammar exercises: translation and grammatical analysis of clauses and sentences

COURSE FINAL EXAM: MONDAY 14/10/2019

a) Theoretical contents of weeks 1 and 2

b) Sentences to copy, transliterate, translate and analyze

 

COURSE 2: MIDDLE EGYPTIAN TEXTS (INITIAL LEVEL)

CREDITS: 7,5

PROF. JOSEP CERVELLÓ AUTUORI & MARC ORRIOLS i LLONCH

CALENDAR AND SCHEDULE:

From 14th October 2019 to 30th January 2020

M & Th 16:00-17:30 h.

 

A. PROGRAM OF GRAMMAR

1. Graphic particularities

2. Expressions of sameness, totality and distribution

3. Negation of the sentence of prepositional or adverbial predicate

4. Expression of non-existence (the sentence of adjetival predicate with the negative particle nn)

5. Demonstrative adjectives and pronouns

6. The nisbe adjectives

7. Nisbe n(y). The nisbe n(y) as an adjectival predicate of possession

8. Direct and indirect genitive

9. The relative adjective nty: inflection and construction. Relative sentences with nty

10. The construction nfr Hr

11. Numerals

12. The lexicon of Middle Egyptian

13. Introduction to verbal inflection

14. The infinitive

15. The sentence of pseudo-verbal predicate of infinitive

16. The stative

17. The sentence of pseudo-verbal predicate of stative

18. The suffix conjugation and the sDm=f form

19. The subjuntive

20. The sentence of verbal predicate and the "law of precedence"

 

B. PRACTICAL CLASSES AND CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

1. Grammar exercises: translation and grammatical analysis of sentences and texts

2. Translation and grammatical analysis of selected passages of the following middle Egyptian texts:

            2.1. The Shipwrecked Sailor

            2.2. The Eloquent Peasant (introduction)

3. Group work: Description of two countries (Shipwrecked Sailor and Sinuhe) (DELIVERY DATE: 23/01/2020)

 

C. FINAL EXAMS OF THE COURSE

27/01/2020: Grammar (sentences to transliterate, translate and analyze)

30/01/2020: Texts (passages of texts seen or not seen in class to transliterate, translate and analyze)

 

COURSE 3: EGYPTIAN EPIGRAPHY I (OLD KINGDOM)

CREDITS: 2,5

PROF. JOSEP CERVELLÓ AUTUORI

CALENDARIO Y HORARIO:

From 14th October 2019 to 27th January 2020

M 17:30-19:00 h.

 

A. THEORY CLASSES

1. Introduction to the Egyptian epigraphy

2. Epigraphic materials and techniques

3. The offering formula

4. The pharaonic titulary

5. The cursus honorum and the titulary of private persons

6. Funerary epigraphy of the Old Kingdom

7. The prosopography

 

B. PRACTICAL CLASSES AN CONTINUOUS EVALUATION

1.Reading, translation and grammatical analysis of Old Kingdom epigraphic texts on different materials (tomb walls, false door stelae, lintels, statues), focusing on their historical and spatial context (location, related iconography).

2. Group work: translation and comment of a royal and a private epigraphic text of the Old Kingdom (DELIVERY DATE: 20/01/2020)

There are no exams.

Methodology

Specification of what the STUDENT AUTONOMOUS ACTIVITY consists in:

a) Study.

b) Personal work: consultation of grammars, dictionaries, text editions and reference works in the field of Egyptian philology; reading and writing exercises (hieroglyphic script); grammar exercises (translation and analysis of sentences); translation and analysis of texts; preparation of class interventions; to keep updated the student folder; preparation of exams.

c) Group works (activities of translation and grammatical analysis of texts in groups of 2 or 3 people).

Activities

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Exams 10 0.4 4, 14, 16, 5, 7, 6, 8, 3, 9, 11, 10, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18
Theory and practical in-person classes with support of the ICT 120 4.8 1, 4, 14, 16, 5, 7, 6, 8, 3, 9, 11, 10, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18, 2
Type: Supervised      
Follow-up tutorials of the three courses that form the module 10 0.4 1, 4, 14, 16, 5, 7, 6, 8, 3, 9, 11, 10, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18, 2
Type: Autonomous      
Study and personal work of the student 235 9.4 1, 4, 14, 16, 5, 7, 6, 8, 3, 9, 11, 10, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18, 2

Assessment

Evaluation system of the module

Each of the three courses that form the module is evaluated in an independent manner. The final mark of the module results from the weighted average of the final marks of the three courses.

To pass the module it is neccessary to pass the evaluation of each of the three courses that form it.

In the table, the hours of dedication to each activity are not specified because they can vary widely from a student to another. The approximate total hours of personal work of the student are specified in the table in the section "Methodology".

Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Follow-up tutorials and student folder 5% 0 0 1, 14, 5, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18, 2
Group work 10% 0 0 1, 4, 14, 5, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 2
Interventions in class (reading, translation, analysis of texts...) 10% 0 0 14, 5, 6, 11, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18
Tests in class and exams 75% 0 0 4, 14, 16, 5, 7, 6, 8, 3, 9, 10, 13, 15, 12, 17, 18

Bibliography

A. Theoretical introduction to the Egyptian language and scripts

Adkins, L.; Adkins, R. 2000. The Keys of Egypt. The Race to Read the Hieroglyphs. Londres: Harper-Collins (trad. esp. 2000. Las claves de Egipto. La carrera por leer los jeroglíficos. Madrid: Debate).

Allen, J.P. 2008. “The Egyptian Language” [en:] Wilkinson, R.H. (ed.) Egyptology Today. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. P. 189-205.

Cervelló Autuori, J. 20151, 20162. Escrituras, lengua y cultura en el antiguo Egipto (El Espejo y la Lámpara 11). Bellaterra: Publicacions de la UAB.

Champollion, J-F. 1822. Lettre à M. Dacier relative à l’alphabet des hiéroglyphes phonétiques. París (reed. 1989. París: Fata Morgana).

Lloyd, A.B. (ed.) 2010. A Companion to Ancient Egypt. 2 vols. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Parte V: Language and Literature. Vol. II: 639-778.

Parkinson, R.B. 1999. Cracking Codes: The Rosetta Stone and Decipherment. Berkeley-Los Angeles: University of California Press.

 

B. Grammars and methods

Allen, J.P. 20001, 20143. Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Collier, M.; Manley, B. 1998. How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs. Londres: The British Museum Press (trad. esp. 2000. Introducción a los jeroglíficos egipcios. Madrid: Alianza).

Malaise, M.; Winand, J. 1999. Grammaire raisonnée de l’égyptien classique (Aegyptiaca Leodiensia 6). Lieja: Centre Informatique de Philosophie et Lettres.

Manley, B. 2012. Egyptian Hieroglyphs for CompleteBeginners. Londres: Thames & Hudson.

 

C. Dictionaries

Erman, A.; Grapow, H. 1926-1963. Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache. 7 vols. Leipzig: J. C. Hinrichs / Berlín: Akademie Verlag.

Faulkner, R. O. 1962. A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian. Oxford: Griffith Institute.

Hannig, R. 19971, 20064. Die Sprache der Pharaonen. Groβes Handwörterbuch Ägyptisch-Deutsch (2800-950 v.Chr.) (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt 64). Maguncia: Philipp von Zabern.

Hannig, R. 2003. Ägyptisches Wörterbuch I. Altes Reich und Erste Zwischenzeit (Hannig-Lexica 4) (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt 98). Maguncia: Philipp von Zabern.

Hannig, R. 2006. Ägyptisches Wörterbuch II. Mittleres Reich und Zweite Zwischenzeit (Hannig-Lexica 5) (Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt 112). 2 vols. Maguncia: Philipp von Zabern.

Thesaurus Lingua Aegyptia. http://aaew.bbaw.de/tla/servlet/TlaLogin

Vocabulaire de l’Égyptien Ancien (VÉgA). http://vega-vocabulaire-egyptien-ancien.fr/

 

D. Exercises. Editions and translations of texts

Material del módulo (a disposición en el aula virtual).

Barguet, P. 1986. Textes de Sarcophages égyptiens du Moyen Empire (Littératures Anciennes du Proche Orient 12). París: Les Éditions du Cerf.

Blackman, A.M. 1972. Middle-Egyptian Stories (Bibliotheca Aegyptiaca 2). Bruselas: Fondation Égyptologique Reine Élisabeth.

De Buck, A. 1935-1961. The Egyptian Coffin Texts. 7 vols. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

De Buck, A. 1977. Egyptian Readingbook. Exercises and Middle Egyptian Texts. Leiden: Nederlands Instituut voor het Nabije Oosten.

Carrier, Cl. 2004. Textes des sarcophages du Moyen Empire Égyptien. 3 vols. Monaco: Rocher.

Faulkner, R.O. 2004. The Ancient Egyptian Coffin Texts. Oxford: Aris & Phillips.

Galán, J. M. 1998. Cuatro viajes en la literatura del antiguo Egipto. Madrid: Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.

Grandet, P. 1998. Contes de l’Égypte ancienne. París: Hachette.

Lichtheim, M. 1973-1980. Ancient Egyptian Literature. 3 vols. Berkeley-Los Angeles-Londres: University of California Press.

López, J. 2005. Cuentos y fábulas del antiguo Egipto (Pliegos de Oriente 9). Madrid-Barcelona: Trotta-Publicacions i edicions de la Universitat de Barcelona.

Parkinson, R.B. 1991. The Tale of the Eloquent Peasant. Oxford: Griffith Institute.

Parkinson, R.B. 1997. The Tale of Sinuhe and Other Ancient Egyptian Poems. 1940-1640 BC. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

 

E. Epigraphy (Old Kingdom) (studies, editions, and translations of texts)

The Australian Centre for Egyptology – Reports (serie)

Baer, K. 1960. Rank and Title in the Old Kingdom. The Structure of the Egyptian Administration in the Fifth and Sixth Dynasties. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Barbotin, Ch. 2005. La voix des hiéroglyphes. Promenade au département des antiquités égyptiennes du musée du Louvre.París: Kheops-Musée du Louvre.

Barta,W. 1963. Die altägyptische Opferliste von der Frühzeit bis zur Griechisch-Römischen Epoche (MÄS 3). Munich.

Barta, W. 1968. Aufbau und Bedeutung des altägyptischen Opferformel (Ägyptologische Forschungen 24). Glückstadt.

Baud, M. 1999. Famille royale et pouvoir sous l’Ancien Empire égyptienne (BdÉ 126). El Cairo: IFAO.

von Beckerath, J. 1999. Handbuch der altägyptischen Königsnamen (Münchner Ägyptologische Studien 49). Maguncia: Philipp von Zabern.

Caminos, R.A.; Fischer, H.G. 1976. Ancient Egyptian Epigraphy and Paleography. The Recording of Inscriptions and Scenes in Tombs and Temples. Nueva York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Edel, E. 1981. Hieroglyphische Inschriften des Alten Reiches (ARWAW 67). Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag.

Fischer, H.G. 1986. L’écriture et l’art de I’Égypte ancienne. Quatre leçons sur la paléographie et l’epigraphie pharaoniques. París: PUF.

Jones, D. 2000. An Index of Ancient Egyptian Titles, Epithets and Phrases of the Old Kingdom (BAR International Series 866). 2 vols. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Kanawati, N. 1977. The Egyptian Administration in the Old Kingdom: Evidence on its Economic Decline. Warminster: Aris & Phillips.

Kanawati, N. 1980. Governmental Reforms in Old Kingdom Egypt. Warminster: Aris & Phillips.

Kanawati, N. 2003. Conspiracies in the Egyptian Palace. Unis to Pepy I. Londres-Nueva York: Routledge.

Koefoed-Petersen, O. 1948. Les stèles égyptiennes (Publications de la Glyptothèque Ny Carlsberg 1). Copenhagen.

Lapp, G. 1986. Die Opferformel des Alten Reiches (DAIK-Sonderschrift 21). Maguncia.

Leprohon, R. J. 2013. The Great Name. Ancient Egyptian Royal Titulary (Writings from theAncient World 29). Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Lichtheim, M. 1988. Ancient Egyptian Autobiographies Chiefly of the Middle Kingdom. A Study and an Anthology (Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 84). Friburgo: Universitätverlag-Gotinga: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.

Moreno García, J.M. (ed.) 2013. Ancient Egyptian Administration (Handbuch der Orientalistik 104). Leiden-Boston: Brill.

Parkinson, R.B. 1991. Voices from Ancient Egypt. An Anthology of Middle Kingdom Writings.Londres: British Museum Press.

Ranke, H. 1952. Die ägyptischen Personennamen. 2 vols. Glückstadt-Hambourg: J.J. Augustin.

Roccati, A. 1982. La littérature historique sous l’Ancien Empire égyptien (Littératures Anciennes du Proche Orient 11).París: Les Éditions du Cerf.

Roth, A.M. 1991. Egyptian Phyles in the Old Kingdom. The Evolution of a System of Social Organization (SAOC 48). Chicago: The Oriental Institute.

Quirke, S.J. 1990. Who Were the Pharaohs? A History of their Names with a List of their Cartouches. Londres: British Museum Press.

Sethe, K. 1933. Urkunden des ägyptischen Altertums, I: Urkunden des Alten Reichs. Leipzig: J.C. Hinrichs.

Strudwick, N. 1985. The Administration of Egypt in the Old Kingdom. The Highest Titles and their Holders (Studies in Egyptology). Londres: KPI.

Strudwick, N.C. 2005. Texts from the Pyramid Age (Writings from the Ancient World 16). Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature.

Ziegler, C. 1990. Catalogue des stèles, peintures et reliefs égyptiens de l’Ancien Empire et de la Première Période Intermédiaire. Vers 2686-2040 avant J.-C. (Musée du Louvre, Département des Antiquités Egyptiennes). París: Editions de la Réunion des musées nationaux.