Egyptian Hieroglyphs – Lesson 8

Adverbial Sentences and Adverb Clauses

The Basics

Adverbial sentences consist of a subject + adverbial predicate.Β Adverbs are words that indicate time, location, manner, or intensity, and answer questions like when, where, why, or how. Prepositional phrases answer similar questions and can act as adverbs. In fact, this use is quite common in Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In the English sentence, “Akhenaten is in Akhetaten,” the adverbial predicate (bolded) is a prepositional phrase. The predicate is answering the question of “where is the subject?”Another example that does not use a prepositional phrase could be “Tutankhamun lived here.” The adverbial predicate in this sentence is the adverb,Β here, which again answers the “where” question.

Adverbial Sentences

Adverbial sentences are commonly introduced by particles. The most common particles introducing adverbial sentences areΒ iw 𓇋𓅱, m.k π“…“ π“‚π“Ž‘, or nnπ“‚œπ“ˆ–. We will start with nn, since it will allow you to be introduced to negation for the first time.Β π“‚œπ“ˆ– nnΒ is a particle meaning “not,” and is used to negate adverbial sentences. Lets look at how this works.

π“‚œπ“ˆ–π“Šƒπ“€€π“€π“…“π“‰π“€π“†‘ nn s m pr.f
The man is not in the house.
As you can see, the nnΒ is placed at the front of the sentence. It must be at the head of the adverbial sentence it negates. In this example, the subject isΒ s, while mΒ pr.f, a prepositional phrase, acts as the adverbial predicate. If we were to remove the nnΒ the sentence would be read as “the man is in the house.”

𓇋𓅱 π“Ž›π“ˆ–π“‚π“Ž‘ iw αΈ₯nΚΏ.k
It is together with you.
This example uses the particle iw. The subject in this sentence is unexpressed–without a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun where we would expect a subject. In cases like this, we provide the subject “it.” From this context, we do not know to what “it” refers, whether it be an animal, object, or person. The remaining words,Β αΈ₯nΚΏ.k “together with you,” acts as the adverbial predicate.

π“…“ π“‚π“Ž‘π“…„π“…“π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯 m.k αΈ₯r m pt
β€œBehold (you), Horus is in the sky.”
The particleΒ m.k, “behold,” introduces this example. It acts as an interjection of sorts. The subject of the sentence isΒ αΈ₯r while the adverbial predicate isΒ m pt. The subject need not only be nouns, pronouns are also acceptable. However, when the subject is a pronoun, it must be aΒ dependent pronoun. The 2nd person, masculine suffix pronoun is used, which means the sentence is directed towards a singular, masculine audience. The suffix that is used is determined by this audience. Refer to the following chat for the different possibilities.
Number Common Masculine Feminine
Singular – π“…“ π“‚π“Ž‘ m.k 𓅓𓂝𓍿 m.αΉ―
Plural π“…“ π“‚π“Ώπ“ˆ– m.αΉ―n – –

Adverbial Clauses

Adverbial clauses are subordinate clauses that answer the same questions as adverbs–when, where, why, or how–but with regard to the main clause to which they are subordinate. Some Egyptologists refer to these clauses as circumstantial clauses,Β because the describe the circumstances surrounding the main clause. They can beΒ markedΒ orΒ unmarked. When a clause is considered “marked,” there is a specific word at its head that identifies the clause as subordinate. When this word is not present, the clause is considered “unmarked.” Unmarked clauses will be difficult to identify at first, but with practice, and a watchful eye, they will become manageable. We will begin with marked clauses, covering some of the more common markers for adverb clauses,Β is 𓇋𓋴and isαΉ― 𓇋𓋴𓍿.
𓇋𓋴𓍿𓇾π“Šͺπ“ˆ–π“Œ¨π“‚‹π“Š¨π“ 𓁷𓏀𓆑
isαΉ― t3 pn αΊ–r st αΈ₯r.f
β€œβ€¦while this land was under his charge”
𓇋𓋴𓍿 𓂋𓂝𓇳𓅓π“Šͺ𓏏𓇯
isαΉ― rΚΏ m pt
β€œβ€¦while the sun is in the sky.”
In the above examples,Β isαΉ― 𓇋𓋴𓍿 standsΒ at the front of the adverb clause, marking them as subordinate. These clauses are subordinate because they do not create a complete thought on their own. The translations for these two examples are variable, as they depend on the content of the main clause. We could have replaced “while” with other words, such as “after,” “when,” etc.Β Without context, we are left with our interpretations, which may or may not be correct. Unmarked adverb clauses requires the context be understood to identify the clause as adverbial (circumstantial).
π“ƒ›π“…±π“ƒ‘π“„«π“…±π“„£π“€π“ŽŸπ“†‘π“…“π“‰π“€
iw 3w ib nb.f m pr
β€œThe dog is happy when his owner is in the home.”
π“†“π“‚π“Š‘π“‰π“‚‹π“‚»π“‡‹π“…±π“ˆ–π“₯π“…“π“‡†π“…¨π“‚‹π“ˆ™
ḏʿ pr.(w) iw.n m w3ḏ wr
β€œA storm came up while we were in the great green.”

Markers are absent in both examples. The literal translation of the first example reads, “the dog, happy, his owner in the home.” The first clause, the main clause, is nominal “the dog is happy.” The subordinate clause is an adverb or circumstantial clause because it explains the circumstances under which the dog is happy–“whenΒ his owner is in the house.”Β The phraseΒ 3wΒ ib, “happy” or “joyous”, is a common phrase which literally means “long of heart.”

We find the second example inΒ The Story of the Shipwrecked Sailor. Luckily, this example includes the marker,Β iw, which allows us to identify the subordinate clause.Β The first clause, the main clause is verbal. ḏʿ is a noun whileΒ pr.(w)Β is a verb form, most likely a stative butΒ possibly a passive sḏm.f, both of which will be discussed in later lessons. The second clause, marked byΒ iw, relates the circumstances under which the storm came up–“whileΒ we were in the great green.” As such, we can identify it as subordinate and a circumstantial or adverb clause.

Memorization

Vocabulary

π“Žπ“Œπ“₯inwProduce
𓅱𓇋𓀾wiMummy case
π“Œ‘π“‚π“€wΚΏ
One, unique, sole
π“ π“ˆ–π“π“Šπ“›mnαΈ«Effective
π“ˆ˜π“ˆ…π“€mrCanal
π“‹žπ“ˆ“nbwGold
π“ˆ–π“…˜π“Ž›π“ƒ€π“π“„Ήπ“†‘nαΈ₯btNeck
𓇉𓄿𓀁αΈ₯3
If only, I wish, would that
π“π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“‚§π“ˆ’π“₯αΈ«sbdLapis lazuli
𓄑𓏏𓏀ẖtBelly
π“Œ¨π“‚‹ 𓏏𓏛π“₯αΊ–rwtPossessions
𓄑𓂋𓂧𓍒𓀔𓀀𓁐π“₯αΊ–rdwChild
π“Šπ“Šͺπ“€ΎΕ‘spImage
π“„œπ“π“π“Žπ“₯sttBoil

Β 

Biliterals

π“‚œπ“‚’ π“Œ°π“Œ± 𓐑
ni nm αΈ₯p
π“ˆžπ“› π“†°π“ŒΌπ“Ž¨ 𓆼𓆩
αΈ₯m αΈ₯n αΈ«3
π“‚€
 π“„šπ“‚™
π“Œ¨
αΈ«w αΊ–n αΊ–r

Triliterals

π“Ž―
 𓆀 𓆁
π“Ž£
b3s p3q msn
π“‹œ
π“€”
𓇑
mḏαΈ₯nninαΈ«b
π“Œ—
π“Š¨
𓂉
rwḏαΈ₯tmαΈ«nt

Exercises

Exercise 1.

Transliterate and translate the following phrases.

1.

π“Œ¨π“‚‹ 𓏏𓏛π“₯π“Ž‘π“‚π“€€

αΊ–rwt.k m ΚΏ.i

Your possessions are in my hand.

2.

π“‡‰π“„Ώπ“€π“ˆ–π“€€π“Šπ“Šͺπ“€Ύπ“ŽŸπ“ π“ˆ–π“π“Šπ“›

αΈ₯3 n.i Ε‘sp nb mnαΈ«

If only I had any effective image of a god.

3.

π“ˆ—π“…“π“ˆ˜π“ˆ…π“€

mw m mrΒ 

Water is in the canal.

4.

π“…±π“‡‹π“€Ύπ“…“π“‹žπ“ˆ“π“Άπ“€π“…“π“π“‹΄π“ƒ€π“‚§π“ˆ’π“₯

wi m nbw tp m αΈ«sbdΒ 

The coffin is of gold and the head is of lapis lazuli.

4.

π“Šƒπ“€€π“€π“„œπ“π“π“Žπ“₯π“…“π“ˆ–π“…˜π“Ž›π“ƒ€π“π“„Ήπ“†‘

s stwt m nαΈ₯bt.fΒ 

A man (with) boils on his neck.”

Return to Index – Continue to Lesson 9

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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR

I have a M.A. in Egyptian Art and Archaeology. Although no longer a part of academic Egyptology, I still enjoy translating texts in my spare time. I live on a small farm with his wife, son, and two dogs.

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