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Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction

Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction

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Loprieno
Cambridge University Press
Edition: First Edition, 1/12/2008
EAN 9780521448499, ISBN10: 0521448492

Paperback, 340 pages, 22.9 x 15.2 x 2.2 cm
Language: English

The language of Ancient Egypt has been the object of careful investigation since its decipherment in the nineteenth century, but this is the first accessible account which uses the insights of modern linguistics. Antonio Loprieno traces Ancient Egyptian's historical development from Old Egyptian to Coptic, and, combining diachronic and synchronic viewpoints wherever possible, he looks at the hieroglyphic system and its cursive varieties (Hieratic and Demotic), the phonology of Classical Egyptian and Coptic, the phonology and syntax of the literary languages, and semantic and pragmatic constraints on syntax. He also looks at the genetic connections of Egyptian within the Afroasiatic family, especially with Semitic languages such as Akkadian, Arabic, and Hebrew. This book will be essential reading for linguists and Egyptologists alike.

1. The language of Ancient Egypt
2. Egyptian graphemics
3. Egyptian phonology
4. Elements of historical morphology
5. Nominal syntax
6. Adverbial and pseudoverbal syntax
7. Verbal syntax
Epilogue
References
Indexes.

‘This is an outstanding book that should help to persuade Egyptologists of the value of Linguistics while making the Egyptian Language fully available to Linguists … the accuracy and penetration of Loprieno’s rendering is striking.’ John Baines, The Times Higher Education Supplement