DOI article:
Griffith, Francis Ll.: Progress of Egyptology: archaeology, hieroglyphic studies, etc.
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11503#0053
Archaeology, Hieroglyphic Studies, Etc.
41
the Berlin system, but this restatement in the leading Egyptological
magazine is very useful. It is presented in a different manner, and the
truth of its principles with regard to the so-called " vowels "—which
really correspond to the Hebrew Aleph, Yod, 'Ayin, and Vaw—is shown
with the greatest clearness. The principle is right, and in scientific
work for specialists the Berlin system is extremely convenient. The
difficulty is that, when proper names have to be given in work for the
general reader, the system furnishes only what the Egyptians wrote,
namely the bare consonantal skeletons, e.g. Hwfw (Khufu) Sblchtp
(Sebekhetep), &c—and how from these to produce pronounceable names
is now the chief problem with regard to transliteration. Professor Ertnan
would solve the difficulty by: 1. Substituting Greek forms for
Egyptian, where they exist; e.g. Ameuemes for what we call Amenemhat
—Imnmh't. 2. Substituting the Coptic designations for Egyptian where
the Coptic forms can be proved to correspond in grammatical construction ;
e.g. Sinuhe for what we call Saneliat, S,'nh35t. 3. Where no such
aid can rightly be obtained from either Greek or Coptic, adopting con-
ventional values for the consonants and semi-vowels. For Aleph and
'Ayin he would substitute e at the beginning of a word, but otherwise
suppress it altogether, and I (a) is to Erman i. In all other respects
this would correspond to our own conventional system, e being inserted
between consonants whenever it may be necessary. There are two
objections to this popular system for England : 1st, it would require
in the writers considerable knowledge of the relation of Coptic to Old
Egyptian ; 2nd, the old system has here so wide a hold that it would be
difficult to supersede it by a fresh one.
Erman also gives a note to a punning monogram of the name of
Amenhetep III. (A. Z. xxxiv. 165).
Sethe points out that the true word for 20 in Egyptian is mcd,
not met, the sign being the same that spells rnd, "deep" {A. Z.
xxxiv. 90).
Piehl contributes : " Notes de lexicographie Egypticnne " (Congr.
Geneva, iv. 125). Remarks on the Saite statue A. 93 in the Louvre
(A. Z. xxxiv. 81). Some notes on the Westcar Papyrus (Sphinx, i. 71).
Note on the emphatic negative (?) rifr' n (ibid. i. 197). Confirmation
of the value shat for the sign of the bird's claw (ibid. i. 256). On
Erman's translation of the obelisk of Antinous and that of Benevento
(ibid, 252).
Spiegelberg contributes a note on the title of the king's valet in the
Old Kingdom (A. Z- xxxiv. 162). Notes on the New Egyptian orthography
41
the Berlin system, but this restatement in the leading Egyptological
magazine is very useful. It is presented in a different manner, and the
truth of its principles with regard to the so-called " vowels "—which
really correspond to the Hebrew Aleph, Yod, 'Ayin, and Vaw—is shown
with the greatest clearness. The principle is right, and in scientific
work for specialists the Berlin system is extremely convenient. The
difficulty is that, when proper names have to be given in work for the
general reader, the system furnishes only what the Egyptians wrote,
namely the bare consonantal skeletons, e.g. Hwfw (Khufu) Sblchtp
(Sebekhetep), &c—and how from these to produce pronounceable names
is now the chief problem with regard to transliteration. Professor Ertnan
would solve the difficulty by: 1. Substituting Greek forms for
Egyptian, where they exist; e.g. Ameuemes for what we call Amenemhat
—Imnmh't. 2. Substituting the Coptic designations for Egyptian where
the Coptic forms can be proved to correspond in grammatical construction ;
e.g. Sinuhe for what we call Saneliat, S,'nh35t. 3. Where no such
aid can rightly be obtained from either Greek or Coptic, adopting con-
ventional values for the consonants and semi-vowels. For Aleph and
'Ayin he would substitute e at the beginning of a word, but otherwise
suppress it altogether, and I (a) is to Erman i. In all other respects
this would correspond to our own conventional system, e being inserted
between consonants whenever it may be necessary. There are two
objections to this popular system for England : 1st, it would require
in the writers considerable knowledge of the relation of Coptic to Old
Egyptian ; 2nd, the old system has here so wide a hold that it would be
difficult to supersede it by a fresh one.
Erman also gives a note to a punning monogram of the name of
Amenhetep III. (A. Z. xxxiv. 165).
Sethe points out that the true word for 20 in Egyptian is mcd,
not met, the sign being the same that spells rnd, "deep" {A. Z.
xxxiv. 90).
Piehl contributes : " Notes de lexicographie Egypticnne " (Congr.
Geneva, iv. 125). Remarks on the Saite statue A. 93 in the Louvre
(A. Z. xxxiv. 81). Some notes on the Westcar Papyrus (Sphinx, i. 71).
Note on the emphatic negative (?) rifr' n (ibid. i. 197). Confirmation
of the value shat for the sign of the bird's claw (ibid. i. 256). On
Erman's translation of the obelisk of Antinous and that of Benevento
(ibid, 252).
Spiegelberg contributes a note on the title of the king's valet in the
Old Kingdom (A. Z- xxxiv. 162). Notes on the New Egyptian orthography