DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41333#0097
Piotr Laskowski
Warsaw
Meaning of the Verb snfr in the Building Records
of the Thutmoside Period
“U imprecision du terme snfr ne permet en aucune
maniere de mesurer 1' ampleur des travaux effectues.”
This opinion was expressed by Roland TEFNIN in
1983.1 It may seem like a discouraging introduction.
Nevertheless one still may believe the problem of the
meaning of the verb snfr has not been fully addressed
and that a proper analysis of its occurrences may offer
some interesting conclusions. The number of scholars
who have paid some attention to the issue have been
challenged to do so by research on XVHIth dynasty
material. Important remarks have been made by Gunn
BJORKMAN in her study on XVUIth dynasty activ-
ity in Kamak,2 the above quoted Roland TEFNIN,
and finally Dimitry LABOURY in his recently pub-
lished study on the statuary of Thutmosis HI.3 There
are others, of course, who have been obliged to sug-
gest meanings for the verb in their translations of in-
scriptions.
The fact that it was in particular those scholars
researching the XVIIIth dynasty who focused on
the verb snfr does not seem accidental. The word,
although rarely found in the Egyptian texts, seems
to be quite popular in the Thutmoside Period. It oc-
curs in a number of inscriptions that seem to follow
one pattern and therefore may enable the scholar
to forward some suggestions concerning its mean-
ing.
The commonly accepted meaning of the verb snfr
is to embellish, make beautiful.4 FAULKNER, how-
1 R. TEFNIN, Une statue de reine British Museum et Kamak
et les paradoxes du portrait egyptien, JEA 69 (1983),
pp. 96-107.
3 G. BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak. A Study of the Treat-
ment of the Monuments of Royal Predecessors in the Early
New Kingdom, Uppsala 1971 (hereinafter referred to as:
Kings at Kamak), pp. 46-47.
3 D. LABOURY, La statuaire de Thoutmosis III, Liege 1998
(hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire), pp. 30-32.
4 Cf. A. GARDINER, Egyptian Grammar, Oxford31957 (here-
inafter referred to as: EG), p. 574; R.O. FAULKNER,
ever, also suggests a meaning “to restore what is de-
fective” while it refers to the statue of Thutmosis II
snfr-ed by Thutmosis III.5 Worterbuch suggests
“schon machen” and “gut machen” as well as
“verschonem”.6 For snfr is a causative verb, it is ob-
vious that its meaning is inseparably connected with
the signification of the root nfr. While a number of
meanings including “beautiful”, “good”, “happy”, ‘Tail4’
have been suggested, it seems that the English word
“perfect” would be the most adequate. Thus the verb
snfr should literally mean: “to cause sth., to be per-
fect”. This, however, does not resolve the problems
concerning the word. It was BJORKMAN who, hav-
ing accepted the meaning “embellish” attempted to
go further. She analysed the stela of Amenhotep II
from Amada and noted: “exactly what kind of work
the verb snfr ‘to make beautiful’ implies is hard to
say. It may mean to complete an existing monument”.7
Henry BREASTED in his translation of the text from
Amada suggested, but with no comments, the mean-
ing: “to supply with inscriptions”,8 Thomas RITTER
proposed: “renovieren”.9
TEFNIN and LABOURY commented on the verb
.v«/r inscribed on the colossal statues of Amenhotep I
placed in front of the VUIth pylon in Kamak. TEFNIN
proposed it could mean: “soit 1’achievement du monu-
ment, soit la simple substitution d’une dedication
personelle”,10 while LABOURY added: “Le verbe snfr
signifie litteralement ‘parfaire’, et, applique a un monu-
A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford 1962,
p. 232.
5 Cf. Urk. IV, p. 605,16.
6WZ>IV,p. 163.
7 BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak, p. 47.
8 J.H. BREASTED, Ancient Records of Egypt II, Chicago
1906-1907, p. 311 footnote f.
9 T. RITTER, Das Verbalsystem der koniglichen und
privaten Inschriften, Wiesbaden 1995 (hereinafter referred
to as: Verbalsystem), p. 218.
10 TEFNIN, JEA 69 (1983), p. 106.
91
Warsaw
Meaning of the Verb snfr in the Building Records
of the Thutmoside Period
“U imprecision du terme snfr ne permet en aucune
maniere de mesurer 1' ampleur des travaux effectues.”
This opinion was expressed by Roland TEFNIN in
1983.1 It may seem like a discouraging introduction.
Nevertheless one still may believe the problem of the
meaning of the verb snfr has not been fully addressed
and that a proper analysis of its occurrences may offer
some interesting conclusions. The number of scholars
who have paid some attention to the issue have been
challenged to do so by research on XVHIth dynasty
material. Important remarks have been made by Gunn
BJORKMAN in her study on XVUIth dynasty activ-
ity in Kamak,2 the above quoted Roland TEFNIN,
and finally Dimitry LABOURY in his recently pub-
lished study on the statuary of Thutmosis HI.3 There
are others, of course, who have been obliged to sug-
gest meanings for the verb in their translations of in-
scriptions.
The fact that it was in particular those scholars
researching the XVIIIth dynasty who focused on
the verb snfr does not seem accidental. The word,
although rarely found in the Egyptian texts, seems
to be quite popular in the Thutmoside Period. It oc-
curs in a number of inscriptions that seem to follow
one pattern and therefore may enable the scholar
to forward some suggestions concerning its mean-
ing.
The commonly accepted meaning of the verb snfr
is to embellish, make beautiful.4 FAULKNER, how-
1 R. TEFNIN, Une statue de reine British Museum et Kamak
et les paradoxes du portrait egyptien, JEA 69 (1983),
pp. 96-107.
3 G. BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak. A Study of the Treat-
ment of the Monuments of Royal Predecessors in the Early
New Kingdom, Uppsala 1971 (hereinafter referred to as:
Kings at Kamak), pp. 46-47.
3 D. LABOURY, La statuaire de Thoutmosis III, Liege 1998
(hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire), pp. 30-32.
4 Cf. A. GARDINER, Egyptian Grammar, Oxford31957 (here-
inafter referred to as: EG), p. 574; R.O. FAULKNER,
ever, also suggests a meaning “to restore what is de-
fective” while it refers to the statue of Thutmosis II
snfr-ed by Thutmosis III.5 Worterbuch suggests
“schon machen” and “gut machen” as well as
“verschonem”.6 For snfr is a causative verb, it is ob-
vious that its meaning is inseparably connected with
the signification of the root nfr. While a number of
meanings including “beautiful”, “good”, “happy”, ‘Tail4’
have been suggested, it seems that the English word
“perfect” would be the most adequate. Thus the verb
snfr should literally mean: “to cause sth., to be per-
fect”. This, however, does not resolve the problems
concerning the word. It was BJORKMAN who, hav-
ing accepted the meaning “embellish” attempted to
go further. She analysed the stela of Amenhotep II
from Amada and noted: “exactly what kind of work
the verb snfr ‘to make beautiful’ implies is hard to
say. It may mean to complete an existing monument”.7
Henry BREASTED in his translation of the text from
Amada suggested, but with no comments, the mean-
ing: “to supply with inscriptions”,8 Thomas RITTER
proposed: “renovieren”.9
TEFNIN and LABOURY commented on the verb
.v«/r inscribed on the colossal statues of Amenhotep I
placed in front of the VUIth pylon in Kamak. TEFNIN
proposed it could mean: “soit 1’achievement du monu-
ment, soit la simple substitution d’une dedication
personelle”,10 while LABOURY added: “Le verbe snfr
signifie litteralement ‘parfaire’, et, applique a un monu-
A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford 1962,
p. 232.
5 Cf. Urk. IV, p. 605,16.
6WZ>IV,p. 163.
7 BJORKMAN, Kings at Kamak, p. 47.
8 J.H. BREASTED, Ancient Records of Egypt II, Chicago
1906-1907, p. 311 footnote f.
9 T. RITTER, Das Verbalsystem der koniglichen und
privaten Inschriften, Wiesbaden 1995 (hereinafter referred
to as: Verbalsystem), p. 218.
10 TEFNIN, JEA 69 (1983), p. 106.
91