By challenging assumptions regarding the proximity between Egyptian and Semitic Languages, Ancient Egyptian and Afroasiatic provides a fresh approach to the relationships and similarities between Ancient Egyptian, Semitic, and Afroasiatic languages. This in-depth analysis includes a re-examination of the methodologies deployed in historical linguistics and comparative grammar, a morphological study of Ancient Egyptian, and critical comparisons between Ancient Egyptian and Semitic, as well as careful considerations of environmental factors and archaeological evidence. These contributions offer a reassessment of the Afroasiatic phylum, which is based on the relations between Ancient Egyptian and the other Afroasiatic branches. This volume illustrates the advantages of viewing Ancient Egyptian in its African context. In addition to the editors, the contributors to this collection include Shiferaw Assefa, Michael Avina, Vit Bubenik, Leo Depuydt, Christopher Ehret, Zygmunt Frajzyngier, J. Lafayette Gaston, Tiffany Gleason, John Huehnergard, Andrew Kitchen, Elsa Oréal, Chelsea Sanker, Lameen Souag, Andréas Stauder, Deven N. Vyas, Aren Wilson-Wright, and Jean Winand.

Introduction With a focus on their physical appearance, urban form, and their cultural and historical contexts, this book examines the cities of Egypt, the Ancient Near East, Greece, and Rome. Key is architecture: the structures that undeniable antiquated urban communities, roads, squares, and different in the middle between; the way these parts are arranged in a city plan; and how they were used in ancient societies. Our goal is to see how things and buildings made by long-gone people help us understand the urban environments our ancestors lived in in the Mediterranean and Near East.

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.

Was ancient Egyptian society organized along patrilineal or matrilineal lines? This fascinating cultural study attempts to solve one of the most debated questions among Egyptology scholars, offering new insight into the curious position of women in both ancient Egyptian society and the ancient Egyptian family structure.

By challenging assumptions regarding the proximity between Egyptian and Semitic Languages, Ancient Egyptian and Afroasiatic provides a fresh approach to the relationships and similarities between Ancient Egyptian, Semitic, and Afroasiatic languages. This in-depth analysis includes a re-examination of the methodologies deployed in historical linguistics and comparative grammar, a morphological study of Ancient Egyptian, and critical comparisons between Ancient Egyptian and Semitic, as well as careful considerations of environmental factors and archaeological evidence. These contributions offer a reassessment of the Afroasiatic phylum, which is based on the relations between Ancient Egyptian and the other Afroasiatic branches. This volume illustrates the advantages of viewing Ancient Egyptian in its African context. In addition to the editors, the contributors to this collection include Shiferaw Assefa, Michael Avina, Vit Bubenik, Leo Depuydt, Christopher Ehret, Zygmunt Frajzyngier, J. Lafayette Gaston, Tiffany Gleason, John Huehnergard, Andrew Kitchen, Elsa Oréal, Chelsea Sanker, Lameen Souag, Andréas Stauder, Deven N. Vyas, Aren Wilson-Wright, and Jean Winand.

This book provides the first comprehensive introduction to the field of language contact and multilingualism in ancient Egypt before the Greco-Roman period (4th millennium BCE–4th c. BCE). It gives a survey of the historical evidence of linguistic interference of Egyptian with languages in Africa, the Near East and the Mediterranean, discusses the different attested phenomena of language contact and offers a case study of foreign language communities in ancient Egypt. Detailed indexes makes this book a rich source of linguistic information for general linguistics and neighboring disciplines.

Covers the major languages, language families, and writing systems attested in the Ancient Near East Filled with enlightening chapters by noted experts in the field, this book introduces Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) languages and language families used during the time period of roughly 3200 BCE to the second century CE in the areas of Egypt, the Levant, eastern Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Iran. In addition to providing grammatical sketches of the respective languages, the book focuses on socio-linguistic questions such as language contact, diglossia, the development of literary standard languages, and the development of diplomatic languages or “linguae francae.” It also addresses the interaction of Ancient Near Eastern languages with each other and their roles within the political and cultural systems of ANE societies. Presented in five parts, The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages provides readers with in-depth chapter coverage of the writing systems of ANE, starting with their decipherment. It looks at the emergence of cuneiform writing; the development of Egyptian writing in the fourth and early third millennium BCI; and the emergence of alphabetic scripts. The book also covers many of the individual languages themselves, including Sumerian, Egyptian, Akkadian, Hittite, Pre- and Post-Exilic Hebrew, Phoenician, Ancient South Arabian, and more. Provides an overview of all major language families and writing systems used in the Ancient Near East during the time period from the beginning of writing (approximately 3200 BCE) to the second century CE (end of cuneiform writing) Addresses how the individual languages interacted with each other and how they functioned in the societies that used them Written by leading experts on the languages and topics The Companion to Ancient Near Eastern Languages is an ideal book for undergraduate students and scholars interested in Ancient Near Eastern cultures and languages or certain aspects of these languages.

This is the introductory volume to the first dictionary on the etymological relations between ancient Egyptian and other Afro-Asiatic languages. Gábor Takács’ new multi-volume Etymological Dictionary of Egyptian (now to appear at regular intervals of about 12-18 months) will be a hallmark in Egyptian and Afro-Asiatic linguistics. The amount of material offered, the extensive treatment of scholarly discussions on each item, and the insights into the connections of Egyptian with its related Afro-Asiatic languages, including many new lexical parallels, will make it an indispensable tool for comparative and interpretative purposes and the unchallenged starting point for every linguist in the field. Volume 1, the opening volume of the dictionary, can rightly be called the key to the work; it not only provides the users with a comprehensive analysis of the Afro-Asiatic background of the Egyptian consonant system, but also offers a critical appraisal of linguistic theories on Egyptian historical phonology, the problems surrounding the origins of the Egyptian language, and an extensive bibliography to the dictionary volumes to appear.

The Caucasian appearance of the hair on Egyptian mummies has been skilfully avoided by many Black scholars. Professor Diop appears to have been the only scholar to give it even a cursory treatment. We believe had he lived beyond 1986 he would have given the question the detail of attention it deserved. We conclude this because of the scientific pioneering spirit he showed in conducting the melanin dosage test is the same one that would have been required to solve this problem. This booklet deals with the contentious issue and puts it to rest. The ancient Egyptians had Afro hair!Professor Cheikh Anta Diop used the multi-disciplinary method to prove that the ancient Egyptians were Black. Now for the first time the ancient Mesopotamians are having the same multi-disciplinary approach applied to them. There is also a review of their political history and spiritual accomplishments. Art, anthropology, religion and history show the Mesopotamians of ancient times were Black.This book was presented as a lecture alongside Dr Ben in October 2001 at the Dr Ben Memorial Lecture in London.

This book provides a unique perspective on the linguistic relationships between the Ancient Egyptian and Bantu languages of East/Central/Southern Africa. It will be of interest to readers of Egyptology, linguists, students, and the wider public who wish to find out more about the structure of the Ancient Egyptian language and how it connects with other languages, particularly with Bantu languages. The subject matter is different from other books as it examines the etymology of words, together with their sound/meaning relationships and shows by using verifiable hieroglyphic forms how Ancient Egyptian words may be pronounced by inserting Bantu vowels which fit the meanings derived from the skeletal templates of consonants in the Ancient Egyptian language.