ꜣḫw

See also: ꜣhw

Egyptian

FWOTD – 18 July 2019

Etymology 1

An abstract noun derived from ꜣḫ (“to be effective”) +‎ -w.

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈʀaːχaw/ → /ˈʀaːχaw/ → /ˈʔaːχə/ → /ˈʔoːχ/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʀaːχaw/
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʀaːχaw/
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʔaːχə/
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈʔoːχ/

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ɑxuː/
  • Conventional anglicization: akhu

Noun

 m

1. effectiveness, usefulness, capability
2. skills, expertise
   • c. 1900 BCE, The Instructions of Ptahhotep (pPrisse/pBN 186–194) line 5.9, D56:

     nn ḥmww ꜥpr ꜣḫw.f

     There is no artisan who has fully mastered his skills.

3. magical power or efficacy
   • c. 1550 BCE – 1295 BCE, Great Hymn to Osiris (Stela of Amenmose, Louvre C 286) lines 13–14:

     jr.n snt.f mkt.f sḥr{y}t ḫrww sḥmt zpw šd-ḫrw m ꜣḫw r(ꜣ).s

     His sister has served as his protector, she who drove off the enemies, who put an end to the deeds of the Disturber (Set) by the magical prowess of her mouth

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of ꜣḫw  

ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw	ꜣḫ

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ɑxuː/
  • Conventional anglicization: akhu

Noun

 m

1. Middle Kingdom and later form of of jꜣḫw (“sunlight, radiance, divine epithet”)

Inflection

Declension of ꜣḫw (masculine)

singular	ꜣḫw
dual	ꜣḫwwj
plural	ꜣḫww

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of ꜣḫw  

ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw	ꜣḫw
		as a divine epithet	as a divine epithet

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 1, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 13, 15.4–15.9
• Faulkner, Raymond Oliver (1962) A Concise Dictionary of Middle Egyptian, Oxford: Griffith Institute, →ISBN, pages 4–5
• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 160, 213.
• Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, page 145