gmj

Egyptian

FWOTD – 23 September 2019

Etymology

Possibly related to Central Atlas Tamazight ⴳⵎⵉ (gmi, “to look for, search”).

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈkʼiːmit/ → /ˈkʼiːmiʔ/ → /ˈkʼiːma/ → /ˈkʼiːmə/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈkʼiːmit/ (infinitive)
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈkʼiːmiʔ/ (infinitive)
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈkʼiːma/ (infinitive)
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈkʼiːmə/ (infinitive)

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /ɡɛmi/
  • Conventional anglicization: gemi

Verb

 3ae inf.

1. (transitive) To (seek and) find. [since the Pyramid Texts]
   • c. 1550 BCE – 1295 BCE, Great Hymn to Osiris (Stela of Amenmose, Louvre C 286) lines 14–15:

     ꜣst ꜣḫt nḏt sn.s ḥḥt sw jwtt b(ꜣ)gg.s pẖrt tꜣ pn m ḥꜣyt nj ḫn.n.s nj gm.tw.s sw

     capable Isis who saved her brother, who sought him without wearying, who circled this land in mourning, not alighting so long as he was not found

2. (transitive, also used with a genitive or r) To find a way to go.
3. (with a genitive) To find a way to do something. [Kushite period]
4. (transitive) To find a way out (of difficulties, etc.). [Old Kingdom]
5. (transitive) To discover, find, locate.
   • c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) lines 47–48:

     gm.n.j dꜣbw jꜣrrt jm jꜣqt nbt špst

     I found figs and grapes there, and splendid vegetables of all kinds.

6. (transitive) To come across, happen upon.
7. (transitive) To meet (someone).
8. (transitive) To ascertain, discern, recognize.
   • c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) lines 60–62:

     kf.n.j ḥr.j gm.n.j ḥfꜣw pw jw.f m jjt

     When I uncovered my face, I found it was a snake. He was coming!

9. (transitive) To determine or find to be in a particular state.
   • c. 2112–2063 BCE (reign of Intef II), Funerary stele of Rediu-Khnum from his tomb at Dendera (UE 6) (Cairo CG 20543), line A13–A14:

     srwd.n(.j) gmt.n(.j) wzṯ(.w) ṯz.n(.j) gmt.n(.j) fdq(.w) mḥ.n(.j) gmt.n(.j) jꜣṯ(.w)

     I made firm what I found dilapidated; I joined together what I found cut apart; I replenished what I found injured.

   • c. 2000 BCE – 1900 BCE, Tale of the Shipwrecked Sailor (pHermitage/pPetersburg 1115) line 157:

     ꜥḥꜥ.n šm.kw r smjt st gm.n.j sw rḫ st

     Then I went to report it but found him (already) aware of it.

10. (transitive) To officially establish or determine; to judge, to rule.
    • c. 1550 BCE – 1295 BCE, Great Hymn to Osiris (Stela of Amenmose, Louvre C 286) line 18:

      gm.n.tw ḥr ḫrw.f mꜣꜥ.w rdjw n.f jꜣwt nt (j)t.f

      Horus was found justified; the office of his father was given to him.

11. (transitive) To diagnose.
12. (transitive) To calculate (a numerical result).
13. (transitive) To achieve, receive (a position).
14. (transitive) To devise (something).
15. (intransitive, of a limb) To know how to use properly.
16. (catenative, generally negated) To be able to.
17. (transitive) To control a land.

Usage notes

This verb is often used with a following adverb clause introduced by a stative without a preceding subject; the subject of this stative is then ordinarily identical with the object of gmj.

Inflection

Conjugation of gmj (third weak / 3ae inf. / III. inf.) — base stem: gm, geminated stem: gmm

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural gmt, gmj gmw, gm gmt, gmwt, gmyt gm gm, gmy ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 gm8, gmm8 ḥr gmt, ḥr gmj m gmt, m gmj r gmt, r gmj suffix conjugation aspect / mood active passive contingent aspect / mood active passive perfect gm.n gmw, gm, gmy consecutive gm.jn active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 terminative gmt, gmyt perfective3 gm active + .tj1, .tw2 obligative1 gm.ḫr active + .tj1, .tw2 imperfective gm, gmy active + .tj1, .tw2 prospective3 gmw, gm, gmy gmw, gm, gmy potentialis1 gm.kꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 subjunctive gm, gmy active + .tj1, .tw2 verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active passive active passive perfect gm.n active + .tj1, .tw2 — — perfective gmw1, gmy, gm active + .tj1, .tw2 gm gmy, gm imperfective gmm, gmmy, gmmw5 active + .tj1, .tw2 gmm, gmmj6, gmmy6 gmm, gmmw5 prospective gmw1, gmy, gm, gmtj7 — gmwtj1 4, gmtj4, gmt4 1 Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian. 2 Used mostly since Middle Egyptian. 3 Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective. 4 Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn. 5 Only in the masculine singular. 6 Only in the masculine. 7 Only in the feminine. 8 Third-person masculine statives of this class often have a final -y instead of the expected stative ending.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of gmj  

gmj	gmj	gmj	gmj
[Old Kingdom (most common), Middle Kingdom (less common), Late Period, Greco-Roman Period (most common again)]	[New Kingdom]	[New Kingdom]	[Greco-Roman Period]

Descendants

• Demotic: gm
  • Bohairic Coptic: ϫⲓⲙⲓ (čimi)
  • Sahidic Coptic: ϭⲓⲛⲉ (cine)
  • Fayyumic Coptic: ϭⲓⲙⲓ (cimi), ϭⲓⲛⲓ (cini), ϫⲓⲛⲓ (čini), ϭⲓⲛⲉ (cine)
  • Lycopolitan Coptic: ϭⲓⲛⲉ (cine)
  • Akhmimic Coptic: ϭⲓⲛⲉ (cine)

References

• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1931) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 5, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 166.6–169.8
• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 219.