mn-nfr

Egyptian

Etymology

Shortened from mn-nfr-ppy (“the pyramid of Pepy”), from mn (“to endure”) +‎ nfr(w) (“beauty”) +‎ ppy (“Pepy”) with the final two words in a direct genitive construction, thus ‘The beauty of Pepy endures’. The shortened name could be reinterpreted as mn (“enduring”) +‎ nfr(w) (“beauty”), ‘enduring of beauty’.

Pronunciation

(reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈmunnafVɾ/ → /ˈmunnafVʔ/ → /ˈmunnəfa/ → /ˈmønnfə/

(modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /mɛn nɛfɛr/
- Conventional anglicization: men-nefer

Proper noun

m./f. topo.

Memphis [since the Middle Kingdom]

Synonyms

Descendants

→ Akkadian:
Neo-Assyrian: 𒈨𒅎𒉿 (me-em-pi /⁠mempi⁠/)
Coptic:
Bohairic Coptic: ⲙⲉϥⲓ (mefi), ⲙⲉⲛϥ (menf)

Sahidic Coptic: ⲙⲛ̄ϥⲉ (mn̄fe), ⲙⲉⲛⲃⲉ (menbe)
→ Ancient Greek: Μέμφις (Mémphis)
- Greek: Μέμφις (Mémfis), Μέμφιδα (Mémfida)
- → Latin: Memphis
  - → English: Memphis
→ Hebrew: מֹף (mōp̄), נֹף (nōp̄)

References

Fischer, Henry George (1996) “On the Interpretation of Names of Pyramids” in Egyptian Studies III: Varia Nova, pages 73–78

^ Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 57
^ Lambdin, Thomas O. (1958) “The Bivalence of Coptic Eta and Related Problems in the Vocalization of Egyptian”, in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, volume 17, number 3, The University of Chicago Press, page 187:
This is neatly corroborated by the fact that the Old Perfective of mn, "to be enduring," is already known to have contained an u in Old Egyptian because its vocalization is preserved in the name Memphis, originally *Mun-nafir, an archaic compound with stress on the first syllable...The vocalization may be obtained by comparing Heb. Mōp (and the dissimilated form Nōp)...The Assyrian form Mempe reflects the vocalization after the change of u to e.

[Loprieno-1] Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 57

[2] Lambdin, Thomas O. (1958) “The Bivalence of Coptic Eta and Related Problems in the Vocalization of Egyptian”, in Journal of Near Eastern Studies, volume 17, number 3, The University of Chicago Press, page 187:
This is neatly corroborated by the fact that the Old Perfective of mn, "to be enduring," is already known to have contained an u in Old Egyptian because its vocalization is preserved in the name Memphis, originally *Mun-nafir, an archaic compound with stress on the first syllable...The vocalization may be obtained by comparing Heb. Mōp (and the dissimilated form Nōp)...The Assyrian form Mempe reflects the vocalization after the change of u to e.

[1]

[2]