ntw

Egyptian

Pronunciation

(reconstructed) IPA^(key): /(ʔa)nˈtaw/ → /(ʔa)nˈtaw/

(modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /nɛtuː/, /ɛntuː/
- Conventional anglicization: netu, entu

Pronoun

pl 3. stressed (‘independent’) pronoun

(Late Egyptian) they, them (see usage notes)

Usage notes

Unlike the suffix pronouns and dependent pronouns, the independent pronouns are not tied to any other element of the sentence. Nevertheless, the meaning of an independent pronoun depends on context:

After an infinitive, it is the subject of the verb.
Before a noun, its meaning can be ambiguous:
- In the first and second person, it could be the subject of a noun phrase.
- Alternatively, in all persons, it can be the predicate of a noun phrase.
- If the noun is a participle, then in all persons it could be either the subject or the predicate of a noun phrase.
- If the demonstrative pronoun pw is placed between the pronoun and the noun, the pronoun is definitely the predicate.
Before an adjective, in the first person only, it is the subject of an adjectival phrase.

When the independent pronoun is the subject it may, but does not always, indicate an emphasised subject.

Inflection

Old Egyptian personal pronouns
	number	first person	second person		third person
	number	first person	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
suffix pronouns	singular	∅, .j	.k, .kj¹	.ṯ, .ṯn	.f, .fj¹	.s, .sj¹
	dual	.nj	.ṯnj		.snj
	plural	.n	.ṯn		.sn

enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns	singular	w, wj, wy	kw, k, ṯw, ṯ	ṯm, ṯn	sw, s	s
	dual	—	ṯnj		snj
	plural	n	ṯn		sn

stressed (‘independent’) pronouns	singular	jnk	ṯwt	ṯmt	swt	stt
	dual	—	—		ntsnj
	plural	—	ntṯn		ntsn, jntsn

stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings	singular	.kj, .k	.tj, .t		∅, .j	.tj, .t
	dual	—	.tjwn		.wy, .wj	.ty
	plural	.wn, .nw	.tjwn		∅, .w, .y, .wy	.tj, .t

¹ Only when attached to a dual noun or prospective participle.

Middle Egyptian personal pronouns
	number	first person	second person		third person
	number	first person	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine
suffix pronouns	singular	∅, .j	.k, .kj¹	.ṯ, .t	.f, .fj¹	.s, .sj¹
	dual²	.nj	.ṯnj, .tnj		.snj
	plural	.n	.ṯn, .tn		.sn, .w³

enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns	singular	wj, w	ṯw, tw	ṯn, tn	sw, st	sj, s, st
enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns	plural	n	ṯn, tn		sn, st

stressed (‘independent’) pronouns	singular	jnk	ntk, ṯwt²	ntṯ, ntt, ṯwt²	ntf, swt²	nts, swt²
stressed (‘independent’) pronouns	plural	jnn³	ntṯn, nttn		ntsn

stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings	singular	.kw	.tj, .t, .tw³		∅, .w	.tj, .t, .tw³
stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings	plural	.wn, .wjn	.tjwn, .tjwnj		∅, .w, .y

proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns³	singular	tw.j	tw.k	tw.t	sw	sj, st
proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns³	plural	tw.n	tw.tn		st

¹ Only when attached to a dual noun or prospective participle.
² Only in formal texts, especially religious texts.
³ Only in postclassical (Neo-Middle Egyptian) texts.

Late Egyptian personal pronouns
	number	first person	second person		third person
	number	first person	masculine	feminine	masculine	feminine

suffix pronouns	singular	∅, .j	.k, .kw	.t	.f, .fj	.s, .st, .sw
suffix pronouns	plural	.n	.tn, .twn		.w, .sn¹

enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns¹	singular	wj	tw, tj		sw, st
enclitic (‘dependent’) pronouns¹	plural	n, wn	twn		sn, st

stressed (‘independent’) pronouns	singular	jnk	mntk, mtwk	mntt, mtwy	mntf	mntst, mntjst
stressed (‘independent’) pronouns	plural	jnn	mnttn		mntw

stative (‘pseudoparticiple’) endings¹	singular	.kw, .k	.tj, .tw		∅, .w, .y	.tj, .tw
	plural	.nw	.tn		∅, .w, .y
	unmarked²	∅, .tw

proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns	singular	tw.j	tw.k	tw.t	sw	st, sw
proclitic (‘subject form’) pronouns	plural	tw.n	tw.tn		st, sw, swt

¹ Only in formal texts, especially religious texts.
² Later form.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of ntw

mntw

Descendants

Akhmimic Coptic: ⲛⲧⲁⲩ (ntau)
Bohairic Coptic: ⲛⲑⲱⲟⲩ (nthōou)
Fayyumic Coptic: ⲛⲧⲁⲩ (ntau)
Sahidic Coptic: ⲛⲧⲟⲟⲩ (ntoou)