sjnj

Egyptian

Etymology

Possibly from s- (causative prefix) +‎ jnj (“to delay”); however, the intransitivity of this verb speaks against it being a causative.

Pronunciation

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

Verb

 4ae inf. or caus. 3ae inf.

1. (intransitive) to hesitate, to wait (+ n: to wait for)

Inflection

Conjugation of sjnj (fourth weak / 4ae inf. / IV. inf.) — base stem: sjn

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural sjnt, sjnj sjnw, sjnyw, sjn sjnt, sjnwt, sjnyt sjn sjn, sjny ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 sjn8 ḥr sjnt, ḥr sjnj m sjnt, ḥr sjnj r sjnt, ḥr sjnj suffix conjugation aspect / mood active contingent aspect / mood active perfect sjn.n consecutive sjn.jn terminative sjnt perfective3 sjn obligative1 sjn.ḫr imperfective sjn, sjny prospective3 sjnw, sjn, sjny potentialis1 sjn.kꜣ subjunctive sjn, sjny verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active active passive perfect sjn.n — — perfective sjnw1, sjny, sjn sjn sjny, sjn imperfective sjn, sjny, sjnw5 sjn, sjnj6, sjny6 sjn, sjnw5 prospective sjnw1, sjny, sjn, sjntj7 sjnwtj1 4, sjntj4, sjnt4 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.

Sometimes this verb is interpreted as a causative; see the etymology section above:

Conjugation of sjnj (causative third weak / caus. 3ae inf. / caus. III. inf.) — base stem: sjn, geminated stem: sjnn

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural sjnt, sjnj sjnw, sjn sjnt, sjnwt, sjnyt sjn sjn, sjny ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 sjn ḥr sjnt, ḥr sjnj m sjnt, m sjnj r sjnt, r sjnj suffix conjugation aspect / mood active passive contingent aspect / mood active passive perfect sjn.n sjnw, sjn, sjny consecutive sjn.jn active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 terminative sjnt perfective3 sjn active + .tj1, .tw2 obligative1 sjn.ḫr active + .tj1, .tw2 imperfective sjn, sjny active + .tj1, .tw2 prospective3 sjnw, sjn, sjny sjnw, sjn, sjny potentialis1 sjn.kꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 subjunctive sjn, sjny active + .tj1, .tw2 verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active passive active passive perfect sjn.n active + .tj1, .tw2 — — perfective sjnw1, sjny, sjn active + .tj1, .tw2 sjn sjny, sjn imperfective sjnn, sjnny, sjnnw5 active + .tj1, .tw2 sjnn, sjnnj6, sjnny6 sjnn, sjnnw5 prospective sjnw1, sjny, sjn, sjntj7 — sjnwtj1 4, sjntj4, sjnt4 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.

References

• Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, page 119
• Gardiner, Alan H. (1911) “‘To wait for’ in Egyptian” in Zeitschrift für ägyptische Sprache und Altertumskunde, vol. 49, pages 100–102