yꜣ

Egyptian

Etymology

Possibly a New Kingdom descendant of earlier ꜣ (intensifying particle). However, unlike that particle, yꜣ is not enclitic. It may have instead come from a contracted jw (clause-initial particle) +‎ ꜣ (intensifying particle).

Pronunciation

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

Particle

1. (Late Egyptian) affirmative particle; really, indeed, but [New Kingdom]

Usage notes

The exact nuance imparted by this particle is unclear.

Alternative forms

Alternative hieroglyphic writings of yꜣ  

yꜣ	yꜣ	yꜣ	jyꜣ	yꜣj

Derived terms

• yꜣ jḫ

Descendants

• Demotic: jwy
  • Akhmimic Coptic: ⲉⲓⲁ (eia)
  • Bohairic Coptic: ⲓⲉ (ie)
  • Sahidic Coptic: ⲉⲓⲉ (eie), ⲉⲉⲓⲉ (eeie)

References

• Wilson, Penelope (1991) A Lexicographical Study of the Ptolemaic Texts in the Temple of Edfu, Liverpool: University of Liverpool, pages 1–2
• Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1926) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎^[1], volume 1, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 25.8–25.9
• Černý, Jaroslav (1976) Coptic Etymological Dictionary, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 45
• Lesko, Leonard, Lesko, Barbara (2002) A Dictionary of Late Egyptian, second edition, volume 1, Providence: B.C. Scribe Publications, →ISBN, page 11