zẖꜣ

Egyptian

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ziˈçiʀ/ → /siˈçiʀ/ → /səˈçej/ → /səˈçej/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /ziˈçiʀ/ (infinitive)
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /siˈçiʀ/ (infinitive)
• (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA^(key): /səˈçej/
• (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /səˈçej/ (infinitive)

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

Verb

 3-lit.

1. (transitive) to write
2. (transitive) to paint

Inflection

Conjugation of zẖꜣ (triliteral / 3-lit. / 3rad.) — base stem: zẖꜣ, geminated stem: zẖꜣꜣ

infinitival forms imperative infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural zẖꜣ zẖꜣw, zẖꜣ zẖꜣt zẖꜣ zẖꜣ ‘pseudoverbal’ forms stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2 zẖꜣ ḥr zẖꜣ m zẖꜣ r zẖꜣ suffix conjugation aspect / mood active passive contingent aspect / mood active passive perfect zẖꜣ.n zẖꜣw, zẖꜣ consecutive zẖꜣ.jn active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 terminative zẖꜣt perfective3 zẖꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 obligative1 zẖꜣ.ḫr active + .tj1, .tw2 imperfective zẖꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 prospective3 zẖꜣ zẖꜣꜣ potentialis1 zẖꜣ.kꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 active + .tj1, .tw2 subjunctive zẖꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 verbal adjectives aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles active passive active passive perfect zẖꜣ.n active + .tj1, .tw2 — — perfective zẖꜣ active + .tj1, .tw2 zẖꜣ zẖꜣ, zẖꜣw5, zẖꜣy5 imperfective zẖꜣ, zẖꜣy, zẖꜣw5 active + .tj1, .tw2 zẖꜣ, zẖꜣj6, zẖꜣy6 zẖꜣ, zẖꜣw5 prospective zẖꜣ, zẖꜣtj7 — zẖꜣtj4, zẖꜣt4 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.

Derived terms

• zẖꜣw (“scribe”)

Descendants

• Demotic: sẖ
  • Akhmimic Coptic: ⲥⳉⲉⲉⲓ (sxeei)
  • Bohairic Coptic: ⲥϧⲁⲓ (sxai)
  • Fayyumic Coptic: ⲥϩⲉⲓ (shei)
  • Lycopolitan Coptic: ⲥϩⲉⲉⲓ (sheei)
  • Sahidic Coptic: ⲥϩⲁⲓ (shai)

Noun

 m

1. (usually in the plural) writing, record
   • c. 1900 BCE, The Instructions of Kagemni (pPrisse/pBN 183) lines 2.4–2.5:

     
     

     ḏr.n ḏd.n.f n.sn jr ntt nbt m zẖꜣ ḥr pꜣ šfdw sḏm st mj ḏd.j st (j)m zn ḥꜣw ḥr šꜣꜣt

     In the end he said to them: As for everything in the writing on this scroll, heed it as I say it; don’t exceed what has been set down.

Inflection

Declension of zẖꜣ (masculine)

singular	zẖꜣ
dual	zẖꜣwj
plural	zẖꜣw

Derived terms

• zẖꜣw-mdw-nṯr

References

• James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 88, 139, 182, 277.