Egyptian makes many more prepositions by joining a simple preposition (The Simple Prepositions) to a noun, usually a part of the body or a word for a place. English does the same with “in front of” or “on top of”.
Key idea
| Compound | Literally | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| m-bꜣḥ | in the presence | in the presence of, before (a person) |
| m-ḫt | after, behind | |
| ḥr-ḥꜣt | on the front | before, in front of |
| r-gs | at the side | beside |
| m-ẖnw | in the interior | inside, within |
| m-ꜥ | in the hand | from (a person), in the hand of |
They take nouns and suffix pronouns like simple prepositions: m-bꜣḥ nṯr “in the presence of the god”, m-bꜣḥ=f “in his presence”, m-ḫt hrw “after days”, r-gs=k “beside you”. In hieroglyphs, the first preposition and the noun are often written together in one group.
Why learn them whole
The literal meaning does not always predict the English one. m-ḫt means both “after” in time and “behind” in place. m-ꜥ contains ꜥ “arm, hand” and means “from (a person)” when you receive something from someone. Your dictionary lists each compound under its noun, with the senses it has.
Why it works
Common mistake
Compound prepositions are especially common in formal texts. An official tells how he stood m-bꜣḥ the king, in the king’s presence; offerings are laid ḥr-ḥꜣt a god, in front of him; and a son acts m-ḫt his father, after him. Each time, translate the compound as one unit and then add its object.
Worked example: Meaning
- A compound of m and bꜣḥ, learned as a whole.
Answer: “in the presence of”
Worked example: With a pronoun
- m-bꜣḥ + the suffix =f.
Answer: m-bꜣḥ=f
Worked example: Translate
- r-gs “beside” + pr “house”.
Answer: “beside the house”