The most common words on Egyptian monuments are royal names. A king did not have one name but five, together called the titulary. Each name was a short statement about him, often mentioning a god, so you will need honorific transposition from Honorific Transposition.
Key idea
| Name | Introduced by | How it is written |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Horus name | the falcon Horus | in a serekh, a palace facade topped by the falcon |
| 2. Two Ladies name | nbtj “the Two Ladies” | after the vulture Nekhbet and the cobra Wadjet, each on a basket |
| 3. Golden Horus name | the falcon on the sign for gold | after that group (its exact meaning is discussed) |
| 4. Throne name (prenomen) | nsw-bjt “King of Upper and Lower Egypt” | in a cartouche |
| 5. Birth name (nomen) | zꜣ-rꜥ “son of Ra” | in a cartouche |
The Horus name is the oldest: the first kings of Egypt are known almost only by it. The full set of five was standard by the Middle Kingdom. The throne name was taken at the coronation; the birth name was the name the king had as a prince. Kings who shared a birth name, like the several Amenhoteps or Ramesses, are told apart by their throne names; modern books number them instead (Amenhotep III, Ramesses II).
| King (modern name) | Throne name | Transliteration |
|---|---|---|
| Thutmose III | Menkheperre | mn-ḫpr-rꜥ |
| Amenhotep III | Nebmaatre | nb-mꜣꜥt-rꜥ |
| Tutankhamun | Nebkheperure | nb-ḫprw-rꜥ |
| Ramesses II | Usermaatre Setepenre | wsr-mꜣꜥt-rꜥ stp-n-rꜥ |
| Hatshepsut | Maatkare | mꜣꜥt-kꜣ-rꜥ |
Why it works
Common mistake
Worked example: Which name?
- zꜣ-rꜥ introduces the fifth name.
Answer: the birth name
Worked example: Which king?
- mn-ḫpr-rꜥ “enduring is the form of Ra”.
Answer: Thutmose III