The second negative, nn, is the n of Negation with n with one more n. It has two main jobs.
Key idea
nn + a noun means "there is no …": nn mw "there is no water", nn zꜣ=f "he has no son" (there is no son of his). nn + a sḏm=f negates the future: nn sḏm=f "he will not hear".
Why it works
Saying that something does not exist is a basic kind of negation, and many languages have a separate word for it (English "there is no", French "il n'y a pas"). Egyptian uses nn. The positive counterpart is wn "exist" or a plain adverbial sentence; nn wn mw "there is no water" puts the two together. For verbs, nn with the sḏm=f denies something that is expected or promised: "he will not hear", "I will not tell a lie".
| Egyptian | Meaning | What follows nn |
|---|---|---|
| nn mw | there is no water | a noun |
| nn wn mw | there is no water | wn + a noun |
| nn zꜣ=f | he has no son | a noun with a suffix |
| nn ḥqꜣ m njwt | there is no ruler in the town | a noun and a phrase |
| nn sḏm=f | he will not hear | a sḏm=f |
| nn ḏd=j grg | I will not tell a lie | a sḏm=f with an object |
Worked example: Existence
Translate nn ḥqꜣ m njwt.
- nn + noun: "there is no …".
- ḥqꜣ "ruler", m njwt "in the town".
Answer: "There is no ruler in the town."
Worked example: The future
Translate nn ḏd=j grg.
- nn + sḏm=f: the future negative.
- ḏd=j "I say", grg "a lie".
Answer: "I will not tell a lie."
The other nn
Middle Egyptian has a second nn, the demonstrative "these, this" from This and That. It is followed by the genitive n and a noun: nn n rmṯ "these people" (literally "these of people"); alone it means "this": ḏd.n=f nn "he said this".
Keep the three negatives apart by what comes after them: n + a verb form for past and present, nn + a sḏm=f for the future, nn + a noun for "there is no".
Common mistake
Confusing nn "there is no" with nn "these". Look at what follows. The negative nn is followed directly by a noun, by wn, or by a sḏm=f; the demonstrative nn is followed by the genitive n and a noun, or stands alone as an object. In hieroglyphs they are also spelled differently: the negative with the arms sign, the demonstrative with water signs only.