One verb form is so tied to two little words that it is learned with them. It looks like the sḏm=f with a t, and so it is called the sḏmt=f.
Key idea
Why it works
| Egyptian | Meaning |
|---|---|
| n sḏmt=f | he has not yet heard; before he heard |
| r sḏmt=f | until he hears |
| n jjt=f | he has not yet come; before he came |
| r jjt=f | until he comes |
| n ḏdt=s | she has not yet spoken |
| r jrt=k | until you do (it) |
Worked example: Not yet
- n + a verb with -t and a suffix: the sḏmt=f.
- jj "come".
Answer: "He has not yet come" (or, in a story, "before he came").
Worked example: Until
- r + sḏmt=f: "until".
- =sn "they".
Answer: "Until they hear."
Worked example: Write it
- "Until" is r + the sḏmt=f.
- ḏdt=j.
Answer: r ḏdt=j
In a narrative, n sḏmt=f is often best translated "before": "before his messenger had come" rather than "his messenger has not yet come". The Egyptian says the second; good English often prefers the first.
The sḏmt=f of weak verbs follows the class rules you know: third-weak verbs use their short stem, jrt=f from jrj, and jj "come" gives jjt=f. That makes r jrt=k "until you do" look like the infinitive jrt with a suffix, and indeed the two are hard to tell apart in writing. The word before it, n or r, and the sense of "not yet" or "until" tell you it is the sḏmt=f.
Common mistake