Most verbs follow the class rules of Verb Classes. A few very common verbs do not. Gardiner calls them anomalous; you will meet them on every page, so they are worth learning now.
Key idea
The irregular verbs to know: rdj "give" (often written dj), jj or jw "come", and, with quirks of their own, jnj "bring" (stem jn) and wnn "be, exist" (stem wn). Their commands are special words: jmj "give!" and mj "come!".
Why it works
These are the verbs people used most, and the most-used words in any language keep old irregular forms (think of English "be, am, was" or "go, went"). Egyptian rdj lost its r in speech in many forms, so the scribes often wrote only dj. The verb "come" had two stems, jj and jw, and different forms chose different ones.
| Verb | Forms you will see | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| rdj "give" | dj=f, rdj.n=f, dj.tw, jmj | the r is often missing; "give!" is jmj |
| jj / jw "come" | jj.n=f, jw=f…, jj.kj, mj | "come!" is mj |
| jnj "bring" | jn.n=f, jn=f, jnt | drops its final j like a third-weak verb |
| wnn "be, exist" | wnn=f, wn.n=f | writes one or two n; used as a helping verb |
Worked example: Find the verb
Under which verb do you look up jn.n=f "he brought"?
- Take off .n=f: the stem is jn.
- No common verb is just jn; add the weak j: jnj "bring".
Answer: jnj
Worked example: Where did the r go?
Is dj=f the same verb as rdj.n=f?
- dj is rdj without its r, a very common writing.
- dj=f "he gives" and rdj.n=f "he gave" are both forms of rdj "give".
Answer: Yes: both are rdj.
Worked example: A command
What does jmj t mean?
- jmj is the special command form used for rdj "give": "give!".
- t is "bread", the object.
Answer: "Give bread!"
Common mistake
Not recognizing dj as rdj. Because the r so often drops in writing, students look up dj and find nothing, or think it is a different verb. Check: whenever you see the conical loaf (X8) or the arm holding a loaf (D37) in a verb, think of rdj "give".
wnn "be, exist" also serves as a helping verb that lets other constructions stand where a verb form is needed. You will meet it again with the pseudoverbal construction.