Adverbial Sentences

• m.k
• nn
• nḥmn
• ḥꜣ
• Subject pronouns
• Special preposition uses
• Interrogatives

𓂜𓈖 nn

nn negates an adverbial sentence; it comes before the subject but could have m.k or another particle before it.

𓂜𓈖𓅱‌𓀀𓅓𓊹𓉗𓏏𓉐 nn wj m ḥwt-nṯr
“I am not in the temple.”

𓈖𓈟‌𓅓𓂡𓈖 nḥmn

nḥmn is a more emphatic “behold” or “see”, emphasizing the sentence’s truth.

𓈖𓈟‌𓅓𓂡𓈖𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓏏𓊪𓉻𓂝‌𓄿𓈐 nḥmn jmn-ḥtp ꜥꜣ
“Amenhotep is really here.”

𓇉𓄿𓀁 ḥꜣ

ḥꜣ (and its variants 𓇉𓄿𓀁𓄿 ḥꜣ ꜣ, 𓎛𓅱𓏭𓀁𓄿 ḥwj ꜣ) expresses a wish that is not certain to come true.

𓇉𓄿𓀁𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓏏𓊪𓉻𓂝‌𓄿𓈐 ḥꜣ jmn-ḥtp ꜥꜣ
“If only Amenhotep were here.”

Subject Pronouns

A new set of pronouns, the subject pronouns, began to be used in Dynasty 17, as the subject in adverbial sentences. In first and second person, they take the form of 𓏏𓏲‌ tw plus the suffix pronouns. In third person, the normal dependent pronouns were used.

𓏏𓏲‌𓈖𓏥𓅓𓉐𓏤𓀀 tw.n m pr.j
“we are in my house”

Special preposition uses

Egyptian prepositions have nuances of meaning that differ from their usual English translations, which give them additional uses in adverbial sentences.

• 𓅓‌ m “in” can be used to mean “in a function, role, profession, capacity” rather than its usual meaning of “in a location in space”: 𓅓‌𓂟𓎡‌𓅱‌𓀀𓅓𓏞𓀀 m.k wj m zẖꜣw “see, I am a scribe”, lit. “see, I am in a scribe”.
  • “I am a scribe” could have been said with a nominal sentence: jnk zẖꜣw. The distinction seems to be that the nominal sentence is a more permanent identity: I am vocationally a scribe, it’s who I am. The adverbial sentence is a more contingent or temporary situation: “See, right now I’m acting as scribe.”
• 𓈖 n “to, for” can be used to signify ownership: 𓂜𓈖𓇋𓇩𓉐𓏤𓈖𓋾𓈎‌𓄿𓀀 nn jz n ḥqꜣ “The ruler has no tomb”, lit. “A tomb is not for the ruler.” English could use essentially the same form: “There is no tomb for the ruler.”
  • Normally the prepositional phrase (“for” the possessor) follows the subject (the thing which is “for” the possessor). However, if the possessor is a suffix pronoun, this is usually reversed: m.k n.j pr “see, I have a house” (lit. “see, for me a house”).
• 𓂋‌ r “regarding, towards, against” has a variety of uses (see r at the Prepositions article) which can be used in an adverbial sentence.
  • Of note, if the object of r is a destination, the sentence can mean the subject is going toward it: jw.k r ḥwt-nṯr “you are headed toward the temple” (lit. “you are toward the temple”).
  • Or if the object of r is a role or function, much like m can mean the subject is serving in that capacity, r can mean they are going to be serving in that capacity: m.k wj r zẖꜣw “see, I am going to be a scribe”, lit. “see, I am toward a scribe”.

Interrogatives

Finally, interrogative pronouns or adverbs can be used in adverbial sentences to make them into questions: 𓇋𓅱‌𓎡𓂋‌𓇋𓐍𓏛 jw.k r jḫ “so what are you going to be doing?” lit. “so you are towards what?”