Fundamentals of Egyptian Grammar: Elements [Paperback]

Leo Depuydt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0967475104 | ISBN-13: 978-0967475103

This is part 1 of an introduction to hieroglyphic Middle Egyptian, also known as Classical Egyptian. It was spoken in ancient Egypt around 2000 BC and remained in use later on as a written-only language. There is much controversy on the proper analysis of the verb in Middle Egyptian. But Part 1 should already lead one far enough into a knowledge of the language to begin making up one's own mind about theories on the verb. This work is organized in two ways: first, in chapters and sections by subject matter; and second, in thirty-six lessons with questions and exercises. The book is suitable for both classroom use and self-teaching. It is fully self-sufficient, containing all the necessary vocabulary, a full answer key to all the exercises, a list of all the hieroglyphic signs occurring in text and exercises, and definitions of every single grammatical term used in the book. Much emphasis is placed on analysis. This book is not only a textbook but also an analysis ! of the fundamentals of Middle Egyptian presented in textbook format for clarity. The analysis progresses from the most basic elements to ever increasing complexity by simple and obvious incremental steps. No prior knowledge of grammar or of any theory of language is presupposed. Grammatical terms are used parsimoniously. The work is inspired by teaching Egyptian at Yale, Brown, and Harvard Universities.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Leo Depuydt teaches in the Department of Egyptology at Brown University and lives in Norton, Massachusetts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 906 pages
• Publisher: Frog Pub (January 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0967475104
• ISBN-13: 978-0967475103
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,841,867 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW - STRESS FREE GRAMMAR, January 27, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Fundamentals of Egyptian Grammar: Elements (Paperback)

This grammar is the best so far. I have purchased just about all the middle egyptian grammars and this by far is simple.. at least for me. It is not as complicated and/or complex as all the others. I am able to grasp and understand terms better. It has vocabulary lists, simple exercises following the chapters and an answer key. It even has its own grammatical terms and their definitions Appendix in the back, i.e. whats an adjectival sentence, direct genitive, etc. since understanding middle egyptian requires good knowledge of your grammar. Not only does it explains it, but also show examples. The only draw back is that it does not have a dictionary to refer to in the back of the book. But it does have a good amount vocabulary for some of the lessons. However, for this purpose you can purchase a separate dictionary or refer to other grammars for definitions. I wonder if part two contains a dictionary, but have not seen it. In any case, I believe this book deserves a 10 STAR! It's a must for those studying Middle Egyptian. THANK GOD I'VE FOUND RELIEF and a lot less headaches.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a revelation!, August 26, 2005

By 

Florence Prague (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Fundamentals of Egyptian Grammar: Elements (Paperback)

Like the previous reviewer, I have studied many other Middle Egyptian grammars. I found Mark Collier & Bill Manley's "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs" an excellent starter book. Janice Kamrin's "Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphs" is excellent as a starter book,too, and gives you lots of practice. I haven't finished Leo Depuydt's book yet, which is a much more in-depth grammar, but so far it is a masterpiece of lucid, logical instruction - and a delight.