Possibly derived from a lengthened form ofProto-Afroasiatic*-u(nominative case marker).
- (Old Egyptian, c. 2500BCE)IPA(key):/aw/, /w/, sometimes with ablaut; specific nouns used either one form of the suffix, the other, or both in free variation
- (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700BCE)IPA(key):/aw/, /w/, as in Old Egyptian
- (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800BCE)IPA(key): /(ə)/,/ʔ/, respectively, butIPA(key): /w/ in consonant stem nouns (often metathesized to precede the preceding consonant), all sometimes with ablaut or further changes; regularity is lost
- Used to form themasculineplural forms ofnouns andadjectives
The plural is occasionally represented by writing thephonetic ordeterminative glyph three times, e.g.tꜣw:
FromProto-Afroasiatic*-u(nominative case marker).
- Forms a-stem masculine nouns from roots.
- ḥfꜣ- →ḥfꜣw(“(male) snake”)
- Forms u-stem masculine nouns from roots.
- hrw- →hrw(w)(“day”)
In good orthography,-w is written with a-stem nouns but left unwritten with u-stem nouns, hencehrww,rꜥw are writtenhrw,rꜥ.
- Forms agent nouns from verbs.
- Forms adverbs from certain adjectives;-ly
- Formsprepositional adverbs from certain prepositions.
- Forms thenegatival complement of all verbs except geminate and anomalous verbs.
Often this ending is entirely omitted.
- Forms theprospective of all verbs except second geminate, strong bi- and triliteral, and (usually) anomalous verbs.
- Forms theprospectivepassive of all verbs except fourth weak, strong bi- and triliteral, and (usually) anomalous verbs.
- Forms theperfectpassive of all verbs except second geminate verbs.
Often this ending is entirely omitted.
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of-w
- Optionally marks the masculine singular imperfective passive participle, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
- Optionally marks the masculine singular imperfective relative form of all verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of-w
| |
| -w | -y |
| relative form only; rare |
- Optionally marks the masculine singular perfective passive participle of strong verbs, intervening between the stem and the gender/number endings.
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of-w
- James P[eter] Allen (2010)Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,→ISBN,pages328–329, 354, etc..
- Loprieno, Antonio (1995)Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press,→ISBN,pages58–59, 251
-w
- Classifier suffix used to form general numerals
See:Category:Mokilese terms suffixed with -w
-w
- used to form pet names
- Megan + -w → Begw
- Ann + -w → Nanw
- Siân + -w → Sianw
CategoryWelsh terms suffixed with -w not found
