EGYPTIAN GRAMMAR Being an Introduction to the Study of Hieroglyphs [Hardcover]

If you are truly interested in learning Egyptian hieroglyphs for an upcoming trip to Egypt or to visit a museum with a collection (I amazed a friend once by being able to read an inscription at the museum; I confessed that of the hundreds of 'paragraphs' of hieroglyphs in the collection, that that was one of only two I could decipher without my notebook), this text might not be the first choice. However, if you are serious about studying hieroglyphs and think it might become a lifelong avocation or even professional study, this is the text to get.

Now in its third edition, the Gardiner text has been continually updated since its first publication in 1927 (the printing I have is from 1978). It consists of 33 lessons, each of which covers a particular facet of grammar, followed by a section on vocabulary and exercises. There are also several additional pieces, Excursus A, B and C, which cover historical information such as calendrical studies, funerary rites, and royal speech and address. The appendices cover vocalisation (Middle Egyptian), proper names, extensive lists of hieroglyph symbols and meanings (nearly 100 pages of such), and vocabulary arranged in both Egyptian/English and English/Egyptian formats.

All that is needed for the language is covered in this text. The vocabulary follows interesting patterns, as does grammar and sentence structure, whichh can vary in ways similar to the direction of the writing. The pattern of hieroglyphs is variable. Generally, you always want to 'read into the face', i.e., the picto-glyphs will be facing the direction from which to start -- more often right to left than left to right, and columns go top to bottom. There are no punctuation marks and no word breaks -- this can make meanings hard to decipher.

Consider the example:

IAMNOWHERE
which could be broken into
I AM NOW HERE
or
I AM NOWHERE
and in this case, context might not help provide which meaning is the true one. Or perhaps the author is poetical and sees the trouble of distinction and means that trouble to be present.

No wonder hieroglyphs are hard!

This is a heavy, academic text. It is not always user-friendly. The book assumes a high level of comfort with grammar and linguistic construction not only of English but of other languages as well. The student is introduced to transliteration early in the text, but the lessons continue using both picto-characters and transliterations throughout the entire volume.

Of course, the Gardiner text is by far the best academic and research tome (600+ pages), but hardly meant for the popular press. Look for this when beginning a doctorate or M.Phil. in Egyptology or Linguistics of the ancient world.

If you are truly interested in learning Egyptian hieroglyphs for an upcoming trip to Egypt or to visit a museum with a collection (I amazed a friend once by being able to read an inscription at the museum; I confessed that of the hundreds of 'paragraphs' of hieroglyphs in the collection, that that was one of only two I could decipher without my notebook), this text might not be the first choice. However, if you are serious about studying hieroglyphs and think it might become a lifelong avocation or even professional study, this is the text to get.

Now in its third edition, the Gardiner text has been continually updated since its first publication in 1927 (the printing I have is from 1978). It consists of 33 lessons, each of which covers a particular facet of grammar, followed by a section on vocabulary and exercises. There are also several additional pieces, Excursus A, B and C, which cover historical information such as calendrical studies, funerary rites, and royal speech and address. The appendices cover vocalisation (Middle Egyptian), proper names, extensive lists of hieroglyph symbols and meanings (nearly 100 pages of such), and vocabulary arranged in both Egyptian/English and English/Egyptian formats.

All that is needed for the language is covered in this text. The vocabulary follows interesting patterns, as does grammar and sentence structure, whichh can vary in ways similar to the direction of the writing. The pattern of hieroglyphs is variable. Generally, you always want to 'read into the face', i.e., the picto-glyphs will be facing the direction from which to start -- more often right to left than left to right, and columns go top to bottom. There are no punctuation marks and no word breaks -- this can make meanings hard to decipher.

Consider the example:

IAMNOWHERE
which could be broken into
I AM NOW HERE
or
I AM NOWHERE
and in this case, context might not help provide which meaning is the true one. Or perhaps the author is poetical and sees the trouble of distinction and means that trouble to be present.

No wonder hieroglyphs are hard!

This is a heavy, academic text. It is not always user-friendly. The book assumes a high level of comfort with grammar and linguistic construction not only of English but of other languages as well. The student is introduced to transliteration early in the text, but the lessons continue using both picto-characters and transliterations throughout the entire volume.

Of course, the Gardiner (3rd edition) text is by far the best academic and research tome (600+ pages), but hardly meant for the popular press. Look for this when beginning a doctorate or M.Phil. in Egyptology or Linguistics of the ancient world.