Changes

[[Image:Hieroglyphs.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Egyptian language written in hieroglyphs, the most chacteristic and instantly recognisable written form of the language]]

[[Image:Hieroglyphs.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Egyptian language written in hieroglyphs, the most chacteristic and instantly recognisable written form of the language]]

The '''Egyptian language''' is a member of the Afro-Asiatic family of [[language]]s and is related to [[Berber]] and [[Semitic]].  Egyptian is one of the oldest recorded languages with examples dating as far back as 3400 B.C.<ref>[http://www.archaeology.org/9903/newsbriefs/egypt.html Earliest Egyptian Glyphs] ''Archeology'' 52.2 (March/April 1999)</ref> It survives today as [[Coptic]], the liturgical language of the Coptic Church, but has otherwise been extinct since the 17th century.

The '''Egyptian language''' is a member of the Afro-Asiatic family of [[language]]s and is related to [[Berber]] and [[Semitic]].  Egyptian is one of the oldest recorded languages with examples dating as far back as 3400 B.C.<ref>[http://www.archaeology.org/9903/newsbriefs/egypt.html Earliest Egyptian Glyphs] ''Archeology'' 52.2 (March/April 1999)</ref> It survives today as [[Coptic]], the liturgical language of the Coptic Church, but has otherwise been extinct since the 17th century.

Egyptian, like many of its related languages, has single, dual, and plural forms of nouns, meaning a noun can be written three different ways signifying one thing, two things, and three or more things.  Like the [[Romance language]]s and [[Irish Gaelic]], Egyptian nouns are either masculine or feminine.  Egyptian’s basic word order is ‘Subject, Noun, Object.”  ‘The man opens the door’ would be ‘Opens the man the door’.

Egyptian, like many of its related languages, has single, dual, and plural forms of nouns, meaning a noun can be written three different ways signifying one thing, two things, and three or more things.  Like the [[Romance language]]s and [[Irish Gaelic]], Egyptian nouns are either masculine or feminine.  Egyptian’s basic word order is ‘Subject, Noun, Object.”  ‘The man opens the door’ would be ‘Opens the man the door’.

 

== Written Form ==

== Written Form ==

The Egyptian language was one of the earliest written languages, along with Sumerian, with the earliest occurrences on the Narmer Palette and Scorpion mace-head dating back prior to 3000BC, with many more examples known from the Early Dynastic Period (3000 - 2800BC).   

The Egyptian language was one of the earliest written languages, along with Sumerian, with the earliest occurrences on the Narmer Palette and Scorpion mace-head dating back prior to 3000BC, with many more examples known from the Early Dynastic Period (3000 - 2800BC).   

=== Hieratic ===

=== Hieratic ===

Hieratic is a cursive form of the hieroglyphic sign set, and was mainly used for writing on papyrus, whereas hieroglyphs were preferred for solid surfaces such as stone, wood and ivory, as well as in stamps and seals. In [[Egyptology]], hieratic papyri are often transliterated into hieroglyphs for publication alongside the transliterated and translated text. It is not an independent alphabet, rather is the equivalent of joined up handwriting compared to block capitals in the [[Latin]] script. It retains and uses the determinatives of the hieroglyphic system. Hieratic first appeared in the [[Old Kingdom]].

Hieratic is a cursive form of the hieroglyphic sign set, and was mainly used for writing on papyrus, whereas hieroglyphs were preferred for solid surfaces such as stone, wood and ivory, as well as in stamps and seals. In [[Egyptology]], hieratic papyri are often transliterated into hieroglyphs for publication alongside the transliterated and translated text. It is not an independent alphabet, rather is the equivalent of joined up handwriting compared to block capitals in the [[Latin]] script. It retains and uses the determinatives of the hieroglyphic system. Hieratic first appeared in the [[Old Kingdom]].

 

=== Demotic ===

=== Demotic ===

The Demotic script is a natural evolution of hieratic and is an extremely cursive form of hieroglyphs featuring many ligatures, though it still retains the determinative system. Thus is it is not "purely" alphabetic as the Latin or [[Greek]] alphabets are. It first appeared in the [[Late Period]], and was in use alongside both hieroglyphs and hieratic. The Demotic alphabet was one of the three scripts (the other two being hieroglyphs and Greek) on the Rosetta Stone. In Egyptology demotic is often transliterated directly rather than  

The Demotic script is a natural evolution of hieratic and is an extremely cursive form of hieroglyphs featuring many ligatures, though it still retains the determinative system. Thus is it is not "purely" alphabetic as the Latin or [[Greek]] alphabets are. It first appeared in the [[Late Period]], and was in use alongside both hieroglyphs and hieratic. The Demotic alphabet was one of the three scripts (the other two being hieroglyphs and Greek) on the Rosetta Stone. In Egyptology demotic is often transliterated directly rather than