chosen; but formed by system they bear sucli intimate relation to the hieroglyphic characters as
to seem the work of one hand. — This continued to be the spoken language of Egypt in the time
of Joseph and the Jewish Exodus (Gen. xii. 43 and 45, xiii. 23, and Psaim cxiv. i) : in the days of
Manetho there were two languages in Egypt (Jos. c. A.), the Coptic written with hieroglyphic
characters as a sacred language (Rosetta Stone), while the spoken language may have been the
Chaldaic or ancient Arabic : Greek characters were substituted for hieroglyphic by the early Christians,
and the Egyptian language has thus been preserved in manuscripts, transmitted writings and
translations, and in the services of the Coptic church.
Thbt is the earliest Egyptian whose name has been preserved. Of his personal history we know
nothing: except that a hieroglyphic character signifying both laughter and scribe (Horap. i. 37), it
may be inferred that his invention was received with ridicule. — Plato was deterred from making dis-
closui'es on the subject by the fear of like consequences.
Where each character represents a word, some plan of association would of course be necessary :
and besides the hint of Plato and the so-called “ natural language,” I have thought to distinguish
human biography; each chapter corresponding to an articulate sound; the order — having been
measurably preserved in the derived alphabets, Phoenician, Greek, and Roman.
d guttural, the exclamations ah ! aha !
_ y C “ ahS ” a cow, “ ah£” to have need, “ ahS ” life (conception); “ ahS” or “ ah e ” or “ aha ”
Tl/ verily; “ ahS” to walk orderly, e x p e c t;— in Chaldaic “ a h y ” to grant life. The hieu
n roglyphic character occurs as early at least as the Third dynasty, also in the Book of
the Dead, and continues in use under the . . . . dynasty (Buns, and Birch, and Leps. d. ii. pi. 7).
Serious consequences have followed-this selection: indicated in the “ molten c a lf ” of the Israelites
(Ex. xxxii. 4 to 24) ; veneration of the cow among the Egyptians, mentioned by Herodotus. Among
the Hindus, of all nations most resembling the Ancient Egyptians, killing a cow has often proved a
more serious affair than killing a man. i'arther East, the cow is or has been at the foundation of
the institutions of China, and Japan. Among tlie Phcenicians, the word “ alwph” or “ a lp h ” (the
Greek “ alpha” ) by a remarkable exception is of both genders, and signifies “ cow and bull.”
Among the earliest Romans, killing a cow was punished with hardly less than death (Pliny). And
among the Greeks, “ arhe” signifying beginning or foundation, is in pronunciation near enough
to the Egyptian “ ahg ” to have originally meant cow. The inventor of writing very certainly had no
intention of influencing the religious belief of thousands of millions of human b e in gs: but it would
seem, had he adopted a different mode of writing conception, cow-worship would not have become '
universal.
The progress of words geographically, is illustrated by another Egyptian name of the cow,
“ vahsS ” or “ vahsi ” or “ vShsi ” ; — in Hebrew “ bkr,” continued to the present day in the “ bakar ”
of Syria, Arabia, and Egypt; in ancient Italy “ v a c ca ” ; in France “ v a ch e ” ; but beyond, the word
did not cross the Channel into England, as though the animal there was already provided with a
name: this excluding name was doubtless “ cow,” occurring besides in the Scandinavian languages,
and in German, Persian, Sanscrit, and even Chinese (see also the Egyptian word “ k o o h ” ). Now as
the male everywhere accompanied the female, precise correspondence in the progress of names might
be looked for: and we find in Hebrew “ thwr,” continued to the present day in the “ thour” of Syria,
Arabia, and E g y p t ; in ancient Greece, “ tauros ” ; in ancient Italy, “ taurus ” ; in F ra n c e ta u r e a u ” ;
another word that did not cross the Channel: the excluding name being evidently “ bull ” ; in Sanscrit
“ ball ” (Mason).
The cow therefore was already the companion of man when writing was invented : — a historic
reference under the Second dynasty to cattle, Bos taurus, has been preserved (Maneth.) : under the
Third and Fourth dynasties, cattle are figured in herds, a peculiar long-horned breed, which continues
under tlie Twelfth, but afterwards disappears from the monuments, and doubtless became extinct.
A t Benihassan under the Twelfth dynasty, cattle in the state of secondary wildness are figured
: some individuals particoloured, but hunted with other game, probably in a foreign country and
North of Egypt. Cattle are mentioned in the history of Abram (Gen. iv. 20 and xi. 16) ; also by
Homer, and Greek writers generally. In Switzerland during the Stone Age were kept by the inhabitants,
as appears from debris of the earliest villages (Heer, in Troyon). From Europe, were carried
to America, the Hawaiian, Taheitian, Samoan and i'eejeean islands, New Zealand, and Australia;
and in Austral America and on Hawaii, have relapsed into secondary wildness. (See hornless, and
Indian cattle.)
“ apas ” ancient; “ ap S ” o r “ a p e ” or “ aphS” head; “ a a ” to do, to make; — in Hebrew
“ a b ” father. The character occurs from the Third dynasty to the end of hieroglyphic
writing (Leps. d. ii. pi. 5, and k. pi. 24 to 27).
# “ a l ” stone; “ al ” mute, dea f; (the number “ a-l-S ” signifying “ aphbnian ” silence, Horap.
i. 28) ; “ aid ” to let alone ; “ at ” or “ ath ” the negative prefix or particle ; — in Hebrew “ a l ” nothin
g ; in Arabic “ Allah ” (the stone worshipped by the Arabians in the time of Strabo ?) ; in Greek
“ las ” or “ laos ” stone, meaning also people. The character occurs from the Fourth to the Twenty-
sixth dynasty (3d pyram. Vyse, and Buns, and Birch).
0 “ anah” or “ anh” to liv e; “ a n g ” or “ anak” or “ a n o k ” I ; — in Bactrian “ anhu” to live
T (Buns, and Birch v. p. 748). The character occurs on the Gliddon mummy-case and from the
Third dynasty to the end of hieroglyphic writing (Leps. d. ii. pi. 2, and k. pi. 7 to 67).
“ allou” “ nouval” pupil of the e y e; “ alou ” boy, also gir l; “ alóóui ” children ; “ athrSu ”
or “ hatrééu ” twins ; “ arSj ” or “ arej ” or “ areSj ” limit, end. — The character occurs under the . . . .
dynasty (Champ, diet. 70 and 71, and Buns, and Birch).
a, in Greek éi, the sound of wailing ; in Egyptian “ ouéi ! , ” in Greek “ o u a i! , ” in Latin “ vae ! ”
/? “ n Si” appointed time; “ é é t ” pregnant; “ é ié ” therefore; “ n gh ” to shake off, “ n éh ” to
W save (i.e. deliverance), “ n bh” wailing; “ touéit” or “ toSit” lamentation, to b ew a il;— in
Hebrew “ nSyS ” lamentation. The character occurs from the Fourth dynasty to the Roman conquest
(Leps. d. ii. pi. 98, and k. pi. 56).
\ ibis-feather walking; “ óuéi" “ é l ” I am; “ é l ” to labour; “ é i ” to come; “ 5uSi ” divorce,
distance. — This and the simple ibis-feather are painted green on the Gliddon mummy-case ; to
J\ all appearance conventionally, being marked with the usual oblique parallel lines. The walking
feather occurs also under the Third dynasty ; and continues in use under Roman dominion (Leps.
d. ii. pi. to iv. pi. 87, and k. pi. 6 to 29).
“ véi ” to lift the eyes ; “ Sis ” look !, behold ! ; “ ouSin ” light. — The character occurs
from the Tenth to the Eighteenth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 147, and iii. pi. 62).
(snake with tail in mouth, signifying world; also universal king, as the air that pervades
the world ; snake called by the Egyptians “ mSisi,” Horap. i. 2, 56 and 61; “ misi ”
snake, Kirch.) ; “ mSsib ” , midwife ; “ misi ” or “ mbs ” born ; “ mSst ” or “ mSstS ” to hate ; “ tshbu-
S it” or “ tshSuSit” futile; “ ouSSi” or “ buSi ” one, everyone ; “ biSr” to stand over or before;
“ a e r ” air, — in Greek “ aer,” in Latin “ aer,” in Engli.sh “ air.” The character occurs from the
Third to the Eighteenth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 5. 110, and k. pi. 15 to 29).
“ SinS” or “ Sini” likeness, imitator;— in Greek “ Sithos” image, fashion or form. The
character occurs from the Third to the Twenty-ninth dynasty (Leps. d. ii. pi. 6, and k. pi.
S to 49)-
(pelican “ pSlSkana” signifying love to the extreme of folly; for in striving to beat out
fire around its nest, the bird sets its wings on fire and is thus captured, Horap. i. 51) ;
“ ouSinS” to be moved, stirred up; “ m S i” or “ in ai” lo ve ; “ mS ” or “ mei ” to lo ve ;
“ buSitS ” to pine away, be consumed. — The character occurs as early as the Fifth
C
I : and fardynasty
(Leps. d. ii. pi. 63).
The pelican, Pelicanus onocrotalus, is known to be frequent in Egypt (Clot-Bey ii. 8
ther South near the mouth of the Red Sea, flocks were observed by myself from Mocha.
V, the act of breathing, the pervading meaning saved.
n “ v S t ” o r “ v b t ” rib; — in Greek the letter “ v c ta ” ; in Latin “ v i ta ” life; in Hebrew “ S v l”
breath, “ hvS ” life. Eve the mother of all living (Gen. iii. 20); in Greek “ v ib s ” life, in French
“ vie,” in English “ alive.” The character occurs from the Third dynasty to the Fifth (Leps. d.
ii. pi. 3 and 29).
(falcon or sparrowhawk, signifying soul; its Egyptian name “ vai-eth ” literally meaning
“ soul within the heart,” Horap. i. 7 ) ; “ v a it ” or “ v a is ” or “ vbj ” or “ vesh ” hawk;
“ vSrrS” or “ vSri ” new, a youth; “ vStsh” or “ vbtsh” or “ vb tsh ” naked; “ valhet”
simple, innocent, pure. — The character occurs from the Third dynasty to the end of hieroglyphic
writing (Leps. k. pi 5 to 63). The character of the falcon resting on its perch, occurs on the Gliddon
mummy-case.
Horapollo’s further remark, That the f.alcon instead of water drinks blood, by which also the
soul is nourished, seems to imply knowledge of the real function of the heart: that at the time wlien
writing was invented, some idea of the continual supply or circidation o f the blood already prevailed,
first shoot of the date-palm: “ vai ” (or “ vais,” Chaeremon in Porphyr. abst. iv. 7) palm-leaf,
(palm signifying year, and its leaf month, Horap. i. 3 and 4), “ a vb t” or “ Svat ” or “ Svet ” or
“ S vbt” or “ Svbt” month. The selection for chronological purposes is stated by Horapollo to lie
owing to the date-palm putting forth a leaf with every lunation, or twelve annu ally:— to the
present day in Egypt.(according to .Clot-Bey), the lowest ring of leaves is cut annually, leaving cicatrices
by which thé age can be readily ascertained ; some trees reaching several centuries. The source
also of remarkable etymological interferences connected with the plant in various languages : as,
. . . . , in Greek and Latin “ phbinix” or “ phoenix,” in French “ datte ” and “ date,” in Engli.sh
“ d a te ” and “ d a te ” ; also in Greek, “ v aibn ” palm-leaf, a little while, “ apb v a ie s ” from infancy.
The cliaracter of the palm-shoot occurs from the Fourth dynasty to the end of hieroglyphic writing