EGYPTIAN LANGUAGE

Language: / Egyptian/Hieroglyphics / Date of Usage: / 3400 - 650 BC (Middle Bronze Age)
Location: / Northeast Africa, along the Nile river.
Replaced By: / Demotic, then Coptic Egyptian / Style: / Pictography
Who were they?
Egyptian Civilization arose around 3200 BC in northeast Africa. Most of its civilization was concentrated around its lifeline, the Nile river. Initially, Egyptians were split into two groups, the Northern and the Southern Egyptians, but eventually they were unified by the first pharaoh. Although conquered several times in their very long history, Egypt is the longest lasting civilization, as it still exists today. However, the period of Ancient Egypt (which we are talking about here) lasted until conquered by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. After that point, the rulers of Egypt were Greek descendants.
Notable Characteristics:
1. The language has evolved several times becoming Demotic Egyptian in 650 BC, Coptic Egyptian in 200 AD, and eventually Egyptian Arabic during the Middle Ages. Egyptian Arabic is still spoken today.
2. Coptic Egyptian is still used in some religious rituals today.
3. Unlike Sumerian, Egyptian is a synthetic language and words are conjugated.
4. It only has three consonants. (A, I, & U)
5. Egyptian gave rise to the Minoan (Linear) languages in Greece and the Semitic languages in the Levant. (Israel, Judea, Syria).
6. While famous for Hieroglyphics as their written language, they actually had a second style of writing called Hieratic (composed of simple symbols) which was used for everyday writing since Hieroglyphics take too long to compose.
7. Eventually in 650, the Egyptians developed a more streamlined version of writing called Demotic, which was composed of letters.
8. Scholars are aware of several dialects as there is a letter written by a Northern Egyptian complaining he can't understand anyone from Southern Egypt.
9. Similar to Hebrew, vowels were not written. We know which vowels were used by comparing Coptic to Ancient Egyptian.
10. Egyptians had masculine and feminine nouns.
11. Egyptian adverbs always came at the end of a sentence. "You're going where?"
12. Writing was for the elite people of Egypt. Only 1% of the population could write.
13. The language was considered to be handed down from the gods, and as a result, hieroglyphs were considered to have magical properties.
Notable Writings:
1. Early writing was used for religious purposes, letters (often diplomatic), poems, and biographies.
2. During the Middle Egyptian time period, it was also used to write fictional stories and philosophy.
3. They wrote many 'teachings' or philosophical writings which preached moral behavior. (However, this was not for common people, only the elite of society.)
4. Their extensive writing of biographies enables us to categorize the history of Egypt.
Reason for disappearance:
Eventually the language changed into Demotic, and later Coptic Egyptian. Probably because the writing style had evolved into something that was easier and more accessible.