Ancient Egyptian Language History

The ancient Egyptian language is the oldest indigenous language and is considered to be a branch of the Afro-Asiatic languages plus it is related to the Berber and other Semitic languages such as Arabic, Amharic, and Hebrew. It is one of the oldest recorded languages known alongside Sumerians. Its first known records date back to the mid-3^rd millennium BC during the old kingdom of Egypt in 3400 BC, it was in use in the form of demotic and until the 17^th century in the middle ages in the form of Coptic. The language was accompanied by hieroglyphs which became the official writing system. The national language of modern-day Egypt has become Egyptian Arabic which has taken over after the Muslim conquest in the 7^th century.

Classification of Ancient Egyptian Language

The transformative history of the ancient Egyptian language can be divided into six major chronological parts:

Archaic Egyptian (Before 2600 BC)

It is the reconstructed language of the early dynastic and the late predynastic period. It also contains the earliest examples of Egyptian hieroglyphic writings on many works of art like Naqada II pottery vessels.

Old Egyptian (2600 – 2000 BC)

It became the official language of the old kingdom and the first intermediate period as it was used to write the pyramid texts which are the largest body of literature written in this language and was used to showcase the autobiographical writings representing old Egyptians. It is characterized by the tripling of ideograms, phonograms, and determinatives to indicate the plural.

Middle Egyptian (2000-1300 BC)

It became known as Classical Egyptian as it was used to create a variety of textual writings in hieroglyphics and hieratic scripts that include various funerary texts like the coffin texts and wisdom texts that act as a guide on how any person can lead a life symbolizes the ancient Egyptian philosophical worldview. It was also used to tell the adventurous tales of certain individuals, medical and scientific texts such as Edwin Smith papyrus, and the poetic texts of certain ancient Egyptian gods or ancient Egyptian pharaohs. The language was so powerful and very common within the public; the Egyptian dialect began to change to match the classical middle Egyptian. The grammatical structure of this language doesn't differ much from the language of the old kingdom.

Late Egyptian (1300-700 BC)

This language appeared in Egypt's new kingdom which is considered to be the golden age of ancient Egyptian civilization. It contained many rich religious passages and secular literature and various classicisms appeared in historical and literary texts during this period. The difference between the middle languages is far bigger than the middle and the old. It also offers a perfect example of the spoken language. It also saw a massive expansion of its graphemic inventory by the hieroglyphic orthography.

Demotic (600 BC – 400 AD)

It is a name of the ancient Egyptian vernacular of the Late and Ptolemaic periods. It was used for more than 1000 years. The word demotic is derived from the northern forms of hieratic (writing system) used in the delta. It had three stages during its time:

Frequently Asked Questions

What Are the Finest Destinations to Visit in Egypt?

The entire country of Egypt deserve to be explored with its every heavenly detail but there are places that must be seen before any other such as the breathtaking Hurghada's red sea, The wonders of Cairo the pyramids of Giza, the great sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, Khan El Khalili Bazaar, the wonders of Luxor like Valley of the Kings, Karnak & Hatshepsut temple and the wonders of Aswan such as Abu Simbel temples, Philea temple, Unfinished obelisk and The Wonders of Alexandria like Qaitbat Citadel, Pompey's Pillar and Alexandria Library. Read more about the best places to visit in Egypt.

What Are Egypt's Visa Requirements?

If you want to apply for a Visa On Arrival that lasts for 30 days then you should be one of the eligible countries, have a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining and pay 25$ USD in cash, as for the E-Visa for 30 day you should have a valid passport for at least 8 months, complete the online application, pay the e-visa fee then print the e-visa to later be presented to the airport border guard. You could also be one of the lucky ones who can obtain a free visa for 90 days. Read more about Egypt travel visa.

What Is the Top Traditional Egyptian Food?

Egypt has a variety of delicious cuisines but we recommend “Ful & Ta’meya (Fava Beans and Falafel)”, Mulukhiya, “Koshary”, a traditional Egyptian pasta dish, and Kebab & Kofta, the Egyptian traditional meat dish.

What is the Best Time to Visit Egypt?

The best time to travel to Egypt is during the winter from September to April as the climate becomes a little tropical accompanied by a magical atmosphere of warm weather with a winter breeze. You will be notified in the week of your trip if the Climate is unsafe and if any changes have been made.

Ancient Egyptian Language