Difference between revisions of "Fellowship of the Secret Word/Glossary"

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* Duat (dwA.t)
 
* Duat (dwA.t)
 
     Originally the starry sky.
 
     Originally the starry sky.
 +
    The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.
 
==E==
 
==E==
−
    The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.
 
 
* Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine)
 
* Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine)
 
     A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis
 
     A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis
Line 47: Line 47:
 
==F==
 
==F==
 
* False door - symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall
 
* False door - symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall
 +
==G ==
 +
* Geb, Keb - Earth god
 +
* Griffin - Chimaera with a lion's body and a falcon's head, since the OK symbol of the victorious ruler
 +
==H ==
 +
* Hah - Personification of eternity, props up the heavens
 +
* Hapi, Hapy
 +
    1) God of the Nile;
 +
    2) One of the Four Sons of Horus
 +
* Hathor - Goddess of sky, love, mirth, beauty and fertility
 +
* Heka (HkA) Magic
 +
* Horus, Hor, Heru, Hru - Sun god, son of Isis and Osiris
 +
* House of Life - Repositories for knowledge in temples
 +
==I==
 +
* Isfet - disorder, chaos, opposed to Maat
 +
* Isis, Auset, Aset, Ast - Goddess of fertility and nature, consort of Osiris. Identified with Demeter and Aphrodite
 +
==J==
 +
* Judgment of the Dead
 +
* Justified - maa-kheru, lit. True of voice, dead person judged favourably Decision by the gods on the afterlife of a person
 +
==K==
 +
* Ka - Immortal part of a being, but needing nourishment, coming into existence together with the being: the "life force", continuity of existence. Cf. Body and Soul. To go to his ka: to die
 +
* Kemet (km.t)
 +
    The black (land)
 +
    The fertile soil of the Nile flood plain
 +
    Egypt which is also called the Two Lands
 +
* Kenbet (qnb.t) - Judicial commission or court
 +
* Khons, Khonsu
 +
    1) Moon God, son of Amen and Mut, his main temple was at Karnak;
 +
    2) Called To: First prophet of Menkheperra under Ramses II
 +
==L==
 +
* Lector priest - Priest reading ritual texts
 +
==M==
 +
* Maa-kheru (mAa-xrw )
 +
    True of voice, justified. Used for
 +
    1) the winning party in a trial,
 +
    2) the dead whose heart weighed less than a feather
 +
 +
* Maat, Ma'at, Mayet (maA.t) - Goddess of Truth; the world order, justice, proper conduct.
 +
* Mafdet - Goddess, symbolizing judicial authority and the execution apparatus
 +
* Menat (mnj.t)
 +
    1) Musical instrument, castanet;
 +
    2) Broad collar or necklace, attribute of Hathor
 +
* Montu, Mont - War god
 +
* Mut
 +
    1) Mother goddess, often equated with Isis
 +
    2) Deceased with often malicious intentions
 +
==N==
 +
* Natron (from Spanish, originally Greek) - Carbonate salt mixture used in mummifying, found at Wadi Natrun
 +
* Necropolis (Greek) - Greek lit. City of the dead, cemetery
 +
* Nefer (nfr) - Amulet made of gold, good luck charm
 +
* Neheh (nHH) - Eternity, perpetual renewal of cycles, as opposed to djet
 +
* Nekhbet - Goddess of Upper Egypt represented in the form of a vulture
 +
* Nephthys, Nepthys, Nebt-Het - Goddess, wife of Seth
 +
* Neshmet (nSm.t) - The barque of Osiris
 +
* Nun - Primordial god of water and fertility, depicted as a green or blue man
 +
* Nut - Goddess of the sky
 +
==O==
 +
* Ogdoad (from Latin, Greek for eight) - The eight primeval gods of creation: Nun and Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet, Amen and Amaunet
 +
* Opening of the Mouth - ceremony performed for a deceased person
 +
* Osiris, Asr, Ausar - God of Duat, consort of Isis. Equated with the Greek Dionysos
 +
* Ostracon, Ostrakon (Greek) - a pottery sherd used for writing or sketching on, plural ostraka
 +
==P==
 +
* Phoenix (Greek), Bennu bird - Mythological bird (see Bestiary)
 +
* Ptach, Ptah - Creator god, Hephaestos to the Greeks
 +
==Q==
 +
* Qebehsenuef, Kebhsenuf etc - One of the four sons of Horus
 +
==R==
 +
* 
 +
Glossary of ancient Egyptian terms and names
 +
The word form in bold type is the one generally used on this site.
 +
Some remarks concerning transliteration and pronunciation of ancient Egyptian
 +
 +
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
 +
 +
 +
A
 +
 +
Aah, Iah
 +
    Moon sacred to Osiris, Djehuty (Thoth) and Khonsu
 +
 +
Abdu Heba
 +
    Ruler of Jerusalem, contemporary of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Achotep, Ahhotep, Ahotep
 +
    Apparently two queens, although it has been suggested that there may have been just one:
 +
    1) Queen, daughter of Tao I, sister/wife of Tao II Sekenenre
 +
    2) Queen, possibly wife of Kamose
 +
 +
Achenaten, Akhenaten, Akhenaton, Akhnaten, Akhnaton
 +
    Amenhotep IV, a New Kingdom pharaoh, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Aegis (Greek)
 +
    Ornamental collar, menat
 +
 +
Ahmose, Amasis
 +
    1) Two pharaohs - Ahmose I 18th dynasty and Ahmose II, 26th dynasty;
 +
    2) Ahmose-Nefertiri, Queen of the 18th Dynasty;
 +
    3) Ahmose Son of Ebana, admiral under king Ahmose I (Autobiography)
 +
    4) Ahmose Pen-nekhbet, high official under Ahmose I (Autobiography)
 +
 +
Akhet (Ax.t [1]), Shait
 +
    Season of inundation, from mid-July to mid-November in Ptolemaic times
 +
 +
Akhetaten, Al Amarna, El Amarna
 +
    Capital of Akhenaten, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Akh (Ax)
 +
    at times translated as 'soul', cf. Body and Soul
 +
    Akhu, akhet (Ax.t): The blessed dead, ancestors
 +
 +
Akhtoy, Kheti
 +
 +
Alashia, Alasyia
 +
    Probably Cyprus
 +
 +
Amen, Ammon, Amon, Amun, Amoun, Amun-Re or Amen-Re
 +
    Main God during the New Kingdom, identified with Zeus by the Greeks
 +
 +
Amenemhab, Amenemheb
 +
    War companion of Thutmose III (Amenemhab's Biography)
 +
 +
Amenemhet, Amenemhat
 +
    Four pharaohs of the 12th dynasty
 +
 +
Amenhotep
 +
    1) 4 New Kingdom pharaohs, 18th dynasty, often called by the (incorrect) Greek form Amenophis;
 +
    2) Son of Hapu, scribe, favourite of Amenhotep III (Autobiographical inscription)
 +
 +
Amenemope, Amenemopet
 +
    1) Family of high New Kingdom officials;
 +
    2) Vice-roy of Kush under Seti I;
 +
    3) Vizier under Amenhotep II
 +
 +
Amenirdis
 +
    Wife of the God (High priestess of Amen)
 +
 +
Amenmes
 +
    New Kingdom pharaoh, 19th dynasty
 +
 +
Amenmose
 +
    1) Son of Thutmose I and Ahmose, general;
 +
    2) Brother of Nefertari, mayor of Thebes;
 +
    3) Son of Bekenptah, officer under the Ramessides
 +
 +
Amenophis
 +
    according to Manetho Greek for Amenhotep and still often used in this sense; philologically correct for Amenemope (imn-m-ipt)
 +
 +
Amenti
 +
    Realm of the Dead, cf Duat
 +
 +
Ammit, Ammut
 +
    Chimaera, destroyer of the hearts of dead who were not justified
 +
 +
Amorites, Amurru
 +
    People in Retenu (Today's Lebanon and western Syria)
 +
 +
Amratian
 +
    Middle pre-dynastic period, 3550 to 3400 BCE, also called Naqada IA and IB
 +
 +
Amulet
 +
    Charm
 +
 +
Anch, ankh (anx)
 +
    Symbol of enduring life
 +
 +
Anchesenamen, Anchesenamun, Ankhesenamen, Ankhesenamun, Ankhesenaten, Ankhesenpaaten
 +
    Wife of Tutankhamen, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Anchnesmerire, Ankhnesmeryre
 +
    Queen, Mother of Pepi II
 +
 +
Anhuret, Anhur, Onuris
 +
    Identified with the Greek Ares. His main cult was at Papremis
 +
 +
Ankh
 +
    Life, its hieroglyph was often worn as an amulet
 +
 +
Ankhmahor
 +
    6th dynasty vizier
 +
 +
Ankhtifi
 +
    nomarch in Upper Egypt during the FIP
 +
 +
Anubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu, Hermanubis
 +
    God, conductor of souls
 +
 +
Antef
 +
    see Intef
 +
 +
Antefoker
 +
    Mayor and vizier under Senusret I
 +
 +
Anubis, Anpu
 +
    God of the necropolis
 +
 +
Apep
 +
    see Apopis
 +
 +
Apepi
 +
    Two Hyksos kings
 +
 +
Aphrodite
 +
    the Greek equivalent of Hathor
 +
 +
Apis, Serapis, Osiris-Apis
 +
    Bull symbolizing fertility venerated at Memphis
 +
 +
Apophis, Apopis, Apep
 +
    The serpent of Chaos, sometimes equated with Seth
 +
 +
Apotropaic (from Greek)
 +
    Having the power to avert evil
 +
 +
Artaxerxes
 +
    2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)
 +
 +
Arura, aroura (Greek)
 +
    The ground covered by a yoke of ploughing oxen in one day, about 2700 m²
 +
 +
Artaba (Persian)
 +
    Dry measure, about 36 litres in classical times, about 27 litres under the Ptolemies.
 +
 +
Aser, Asr, Ausas
 +
    see Osiris
 +
 +
Aset, Ast, Auset
 +
    see Isis
 +
 +
Ashur-Uballit
 +
    King of Assyria, contemporary of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Atef
 +
    Crown worn by Osiris
 +
 +
Aten, Aton
 +
    The sun disk, unique god of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Avaris, Awaris
 +
    Capital of the Hyksos kings in the Delta
 +
 +
Ay
 +
    1) Merneferre, pharaoh of the 13th dynasty;
 +
    2) Ay, Aye, Ai, Kheperkheperure
 +
    Vizier of Tutankhamen and pharaoh of the 18th dynasty
 +
 +
B
 +
 +
Ba (bA)
 +
    The "soul"
 +
    Spiritual force such as an anonymous divinity
 +
    Manifestation of a god
 +
    The king's power to rule
 +
    The eternal forces of a human, depicted in tombs as a bird with a human head.
 +
 +
Ba'ah, Seba-djai
 +
    The planet Venus
 +
 +
Badarian
 +
    Early pre-dynastic period, 3800 to 3500 BCE, also Fayum A or Merimda
 +
 +
Bai, Bay
 +
    Chancellor of Ramses Siptah, 19th dynasty
 +
 +
Bakare
 +
    Listed in the Turin King list as successor of Khafre
 +
 +
Bakenkhons, Bakenkhonsu, Bekenkhonsu
 +
    High Priest of Amen under Ramses II, possibly father of Nefertari, member of the Amenemope clan, block statue
 +
 +
Bast, Bastet, Ubasti, Pasht
 +
    Goddess of the home, Artemis to the Greeks. Her cultural centre was at Bubastis
 +
 +
Bat
 +
    Goddess with the form of a cow, from the Middle Kingdom on merged with Hathor
 +
 +
Bau
 +
    Messenger or appearance of a deity
 +
 +
Benben
 +
    1) The first land to rise from the primordial waters.
 +
    2) Pyramid shaped sacred stone at Heliopolis
 +
 +
Bennu bird (bnw)
 +
    see Phoenix
 +
 +
Bes, Bisu
 +
    Dwarf god
 +
 +
Biridiya
 +
    Ruler of Megiddo, contemporary of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Book of the Dead
 +
    Better The Book of Going Forth by Day. A collection of magical writings placed in tombs since the New Kingdom with the intention of helping the deceased in the after-life.
 +
 +
Burnaburiash
 +
    Kassite king of Babylonia, contemporary of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Byblos (Greek), Gebal, Gubla, Kubna (Egyptian)
 +
    City in Lebanon, important to Egyptian trade
 +
 +
byssus
 +
    fr. Greek bussos, fine linen
 +
 +
C
 +
 +
Cambyses, Kambyses
 +
    Persian king, conqueror of Egypt, founder of the 27th dynasty
 +
 +
Canaan
 +
    Today's Israel and southern Lebanon, above all the coastal region
 +
 +
Canobic, Heracleotic (from Latin, Greek)
 +
    The westernmost arm of the Nile, after the city of Canobus (Canopus)
 +
 +
Canopic jars (from Latin, Greek)
 +
    Vessels containing the inner organs of the deceased, generally four, in the form of the sons of Horus (from Canopus, see above)
 +
 +
Cartonnage (French)
 +
    Expression used by Egyptologists for the masks and coffins made of cardboard like materials.
 +
 +
Cartouche (French)
 +
    The name of a pharaoh in hieroglyphs surrounded by an oval band denoting eternity
 +
 +
Cataract (from Greek kataraktes down-rushing)
 +
    Rapids, waterfall. The first Nile cataract was Egypt's southern border
 +
 +
Chadouf (Arabic)
 +
    see Shadouf
 +
 +
Chafre, Chefren
 +
    see Khafre
 +
 +
Chamudi
 +
    see Khamudi
 +
 +
Cheops, Chufu
 +
    see Khufu
 +
 +
Choachyte
 +
    Greek for Egyptian wAH mw, lit. Dispenser of water, Priest in charge of the cult of the dead who, for a fee, carried out the role of undertaker
 +
 +
Chons, Chonsu
 +
    see Khons
 +
 +
Chthonic (Greek)
 +
    from the earth. Chthonic deities: Sepa, Heqet etc
 +
 +
Cippus (Latin)
 +
    Pointed rectangular pillar, in Egyptology: Amulet or stela showing Horus triumphing over dangerous beasts
 +
 +
Circumcision
 +
    The surgical modification of the genitals of boys and men
 +
 +
Coffin Texts
 +
    Magical writings written on coffins since the FIP.
 +
 +
Corbel (from Latin)
 +
    Projection jutting out from wall, supporting structure above it. Used to make false arches
 +
 +
Corvée (French)
 +
    Tax in the form of labour
 +
 +
Crook, heka
 +
    Originally a shepherd's staff it became a symbol of power carried by pharaohs and high officials
 +
 +
Cubit (Origninally from Latin)
 +
    Linear measure.
 +
    1) Short cubit: 6 palms = 24 fingers;
 +
    2) Royal cubit : 7 palms = 28 digits - 52.3 cm
 +
 +
D
 +
 +
Darius
 +
    2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)
 +
 +
Deben, (dbn)
 +
    Weight, equal to 10 kit, originally 27gr (copper), 13gr (gold), from NK on about 91 grammes
 +
    Greek period: monetary unit worth 20 silver drachmas, later 20 copper drachmas
 +
 +
Decans (from Latin decem, ten)
 +
    36 star constellations, each rising above the horizon at sunrise during ten days every year, used by the ancient Egyptian calendar
 +
 +
Demotic (Greek)
 +
    the last stage of development of the ancient Egyptian script
 +
 +
Demurrage
 +
    Charge paid by the depositors of grain in the state granaries, see credit
 +
 +
Dendarah, Denderah
 +
    Site of Hathor's main temple
 +
 +
Deshret (dSr.t)
 +
    1) The red crown of Lower Egypt;
 +
    2) The red land, i.e. the desert
 +
 +
Dionysos
 +
    Greek god, identified with Osiris
 +
 +
Djahi, Zahi
 +
    Ill defined coastal region in Canaan
 +
 +
Djed pillar, djet pillar (Dd)
 +
    Hieroglyph often carried as an amulet, linked to the Osiris myth
 +
 +
Djehuti, Thoth
 +
    1) God of knowledge and wisdom, moon god, identified with Hermes Trismegistus by the Greeks;
 +
    2) Scribe, general and viceroy under Thutmose III
 +
 +
Djet (Dt)
 +
    Eternity, continuous and linear as opposed to neheh
 +
 +
Djoser, Zoser
 +
    Old Kingdom pharaoh, 3rd dynasty
 +
 +
Drachma
 +
    Greek monetary unit, divided into 6 obols. The standard coin in use was the silver tetradrachma worth four drachmas.
 +
 +
Duat (dwA.t)
 +
    Originally the starry sky.
 +
    The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.
 +
 +
Dynasty (from Greek)
 +
    Line of hereditary rulers
 +
 +
E
 +
 +
Early dynastic
 +
    Historic period, 3050 to 2600 BCE, also called Naqada IIIA1 to IIIC1
 +
 +
Echnaton
 +
    see Akhenaten
 +
 +
El Amarna, Al Amarna (Arabic), Akhetaten
 +
    Capital of Egypt under Akhenaten, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Electrum (from Greek)
 +
    A gold and silver alloy, used for covering the tips of obelisks
 +
 +
Encaustic (from Greek)
 +
    paint based on wax
 +
 +
Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine)
 +
    A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis
 +
    All the gods of a locality
 +
 +
Execration texts
 +
    Texts containing curses against (state) enemies, cf. Execration rituals
 +
 +
Eye of Re
 +
    See Hathor
 +
 +
F
 +
 +
Faience (from French, after the Italian town of Faenza)
 +
    Glazed ceramics, often blue or green
 +
 +
Faiyoum, Faiyum, Fayoum, Fayum, Fayyoum, Fayyum
 +
    Fertile low-lying region west of the Nile
 +
 +
False door
 +
    symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall
 +
 +
FIP
 +
    First Intermediate Period
 +
 +
Flail, flagellum (from Latin flagrum, scourge), nekhekh, nekhakha
 +
    A flail carried by the pharaoh symbolizing his power; attribute of Osiris and Min.
 +
 +
G
 +
 +
Geb, Keb
 +
    Earth god
 +
 +
Gebal, Gubla
 +
    see Byblos
 +
 +
Genital mutilation
 +
    The surgical modification of the genitals of girls and women
 +
 +
Gerzean
 +
    Late pre-dynastic and protodynastic periods, 3400 to 3050 BCE, divided into
 +
    Early Gerzean, 3400 to 3300 BCE (Naqada IC, IIA, IIB)
 +
    Middle Gerzean, 3300 to 3200 BCE (Naqada IIC)
 +
    Late Gerzean, 3200 to 3050 (Naqada IID1, IID2)
 +
 +
Gesso (Italian)
 +
    Mixture of plaster of Paris and glue, used as a kind of putty
 +
 +
God's Father
 +
    Priest of intermediate rank.
 +
 +
God's Land, Egyptian tA nTr (Ta netjer)
 +
    Term used for some foreign, generally wooded regions: Punt in the south, but also regions in Syria etc.
 +
 +
Great Green (literal translation of wAD-wr )
 +
    Generally supposed to denote the Sea, especially the Mediterranean. It has also been proposed to stand for the Nile (delta) or the Fayum.
 +
 +
Griffin
 +
    Chimaera with a lion's body and a falcon's head, since the OK symbol of the victorious ruler
 +
 +
H
 +
 +
Hah
 +
    Personification of eternity, props up the heavens
 +
 +
Hamamat, Hammamat
 +
    Wadi connecting the Nile valley to the Red Sea near Thebes
 +
 +
Hannu
 +
    see Henenu
 +
 +
Hapi, Hapy
 +
    1) God of the Nile;
 +
    2) One of the Four Sons of Horus
 +
 +
Hapiru, Apiru, Habiru
 +
    Nomadic asiatics of the 2nd millennium BCE, often considered outlaws. Used to be wrongly identified with the Hebrews
 +
 +
Harakhte
 +
    God, see also Horus, Re
 +
 +
Harem (Arabic), Egyptian ipet
 +
    institution run by the pharaoh's first wife for the benefit of the pharaoh's wives and female relatives, not to be confounded with the muslim harem of later times
 +
 +
Haremhab
 +
    see Horemheb
 +
 +
Hathor
 +
    Goddess of sky, love, mirth, beauty and fertility
 +
 +
Hatshepsut, Hatshepsowe
 +
    Female pharaoh, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Hatti, Kheta
 +
    Anatolian nation, in conflict with the Egyptians during the New Kingdom
 +
 +
Heb Sed (Hb-sd)
 +
    festival (Hb) celebrated after 30 years of rule or more frequently. Its precise purpose is unknown, but is supposed to have to do with the pharaoh's rejuvenation.
 +
 +
Hedjet, nefer-hedjet (nfr-D.t)
 +
    the white crown of Upper Egypt
 +
 +
Heka (HkA)
 +
    Magic
 +
 +
Heka-khase (HqA-xAsw.t )
 +
    see Hyksos
 +
 +
Hekat, Heket
 +
    see Heqat
 +
 +
Heliopolis, On
 +
    Main temple of the sun god Re
 +
 +
Hemaka
 +
    Royal sealbearer (chancellor) under Den (1st dynasty)
 +
 +
Henenu, Hannu, Henu
 +
    Steward and overseer of herds, 11th dynasty
 +
 +
Henku
 +
    Nomarch, late OK (Inscription)
 +
 +
Hephaestos, Hephaistos
 +
    The Greek equivalent of Ptah
 +
 +
Hepu
 +
    Vizier under Thutmose IV
 +
 +
Hepuseneb
 +
    First prophet of Amen under Hatshepsut
 +
 +
Heqa (HqA.t)
 +
    Crook, symbol of pharaonic authority
 +
 +
Heqat (HqA.t)
 +
    Measure of volume of varying size:
 +
    1) Barrel, bushel. Divided into 10 hin, c. 4.8 litres, used throughout history
 +
    2) Common bushel, double barrel, c. 9.6 litres, Middle to New Kingdom
 +
    3) Large bushel, also called oipe, about 19.2 litres
 +
 +
Heqat, Heqet, Hekt, Hekat, Heket (Hq.t)
 +
    Goddess of birth in the form of a frog
 +
 +
Her-ka-pet
 +
    The planet Saturn
 +
 +
Hermanubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu
 +
    see Anubis
 +
 +
Heru
 +
    see Horus
 +
 +
Heru-deshret
 +
    The planet Mars
 +
 +
Her-wepes-tawy
 +
    The planet Jupiter
 +
 +
Heseb (Hsb)
 +
    Square measure: One quarter of a tA, divided into 2 sA
 +
 +
Hesire
 +
    Overseer over the royal scribes under Djoser (3rd dynasty), physician and dentist
 +
 +
Hierakonpolis (Greek), Nekhen
 +
    Ancient southern capital
 +
 +
Hieratic (from Greek hieratikos, priest)
 +
    Cursive writing of Hieroglyphs
 +
 +
Hieroglyphics (from Greek hierogluphicos, sacred writing
 +
    Egyptian writing using stylized pictures (hieroglyphs)
 +
 +
Hin (hnw)
 +
    lit. jar, one tenth of a heqat, about half a litre
 +
 +
Hittites
 +
    People of Hatti
 +
 +
Hor
 +
    1) Hor, pharaoh, probably 13th dynasty;
 +
    2) Hor, priest during the Late Period;
 +
    3) Hor, mountain in northern Canaan;
 +
    4) see Horus
 +
 +
Horbaf
 +
    Son of Khufu (4th dynasty), vizier
 +
 +
Hordjedef, Djedefhor
 +
    Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)
 +
 +
Horemheb
 +
    New Kingdom general and pharaoh, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Horus, Hor, Heru, Hru
 +
    Sun god, son of Isis and Osiris
 +
 +
Horus name
 +
    First of the pharaonic titles, often written in a serekh
 +
 +
Hotep Senusret (Kahun)
 +
    Middle Kingdom planned town
 +
 +
House of Life
 +
    Repositories for knowledge in temples
 +
 +
Hyksos
 +
    The Heqa-khasut, wrongly translated as Shepherd Kings, an Asiatic people, founded a kingdom in Northern Egypt, 15th and 16th dynasties
 +
 +
Hypostyle
 +
    (Greek hupostulos, under columns) Building with roof supported by pillars
 +
 +
I
 +
 +
Ikhernofret
 +
    Chancellor under Senusret III, (Stela)
 +
 +
Imhotep
 +
    High official under of Djoser (3rd dynasty), later deified.
 +
 +
Intef, Antef, Inyotef
 +
    Pharaohs of the 11th dynasty
 +
 +
IP
 +
    Intermediary Period
 +
 +
Ipet
 +
    see harem
 +
 +
Isfet
 +
    disorder, chaos, opposed to Maat
 +
 +
Isis, Auset, Aset, Ast
 +
    Goddess of fertility and nature, consort of Osiris. Identified with Demeter and Aphrodite
 +
 +
Iteru (jtrw)
 +
    1) River-unit, measure of length, 20000 cubits, ca. 10 km, Greek skhoine
 +
    2) ca. 2km according to Breasted
 +
    3) River, Nile
 +
 +
Ithyphallic (from Greek ithuphallicos)
 +
    Having an erect penis, a sign of fertility (depictions of ba-birds, Osiris, Min or Amen, etc)
 +
 +
J
 +
 +
Judgment of the Dead
 +
    Decision by the gods on the afterlife of a person
 +
 +
Justified
 +
    maa-kheru, lit. True of voice, dead person judged favourably
 +
 +
K
 +
 +
Ka
 +
    Immortal part of a being, but needing nourishment, coming into existence together with the being: the "life force", continuity of existence. Cf. Body and Soul.
 +
    To go to his ka: to die
 +
 +
Kadashman Enlil
 +
    King of Babylon, contemporary of Amenhotep III
 +
 +
Kadesh, Kedesh, Qadesh
 +
    1) Fortified town in Retenu, site of famous battle
 +
    2) Goddess
 +
 +
Kagemni
 +
    1) Vizier under Snefru, author of the Instructions of Kagemni;
 +
    2) Vizier under Teti (6th dynasty) with famous mastaba
 +
 +
Kahun, Lahun, Illahun (Arabic)
 +
    Middle Kingdom planned town near the site of Hotep Senusret
 +
 +
Kambyses
 +
    see Cambyses
 +
 +
Kamutef
 +
    Lit. 'Bull of his Mother'. Name of the ithyphallic, self-created Amen and Min
 +
 +
Kanofer
 +
    Architect under Khasekhemwy (2nd dynasty), speculatively Imhotep's father
 +
 +
Karnak, Al Karnak (Arabic)
 +
    modern village, occupying the northern half of pharaonic Thebes, Ipet isut, the site of many ancient temples
 +
 +
Kawab
 +
    Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)
 +
 +
Keftiu
 +
    described as a place in the midst of the Great Green, i.e. the Mediterranean, possibly Crete, sometimes identified with Cyprus or with the whole of the Aegean
 +
 +
Kemet (km.t)
 +
    The black (land)
 +
    The fertile soil of the Nile flood plain
 +
    Egypt which is also called the Two Lands
 +
 +
Kenbet (qnb.t)
 +
    Judicial commission or court
 +
 +
Kezweden, Kizzuwadna
 +
    Hurrian vassal state of the Hittites in southern Anatolia
 +
 +
Khafre, Chafre, Chefren
 +
    Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty
 +
 +
Khaemwaset
 +
    Son of Ramses II, high priest of Ptah
 +
 +
Khamudi, Chamudi, Apepi II
 +
    Hyksos king
 +
 +
Khar (XAr)
 +
    Lit. sack, measure of capacity
 +
    1) Deka-heqat, 10 heqat, ca.48 litres. (OK, MK)
 +
    2) Deka-heqat, khar, equals 4 oipe, i.e. 16 heqat, ca. 96 litres (MK-SIP)
 +
    3) Khar, 4 oipe, 76 litres (NK-TIP)
 +
 +
Kheker sign (Xkr)
 +
    architectural decoration
 +
 +
Khekheperre-sonbu
 +
    Priest (Admonitions)
 +
 +
Khentamenti, Khenty-Imentiu, Chontamenti
 +
    see Anubis, also Osiris
 +
 +
Kheops
 +
    see Khufu
 +
 +
Khepresh, Kheperesh (xprS)
 +
    The blue crown
 +
 +
Khet (xt), khet-en-nu
 +
    Linear measure, 100 cubits, about 50 metres
 +
 +
Kheta
 +
    see Hatti
 +
 +
Kheti, Akhtoy
 +
    A number of kings ruling at Heracleopolis during the First Intermediate Period
 +
    A number of nomarchs during the First Intermediate Period:
 +
        1) Kheti son of Tefibi (inscription)
 +
        2) Kheti son of Sit (inscription)
 +
 +
Khnumhotep, Khnumhotpe
 +
    1) Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)
 +
    2) Khnumhotep II, grandson of Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)
 +
 +
Khons, Khonsu
 +
    1) Moon God, son of Amen and Mut, his main temple was at Karnak;
 +
    2) Called To: First prophet of Menkheperra under Ramses II
 +
 +
Khufu, Cheops
 +
    Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty
 +
 +
Kiosk (from French kiosque, Turkish kösk)
 +
    A roof supported by columns or poles
 +
 +
Kit, kite, qite, (qd.t)
 +
    weight, one tenth of a deben, about 9 grammes (during the New Kingdom)
 +
    Greek period: monetary unit worth one tenth of a deben = 2 drachmas
 +
 +
Kohl (fom Arabic kuhl )
 +
    Black eyeliner (cf. Cosmetics)
 +
 +
Kubna, Gepen
 +
    Egyptian name for Byblos
 +
 +
Kush, Kash
 +
    Nubian region above the second cataract
 +
 +
KV
 +
    Used by archaeologists together with a number to identify tombs in the Valley of the Kings
 +
 +
L
 +
 +
Labayu
 +
    Ruler of Shechem, contemporary of Akhenaten (cf. Amarna Letters)
 +
 +
Lector priest
 +
    Priest reading ritual texts
 +
 +
Libu, Ribu
 +
    Libyans
 +
 +
Lesonis
 +
    Greek for Egyptian mr-Sn, an elected official in charge of the economic management of a temple
 +
 +
LP
 +
    Late Period
 +
 +
L.P.H.
 +
    Life, prosperity, health (anx wDA snb) [1] - Wish for well-being, added after the names of pharaohs, "prosperity" should rather be "soundness"
 +
 +
Luxor (Arabic el Uksor)
 +
    modern village, occupying the southern half of ancient Thebes, Ipet resyt
 +
 +
M
 +
 +
Ma
 +
    see Meshwesh
 +
 +
Maa-kheru (mAa-xrw )
 +
    True of voice, justified. Used for
 +
    1) the winning party in a trial,
 +
    2) the dead whose heart weighed less than a feather
 +
 +
Maat, Ma'at, Mayet (maA.t)
 +
    Goddess of Truth; the world order, justice, proper conduct.
 +
 +
Mafdet
 +
    Goddess, symbolizing judicial authority and the execution apparatus
 +
 +
Mammisi (Coptic)
 +
    lit. House of Birth, sanctuary attached to a temple; dedicated to the birth of the child deity of a triad
 +
 +
Mastaba (Arabic mastaba, bench)
 +
    Old Kingdom, underground tomb with above ground structure
 +
 +
Maziqda
 +
    38 hin, about 19 litres
 +
 +
Medjay
 +
    Nubian mercenaries since the First Intermediary Period, police under Ahmose I and his successors
 +
 +
Megiddo
 +
    Important Canaanite town, site of battle
 +
 +
Meh-ta (mH-tA)
 +
    Area measure, 100 cubits squared, ca.27 m², New Kingdom
 +
 +
Memphis (Greek), Mennefer, Mof
 +
    Old Kingdom capital of Egypt (near Cairo)
 +
 +
Menat (mnj.t)
 +
    1) Musical instrument, castanet;
 +
    2) Broad collar or necklace, attribute of Hathor
 +
 +
Men, Menes, Min
 +
    First pharaoh of the united kingdom according to Herodotus, identified as Hor-aha
 +
 +
Menkaure, Mykerinos
 +
    Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty
 +
 +
Menkheperreseneb
 +
    High priest of Amon at Karnak, 18th dynasty
 +
 +
Mentuhotep, Montuhotep
 +
    4 pharaohs of the 11th dynasty
 +
 +
Mereruka
 +
    vizier under Teti (6th dynasty), successor of Kagemni
 +
 +
Meryre, Pepi I, Pepy I
 +
    Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty
 +
 +
Meryt-Amen
 +
    Daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, wife of Smenkhkare(?)
 +
 +
Meskhenet
 +
    Goddess personification of the birthing stone, two bricks placed under the feet of the woman giving birth in a crouching position
 +
 +
Meshwesh (mSwS), Ma
 +
    Libyans settled in the Delta during the Third Intermediary Period, mercenaries
 +
 +
Metjen
 +
    Official under Snofru (Biography)
 +
 +
Min
 +
    Fertility god
 +
    Pharaoh, see Menes
 +
 +
Mitanni
 +
    Hurrian people living in Naharin (western Mesopotamia), disappeared as an independent nation during the Egyptian New Kingdom
 +
 +
MK
 +
    Middle Kingdom
 +
 +
Moeris, Moiris
 +
    1) possibly Amenemhet III.
 +
    2) Lake Moeris - lake in the Fayum excavated according to Herodotus by Moeris
 +
 +
Montu, Mont
 +
    War god
 +
 +
Montuhotep
 +
    see Mentuhotep
 +
 +
Mut
 +
    1) Mother goddess, often equated with Isis
 +
    2) Deceased with often malicious intentions
 +
 +
N
 +
 +
Nagada, Naqada
 +
    Settlement 30 km northwest of Thebes. Name for predynastic periods from 3550 to 2600 BCE
 +
 +
Naharin, Naharina
 +
    Region in Syria or Lebanon, at times identified with Aram Naharaim, the region between western Tigris and the Euphrates, at others with the region between the Litani and the Orontes.
 +
 +
Naos (Greek naos, temple)
 +
    The sanctuary with the divine statues
 +
 +
Narmer
 +
    King, thought by many to be the uniter of Upper and Lower Egypt
 +
 +
Natron (from Spanish, originally Greek)
 +
    Carbonate salt mixture used in mummifying, found at Wadi Natrun
 +
 +
Naucratis, Naukratis (Greek)
 +
    Ionian city in the Delta
 +
 +
Nebamen, Nebamon, Nebamun
 +
    Chief of police in western Thebes under Thutmose IV and Amenhoteop III
 +
    Superintendent of the grain stores under Thutmose III (cf. Abbott papyrus)
 +
 +
Nebwawi
 +
    High Priest of Osiris under Thutmose III (Inscription)
 +
 +
Necho, Neco, Necos, Nekhau
 +
    Two pharaohs of the Late Dynastic Period, 26th dynasty
 +
 +
Necropolis (Greek)
 +
    Greek lit. City of the dead, cemetery
 +
 +
Nefer (nfr)
 +
    Amulet made of gold, good luck charm
 +
 +
Neferkare, Pepi II, Pepy II
 +
    Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty
 +
 +
Nefertari, Nefertari-Mery-Mut
 +
    Main wife of Ramses II
 +
 +
Nefertiti, Nefertete, Nofretete
 +
    Wife of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Neferty
 +
    Prophet
 +
 +
Neheh (nHH)
 +
    Eternity, perpetual renewal of cycles, as opposed to djet
 +
 +
Nehes
 +
    see Nubia
 +
 +
Nekhakha (nxx)
 +
    see flagellum
 +
 +
Nekhbet
 +
    Goddess of Upper Egypt represented in the form of a vulture
 +
 +
Nekhekh (nxx)
 +
    see flagellum
 +
 +
Nekhen, Hierakonpolis
 +
    Ancient southern capital
 +
 +
Nephthys, Nepthys, Nebt-Het
 +
    Goddess, wife of Seth
 +
 +
Neshmet (nSm.t)
 +
    The barque of Osiris
 +
 +
Nilometer
 +
    Place, generally with column, where the height of the Nile could be measured
 +
 +
Nitocris, Nitokris
 +
    daughter of Psammetic I, 26th dynasty, Wife of the God Amen
 +
 +
NK
 +
    New Kingdom
 +
 +
Nomarch (Greek)
 +
    Ruler of a nome
 +
 +
Nome (from Greek nomos division)
 +
    Administrative region
 +
 +
Nub (nb)
 +
    Gold
 +
 +
Nubia, Wawat
 +
    Region above the first cataract, occupied by Egypt during the 2nd Millennium BCE
 +
 +
Nun
 +
    Primordial god of water and fertility, depicted as a green or blue man
 +
 +
Nut
 +
    Goddess of the sky
 +
 +
O
 +
 +
Obol
 +
    Greek coin, one sixth of a drachma, divided into 8 chalkoi
 +
 +
Ogdoad (from Latin, Greek for eight)
 +
    The eight primeval gods of creation: Nun and Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet, Amen and Amaunet
 +
 +
Oipe (jp.t)
 +
    Measure of capacity, 4 heqat, about 20 litres (NK to Roman times)
 +
 +
OK
 +
    Old Kingdom
 +
 +
On, Heliopolis (Greek)
 +
    Main temple of the sun god Re
 +
 +
Opening of the Mouth
 +
    ceremony performed for a deceased person
 +
 +
Osiris, Asr, Ausar
 +
    God of Duat, consort of Isis. Equated with the Greek Dionysos
 +
 +
Ostracon, Ostrakon (Greek)
 +
    a pottery sherd used for writing or sketching on, plural ostraka
 +
 +
P
 +
 +
Pabi
 +
    Ruler of Lachish, contemporary of Akhenaten
 +
 +
Paramoné (Greek)
 +
    In the Hellenist culture the obligation of a freed slave to perform services for his former master
 +
 +
Paser
 +
    1) Viceroy under Ay and Horemheb
 +
    2) Mayor and vizier under Sethi I and Ramses II
 +
 +
Pectoral (Latin)
 +
    Piece of jewellery covering upper chest
 +
 +
Pelusiac, Pelusian (from Greek)
 +
    The easternmost arm of the Nile, named after the town Pelusium
 +
 +
Pediese, Petiese, Pediaset
 +
    A number of Late Period priests, cf. The Petition of Pediese
 +
 +
Pepi
 +
    Two Old Kingdom pharaohs, 6th dynasty:
 +
    1)  Pepi I, Pepy I, Meryre
 +
    2)  Pepi II, Pepy II, Neferkare, Son of Pepi I
 +
 +
Peleset
 +
    One of the Sea Peoples, the Philistines, settled in Canaan
 +
 +
Peret, Pert, Proit (pr.t)
 +
    Season of Growth, from mid November to mid March in Ptolemaic times
 +
 +
Pesesh-kaf (psS-kf)
 +
    Ceremonial instrument used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony
 +
 +
Pharaoh (via Greek and Hebrew (par'oh) from Egyptian pr-aA - 'Great House')
 +
    Since the first millennium BCE king of Egypt,
 +
 +
Phoenix (Greek), Bennu bird
 +
    Mythological bird (see Bestiary)
 +
 +
Piankhi, Piye
 +
    Pharaoh of the Late Dynastic Period, 25th dynasty
 +
 +
Pre-dynastic, predynastic
 +
    Prehistoric period, 5500 to 3050 BCE
 +
 +
Prehirwonnef
 +
    Son of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, served in the army
 +
 +
Pronaos (from Greek)
 +
    Room leading to the naos
 +
 +
Proto-dynastic, protodynastic
 +
    Period 3200 to 3050, also called Late Gerzean
 +
 +
Prophet (from Greek)
 +
    Hm nTr, lit. servant of the god, Head priest
 +
 +
Psammetichos, Psammetic, Psamtek, Psamtik
 +
    Three pharaohs, 26th dynasty
 +
 +
Pseudoepigrapha (Greek)
 +
    Writings of a later date than purported, often attributed to an ancient authority like a pharaoh
 +
 +
Pshent
 +
    the double crown of the united Egypt
 +
 +
Ptach, Ptah
 +
    Creator god, Hephaestos to the Greeks
 +
 +
Ptahhotep
 +
    vizier under Djedkare (5th dynasty), putative author of instructions of wisdom
 +
 +
Punt
 +
    Apparently a region in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia and/or southern Arabia. At times identified with God's Land.
 +
 +
Pylon
 +
    Massive structure at the entrance of a temple complex
 +
 +
Pyramid texts
 +
    Texts written inside pyramids concerning the afterlife of the deceased
 +
 +
Pyramidion (from Greek)
 +
    Capstone of a pyramid
 +
 +
Q
 +
 +
Qa'a
 +
    Last pharaoh of the first dynasty
 +
 +
Qa'a
 +
    High-roofed reception room in Egyptian houses (see The House of Djehutinefer )
 +
 +
Qadesh
 +
    see Kadesh
 +
 +
Qebehsenuef, Kebhsenuf etc
 +
    One of the four sons of Horus
 +
 +
Qenbet (qnb.t)
 +
    Judicial court
 +
 +
Qoseir, Quseir
 +
    Port on the Red Sea coast
 +
 +
==R==
 +
* Re, Ra - Sun god, Helios to the Greeks, with the cult centre at Heliopolis
 +
 +
==S==
 +
* Sabgu - The planet Mercury
 +
* Sah (sAH) - The constellation of Orion, associated with Osiris
 +
* Sarcophagus (Greek sarx + phagos, flesh eating) - Stone coffin
 +
* Sau - Apotropaic amulet
 +
* Scarab
 +
    1) Dung beetle
 +
    2) Amulet in the form of a dung beetle
 +
* Sechmet, Sekhmet - Goddess of love and protection, cf. Hathor
 +
* Serpopards (from Greek) - Long-necked chimaera of Mesopotamian origin
 +
* Seshat - Goddess, her name means 'female scribe'. Perhaps a form of Nephthys
 +
* Set, Seth - God of chaos, brother of Osiris
 +
* Shabti, Shawabti (?) (mainly New Kingdom), Ushabti (mainly Late Period) - Mummyform statuette of the deceased placed since the Middle Kingdom in tombs to do manual labour
 +
* Shu - God, often identified with Heracles by the Greeks
 +
* Solar boat, ~ ship, ~ barque - Boat used by the sun god to cross the sky
 +
* Sopdet (spd.t), Greek Sothis - Goddess, embodiment of the star Sirius
 +
* Sphinx (Greek) - Statue with lion's body and human or animal head
 +
* Stela, stele (plural stelae or steles) (from Greek) - Monumental stone slab with carvings
 +
==T==
 +
* Tauret, Taweret, Tauwret - fertility goddess
 +
* Tefnut - Goddess of dew and rain
 +
* Thoth, Thot, Toth, Tehuti, Djehuti - God of wisdom, his main temple was at Hermopolis, Hermes Trismegistus to the Greeks

Revision as of 11:25, 8 October 2014

A

  • Aah, Iah - Moon sacred to Osiris, Djehuty (Thoth) and Khonsu
  • Akh (Ax) - at times translated as 'soul', cf. Body and Soul
  • Akhu, akhet (Ax.t): The blessed dead, ancestors
  • Amen, Ammon, Amon, Amun, Amoun, Amun-Re or Amen-Re - Main God during the New Kingdom, identified with Zeus by the Greeks
  • Amenirdis - Wife of the God (High priestess of Amen)
  • Amenti - Realm of the Dead, cf Duat
  • Ammit, Ammut - Chimaera, destroyer of the hearts of dead who were not justified
  • Amulet - charm or talisman
  • Anch, ankh (anx) - Symbol of enduring life
  • Anubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu, Hermanubis - God, conductor of souls
  • Apis, Serapis, Osiris-Apis - Bull symbolizing fertility venerated at Memphis
  • Apophis, Apopis, Apep - The serpent of Chaos, sometimes equated with Seth
  • Apotropaic (from Greek) - Having the power to avert evil
  • Atef - Crown worn by Osiris
  • Aten, Aton - The sun disk, unique god of Akhenaten

B

  • Ba (bA)
   The "soul"
   Spiritual force such as an anonymous divinity
   Manifestation of a god
   The king's power to rule
   The eternal forces of a human, depicted in tombs as a bird with a human head.
  • Ba'ah, Seba-djai - The planet Venus
  • Bast, Bastet, Ubasti, Pasht - Goddess of the home, Artemis to the Greeks. Her cultural centre was at Bubastis
  • Bat - Goddess with the form of a cow, from the Middle Kingdom on merged with Hathor
  • Bau - Messenger or appearance of a deity
  • Benben
   1) The first land to rise from the primordial waters. 
   2) Pyramid shaped sacred stone at Heliopolis
  • Bes, Bisu - Dwarf god
  • Book of the Dead - Better The Book of Going Forth by Day. A collection of magical writings placed in tombs since the New Kingdom with the intention of helping the deceased in the after-life.
  • Canopic jars (from Latin, Greek) - Vessels containing the inner organs of the deceased, generally four, in the form of the sons of Horus (from Canopus, see above)
  • Cartonnage (French) - Expression used by Egyptologists for the masks and coffins made of cardboard like materials.
  • Cartouche (French) - The name of a pharaoh in hieroglyphs surrounded by an oval band denoting eternity

D

  • Decans (from Latin decem, ten) - 36 star constellations, each rising above the horizon at sunrise during ten days every year, used by the ancient Egyptian calendar
  • Djehuti, Thoth - God of knowledge and wisdom, moon god, identified with Hermes Trismegistus by the Greeks;
  • Djet (Dt) - Eternity, continuous and linear as opposed to neheh
  • Duat (dwA.t)
   Originally the starry sky.
   The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.

E

  • Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine)
   A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis
   All the gods of a locality

F

  • False door - symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall

G

  • Geb, Keb - Earth god
  • Griffin - Chimaera with a lion's body and a falcon's head, since the OK symbol of the victorious ruler

H

  • Hah - Personification of eternity, props up the heavens
  • Hapi, Hapy
   1) God of the Nile; 
   2) One of the Four Sons of Horus
  • Hathor - Goddess of sky, love, mirth, beauty and fertility
  • Heka (HkA) Magic
  • Horus, Hor, Heru, Hru - Sun god, son of Isis and Osiris
  • House of Life - Repositories for knowledge in temples

I

  • Isfet - disorder, chaos, opposed to Maat
  • Isis, Auset, Aset, Ast - Goddess of fertility and nature, consort of Osiris. Identified with Demeter and Aphrodite

J

  • Judgment of the Dead
  • Justified - maa-kheru, lit. True of voice, dead person judged favourably Decision by the gods on the afterlife of a person

K

  • Ka - Immortal part of a being, but needing nourishment, coming into existence together with the being: the "life force", continuity of existence. Cf. Body and Soul. To go to his ka: to die
  • Kemet (km.t)
   The black (land)
   The fertile soil of the Nile flood plain
   Egypt which is also called the Two Lands
  • Kenbet (qnb.t) - Judicial commission or court
  • Khons, Khonsu
   1) Moon God, son of Amen and Mut, his main temple was at Karnak; 
   2) Called To: First prophet of Menkheperra under Ramses II

L

  • Lector priest - Priest reading ritual texts

M

  • Maa-kheru (mAa-xrw )
   True of voice, justified. Used for 
   1) the winning party in a trial, 
   2) the dead whose heart weighed less than a feather
  • Maat, Ma'at, Mayet (maA.t) - Goddess of Truth; the world order, justice, proper conduct.
  • Mafdet - Goddess, symbolizing judicial authority and the execution apparatus
  • Menat (mnj.t)
   1) Musical instrument, castanet; 
   2) Broad collar or necklace, attribute of Hathor
  • Montu, Mont - War god
  • Mut
   1) Mother goddess, often equated with Isis
   2) Deceased with often malicious intentions

N

  • Natron (from Spanish, originally Greek) - Carbonate salt mixture used in mummifying, found at Wadi Natrun
  • Necropolis (Greek) - Greek lit. City of the dead, cemetery
  • Nefer (nfr) - Amulet made of gold, good luck charm
  • Neheh (nHH) - Eternity, perpetual renewal of cycles, as opposed to djet
  • Nekhbet - Goddess of Upper Egypt represented in the form of a vulture
  • Nephthys, Nepthys, Nebt-Het - Goddess, wife of Seth
  • Neshmet (nSm.t) - The barque of Osiris
  • Nun - Primordial god of water and fertility, depicted as a green or blue man
  • Nut - Goddess of the sky

O

  • Ogdoad (from Latin, Greek for eight) - The eight primeval gods of creation: Nun and Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet, Amen and Amaunet
  • Opening of the Mouth - ceremony performed for a deceased person
  • Osiris, Asr, Ausar - God of Duat, consort of Isis. Equated with the Greek Dionysos
  • Ostracon, Ostrakon (Greek) - a pottery sherd used for writing or sketching on, plural ostraka

P

  • Phoenix (Greek), Bennu bird - Mythological bird (see Bestiary)
  • Ptach, Ptah - Creator god, Hephaestos to the Greeks

Q

  • Qebehsenuef, Kebhsenuf etc - One of the four sons of Horus

R

Glossary of ancient Egyptian terms and names The word form in bold type is the one generally used on this site. Some remarks concerning transliteration and pronunciation of ancient Egyptian

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


A

Aah, Iah 

   Moon sacred to Osiris, Djehuty (Thoth) and Khonsu

Abdu Heba 

   Ruler of Jerusalem, contemporary of Akhenaten

Achotep, Ahhotep, Ahotep 

   Apparently two queens, although it has been suggested that there may have been just one:
   1) Queen, daughter of Tao I, sister/wife of Tao II Sekenenre
   2) Queen, possibly wife of Kamose

Achenaten, Akhenaten, Akhenaton, Akhnaten, Akhnaton 

   Amenhotep IV, a New Kingdom pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Aegis (Greek) 

   Ornamental collar, menat

Ahmose, Amasis 

   1) Two pharaohs - Ahmose I 18th dynasty and Ahmose II, 26th dynasty; 
   2) Ahmose-Nefertiri, Queen of the 18th Dynasty; 
   3) Ahmose Son of Ebana, admiral under king Ahmose I (Autobiography)
   4) Ahmose Pen-nekhbet, high official under Ahmose I (Autobiography)

Akhet (Ax.t [1]), Shait 

   Season of inundation, from mid-July to mid-November in Ptolemaic times

Akhetaten, Al Amarna, El Amarna 

   Capital of Akhenaten, 18th dynasty

Akh (Ax) 

   at times translated as 'soul', cf. Body and Soul
   Akhu, akhet (Ax.t): The blessed dead, ancestors

Akhtoy, Kheti

Alashia, Alasyia 

   Probably Cyprus

Amen, Ammon, Amon, Amun, Amoun, Amun-Re or Amen-Re 

   Main God during the New Kingdom, identified with Zeus by the Greeks

Amenemhab, Amenemheb 

   War companion of Thutmose III (Amenemhab's Biography)

Amenemhet, Amenemhat 

   Four pharaohs of the 12th dynasty

Amenhotep 

   1) 4 New Kingdom pharaohs, 18th dynasty, often called by the (incorrect) Greek form Amenophis; 
   2) Son of Hapu, scribe, favourite of Amenhotep III (Autobiographical inscription)

Amenemope, Amenemopet 

   1) Family of high New Kingdom officials; 
   2) Vice-roy of Kush under Seti I; 
   3) Vizier under Amenhotep II

Amenirdis 

   Wife of the God (High priestess of Amen)

Amenmes 

   New Kingdom pharaoh, 19th dynasty

Amenmose 

   1) Son of Thutmose I and Ahmose, general; 
   2) Brother of Nefertari, mayor of Thebes; 
   3) Son of Bekenptah, officer under the Ramessides

Amenophis 

   according to Manetho Greek for Amenhotep and still often used in this sense; philologically correct for Amenemope (imn-m-ipt)

Amenti 

   Realm of the Dead, cf Duat

Ammit, Ammut 

   Chimaera, destroyer of the hearts of dead who were not justified

Amorites, Amurru 

   People in Retenu (Today's Lebanon and western Syria)

Amratian 

   Middle pre-dynastic period, 3550 to 3400 BCE, also called Naqada IA and IB

Amulet 

   Charm

Anch, ankh (anx) 

   Symbol of enduring life

Anchesenamen, Anchesenamun, Ankhesenamen, Ankhesenamun, Ankhesenaten, Ankhesenpaaten 

   Wife of Tutankhamen, 18th dynasty

Anchnesmerire, Ankhnesmeryre 

   Queen, Mother of Pepi II

Anhuret, Anhur, Onuris 

   Identified with the Greek Ares. His main cult was at Papremis

Ankh 

   Life, its hieroglyph was often worn as an amulet

Ankhmahor 

   6th dynasty vizier

Ankhtifi 

   nomarch in Upper Egypt during the FIP

Anubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu, Hermanubis 

   God, conductor of souls

Antef 

   see Intef

Antefoker 

   Mayor and vizier under Senusret I

Anubis, Anpu 

   God of the necropolis

Apep 

   see Apopis

Apepi 

   Two Hyksos kings

Aphrodite 

   the Greek equivalent of Hathor

Apis, Serapis, Osiris-Apis 

   Bull symbolizing fertility venerated at Memphis

Apophis, Apopis, Apep 

   The serpent of Chaos, sometimes equated with Seth

Apotropaic (from Greek) 

   Having the power to avert evil

Artaxerxes 

   2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)

Arura, aroura (Greek) 

   The ground covered by a yoke of ploughing oxen in one day, about 2700 m²

Artaba (Persian) 

   Dry measure, about 36 litres in classical times, about 27 litres under the Ptolemies.

Aser, Asr, Ausas 

   see Osiris

Aset, Ast, Auset 

   see Isis

Ashur-Uballit 

   King of Assyria, contemporary of Akhenaten

Atef 

   Crown worn by Osiris

Aten, Aton 

   The sun disk, unique god of Akhenaten

Avaris, Awaris 

   Capital of the Hyksos kings in the Delta

Ay 

   1) Merneferre, pharaoh of the 13th dynasty; 
   2) Ay, Aye, Ai, Kheperkheperure
   Vizier of Tutankhamen and pharaoh of the 18th dynasty

B

Ba (bA) 

   The "soul"
   Spiritual force such as an anonymous divinity
   Manifestation of a god
   The king's power to rule
   The eternal forces of a human, depicted in tombs as a bird with a human head.

Ba'ah, Seba-djai 

   The planet Venus

Badarian 

   Early pre-dynastic period, 3800 to 3500 BCE, also Fayum A or Merimda

Bai, Bay 

   Chancellor of Ramses Siptah, 19th dynasty

Bakare 

   Listed in the Turin King list as successor of Khafre

Bakenkhons, Bakenkhonsu, Bekenkhonsu 

   High Priest of Amen under Ramses II, possibly father of Nefertari, member of the Amenemope clan, block statue

Bast, Bastet, Ubasti, Pasht 

   Goddess of the home, Artemis to the Greeks. Her cultural centre was at Bubastis

Bat 

   Goddess with the form of a cow, from the Middle Kingdom on merged with Hathor

Bau 

   Messenger or appearance of a deity

Benben 

   1) The first land to rise from the primordial waters. 
   2) Pyramid shaped sacred stone at Heliopolis

Bennu bird (bnw) 

   see Phoenix

Bes, Bisu 

   Dwarf god

Biridiya 

   Ruler of Megiddo, contemporary of Akhenaten

Book of the Dead 

   Better The Book of Going Forth by Day. A collection of magical writings placed in tombs since the New Kingdom with the intention of helping the deceased in the after-life.

Burnaburiash 

   Kassite king of Babylonia, contemporary of Akhenaten

Byblos (Greek), Gebal, Gubla, Kubna (Egyptian) 

   City in Lebanon, important to Egyptian trade

byssus 

   fr. Greek bussos, fine linen

C

Cambyses, Kambyses 

   Persian king, conqueror of Egypt, founder of the 27th dynasty

Canaan 

   Today's Israel and southern Lebanon, above all the coastal region

Canobic, Heracleotic (from Latin, Greek) 

   The westernmost arm of the Nile, after the city of Canobus (Canopus)

Canopic jars (from Latin, Greek) 

   Vessels containing the inner organs of the deceased, generally four, in the form of the sons of Horus (from Canopus, see above)

Cartonnage (French) 

   Expression used by Egyptologists for the masks and coffins made of cardboard like materials.

Cartouche (French) 

   The name of a pharaoh in hieroglyphs surrounded by an oval band denoting eternity

Cataract (from Greek kataraktes down-rushing) 

   Rapids, waterfall. The first Nile cataract was Egypt's southern border

Chadouf (Arabic) 

   see Shadouf

Chafre, Chefren 

   see Khafre

Chamudi 

   see Khamudi

Cheops, Chufu 

   see Khufu

Choachyte 

   Greek for Egyptian wAH mw, lit. Dispenser of water, Priest in charge of the cult of the dead who, for a fee, carried out the role of undertaker

Chons, Chonsu 

   see Khons

Chthonic (Greek) 

   from the earth. Chthonic deities: Sepa, Heqet etc

Cippus (Latin) 

   Pointed rectangular pillar, in Egyptology: Amulet or stela showing Horus triumphing over dangerous beasts

Circumcision 

   The surgical modification of the genitals of boys and men

Coffin Texts 

   Magical writings written on coffins since the FIP.

Corbel (from Latin) 

   Projection jutting out from wall, supporting structure above it. Used to make false arches

Corvée (French) 

   Tax in the form of labour

Crook, heka 

   Originally a shepherd's staff it became a symbol of power carried by pharaohs and high officials

Cubit (Origninally from Latin) 

   Linear measure.
   1) Short cubit: 6 palms = 24 fingers; 
   2) Royal cubit : 7 palms = 28 digits - 52.3 cm

D

Darius 

   2 Persian kings and Egyptian pharaohs (27th dynasty)

Deben, (dbn) 

   Weight, equal to 10 kit, originally 27gr (copper), 13gr (gold), from NK on about 91 grammes
   Greek period: monetary unit worth 20 silver drachmas, later 20 copper drachmas

Decans (from Latin decem, ten) 

   36 star constellations, each rising above the horizon at sunrise during ten days every year, used by the ancient Egyptian calendar

Demotic (Greek) 

   the last stage of development of the ancient Egyptian script

Demurrage 

   Charge paid by the depositors of grain in the state granaries, see credit

Dendarah, Denderah 

   Site of Hathor's main temple

Deshret (dSr.t) 

   1) The red crown of Lower Egypt; 
   2) The red land, i.e. the desert

Dionysos 

   Greek god, identified with Osiris

Djahi, Zahi 

   Ill defined coastal region in Canaan

Djed pillar, djet pillar (Dd) 

   Hieroglyph often carried as an amulet, linked to the Osiris myth

Djehuti, Thoth 

   1) God of knowledge and wisdom, moon god, identified with Hermes Trismegistus by the Greeks; 
   2) Scribe, general and viceroy under Thutmose III

Djet (Dt) 

   Eternity, continuous and linear as opposed to neheh

Djoser, Zoser 

   Old Kingdom pharaoh, 3rd dynasty

Drachma 

   Greek monetary unit, divided into 6 obols. The standard coin in use was the silver tetradrachma worth four drachmas.

Duat (dwA.t) 

   Originally the starry sky.
   The Realm of the Dead, populated by the deceased who have become stars. Often somewhat misleadingly referred to as Underworld or Netherworld.

Dynasty (from Greek) 

   Line of hereditary rulers

E

Early dynastic 

   Historic period, 3050 to 2600 BCE, also called Naqada IIIA1 to IIIC1

Echnaton 

   see Akhenaten

El Amarna, Al Amarna (Arabic), Akhetaten 

   Capital of Egypt under Akhenaten, 18th dynasty

Electrum (from Greek) 

   A gold and silver alloy, used for covering the tips of obelisks

Encaustic (from Greek) 

   paint based on wax

Ennead (from Greek enneas, nine) 

   A group of nine deities, such as the Ennead of Heliopolis
   All the gods of a locality

Execration texts 

   Texts containing curses against (state) enemies, cf. Execration rituals

Eye of Re 

   See Hathor

F

Faience (from French, after the Italian town of Faenza) 

   Glazed ceramics, often blue or green

Faiyoum, Faiyum, Fayoum, Fayum, Fayyoum, Fayyum 

   Fertile low-lying region west of the Nile

False door 

   symbolic door for the ka, painted or carved on a tomb wall

FIP 

   First Intermediate Period

Flail, flagellum (from Latin flagrum, scourge), nekhekh, nekhakha 

   A flail carried by the pharaoh symbolizing his power; attribute of Osiris and Min.

G

Geb, Keb 

   Earth god

Gebal, Gubla 

   see Byblos

Genital mutilation 

   The surgical modification of the genitals of girls and women

Gerzean 

   Late pre-dynastic and protodynastic periods, 3400 to 3050 BCE, divided into 
   Early Gerzean, 3400 to 3300 BCE (Naqada IC, IIA, IIB) 
   Middle Gerzean, 3300 to 3200 BCE (Naqada IIC) 
   Late Gerzean, 3200 to 3050 (Naqada IID1, IID2)

Gesso (Italian) 

   Mixture of plaster of Paris and glue, used as a kind of putty

God's Father 

   Priest of intermediate rank.

God's Land, Egyptian tA nTr (Ta netjer) 

   Term used for some foreign, generally wooded regions: Punt in the south, but also regions in Syria etc.

Great Green (literal translation of wAD-wr ) 

   Generally supposed to denote the Sea, especially the Mediterranean. It has also been proposed to stand for the Nile (delta) or the Fayum.

Griffin 

   Chimaera with a lion's body and a falcon's head, since the OK symbol of the victorious ruler

H

Hah 

   Personification of eternity, props up the heavens

Hamamat, Hammamat 

   Wadi connecting the Nile valley to the Red Sea near Thebes

Hannu 

   see Henenu

Hapi, Hapy 

   1) God of the Nile; 
   2) One of the Four Sons of Horus

Hapiru, Apiru, Habiru 

   Nomadic asiatics of the 2nd millennium BCE, often considered outlaws. Used to be wrongly identified with the Hebrews

Harakhte 

   God, see also Horus, Re

Harem (Arabic), Egyptian ipet 

   institution run by the pharaoh's first wife for the benefit of the pharaoh's wives and female relatives, not to be confounded with the muslim harem of later times

Haremhab 

   see Horemheb

Hathor 

   Goddess of sky, love, mirth, beauty and fertility

Hatshepsut, Hatshepsowe 

   Female pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Hatti, Kheta 

   Anatolian nation, in conflict with the Egyptians during the New Kingdom

Heb Sed (Hb-sd) 

   festival (Hb) celebrated after 30 years of rule or more frequently. Its precise purpose is unknown, but is supposed to have to do with the pharaoh's rejuvenation.

Hedjet, nefer-hedjet (nfr-D.t) 

   the white crown of Upper Egypt

Heka (HkA) 

   Magic

Heka-khase (HqA-xAsw.t ) 

   see Hyksos

Hekat, Heket 

   see Heqat

Heliopolis, On 

   Main temple of the sun god Re

Hemaka 

   Royal sealbearer (chancellor) under Den (1st dynasty)

Henenu, Hannu, Henu 

   Steward and overseer of herds, 11th dynasty

Henku 

   Nomarch, late OK (Inscription)

Hephaestos, Hephaistos 

   The Greek equivalent of Ptah

Hepu 

   Vizier under Thutmose IV

Hepuseneb 

   First prophet of Amen under Hatshepsut

Heqa (HqA.t) 

   Crook, symbol of pharaonic authority

Heqat (HqA.t) 

   Measure of volume of varying size:
   1) Barrel, bushel. Divided into 10 hin, c. 4.8 litres, used throughout history
   2) Common bushel, double barrel, c. 9.6 litres, Middle to New Kingdom 
   3) Large bushel, also called oipe, about 19.2 litres

Heqat, Heqet, Hekt, Hekat, Heket (Hq.t) 

   Goddess of birth in the form of a frog

Her-ka-pet 

   The planet Saturn

Hermanubis, Anpu, Khenty-Imentiu 

   see Anubis

Heru 

   see Horus

Heru-deshret 

   The planet Mars

Her-wepes-tawy 

   The planet Jupiter

Heseb (Hsb) 

   Square measure: One quarter of a tA, divided into 2 sA

Hesire 

   Overseer over the royal scribes under Djoser (3rd dynasty), physician and dentist

Hierakonpolis (Greek), Nekhen 

   Ancient southern capital

Hieratic (from Greek hieratikos, priest) 

   Cursive writing of Hieroglyphs

Hieroglyphics (from Greek hierogluphicos, sacred writing 

   Egyptian writing using stylized pictures (hieroglyphs)

Hin (hnw) 

   lit. jar, one tenth of a heqat, about half a litre

Hittites 

   People of Hatti

Hor 

   1) Hor, pharaoh, probably 13th dynasty; 
   2) Hor, priest during the Late Period; 
   3) Hor, mountain in northern Canaan; 
   4) see Horus

Horbaf 

   Son of Khufu (4th dynasty), vizier

Hordjedef, Djedefhor 

   Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)

Horemheb 

   New Kingdom general and pharaoh, 18th dynasty

Horus, Hor, Heru, Hru 

   Sun god, son of Isis and Osiris

Horus name 

   First of the pharaonic titles, often written in a serekh

Hotep Senusret (Kahun) 

   Middle Kingdom planned town

House of Life 

   Repositories for knowledge in temples

Hyksos 

   The Heqa-khasut, wrongly translated as Shepherd Kings, an Asiatic people, founded a kingdom in Northern Egypt, 15th and 16th dynasties

Hypostyle 

   (Greek hupostulos, under columns) Building with roof supported by pillars

I

Ikhernofret 

   Chancellor under Senusret III, (Stela)

Imhotep 

   High official under of Djoser (3rd dynasty), later deified.

Intef, Antef, Inyotef 

   Pharaohs of the 11th dynasty

IP 

   Intermediary Period

Ipet 

   see harem

Isfet 

   disorder, chaos, opposed to Maat

Isis, Auset, Aset, Ast 

   Goddess of fertility and nature, consort of Osiris. Identified with Demeter and Aphrodite

Iteru (jtrw) 

   1) River-unit, measure of length, 20000 cubits, ca. 10 km, Greek skhoine
   2) ca. 2km according to Breasted
   3) River, Nile

Ithyphallic (from Greek ithuphallicos) 

   Having an erect penis, a sign of fertility (depictions of ba-birds, Osiris, Min or Amen, etc)

J

Judgment of the Dead 

   Decision by the gods on the afterlife of a person

Justified 

   maa-kheru, lit. True of voice, dead person judged favourably

K

Ka 

   Immortal part of a being, but needing nourishment, coming into existence together with the being: the "life force", continuity of existence. Cf. Body and Soul.
   To go to his ka: to die

Kadashman Enlil 

   King of Babylon, contemporary of Amenhotep III

Kadesh, Kedesh, Qadesh 

   1) Fortified town in Retenu, site of famous battle 
   2) Goddess

Kagemni 

   1) Vizier under Snefru, author of the Instructions of Kagemni; 
   2) Vizier under Teti (6th dynasty) with famous mastaba

Kahun, Lahun, Illahun (Arabic) 

   Middle Kingdom planned town near the site of Hotep Senusret

Kambyses 

   see Cambyses

Kamutef 

   Lit. 'Bull of his Mother'. Name of the ithyphallic, self-created Amen and Min

Kanofer 

   Architect under Khasekhemwy (2nd dynasty), speculatively Imhotep's father

Karnak, Al Karnak (Arabic) 

   modern village, occupying the northern half of pharaonic Thebes, Ipet isut, the site of many ancient temples

Kawab 

   Son of Khufu (4th dynasty)

Keftiu 

   described as a place in the midst of the Great Green, i.e. the Mediterranean, possibly Crete, sometimes identified with Cyprus or with the whole of the Aegean

Kemet (km.t) 

   The black (land)
   The fertile soil of the Nile flood plain
   Egypt which is also called the Two Lands

Kenbet (qnb.t) 

   Judicial commission or court

Kezweden, Kizzuwadna 

   Hurrian vassal state of the Hittites in southern Anatolia

Khafre, Chafre, Chefren 

   Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Khaemwaset 

   Son of Ramses II, high priest of Ptah

Khamudi, Chamudi, Apepi II 

   Hyksos king

Khar (XAr) 

   Lit. sack, measure of capacity
   1) Deka-heqat, 10 heqat, ca.48 litres. (OK, MK) 
   2) Deka-heqat, khar, equals 4 oipe, i.e. 16 heqat, ca. 96 litres (MK-SIP)
   3) Khar, 4 oipe, 76 litres (NK-TIP)

Kheker sign (Xkr) 

   architectural decoration

Khekheperre-sonbu 

   Priest (Admonitions)

Khentamenti, Khenty-Imentiu, Chontamenti 

   see Anubis, also Osiris

Kheops 

   see Khufu

Khepresh, Kheperesh (xprS) 

   The blue crown

Khet (xt), khet-en-nu 

   Linear measure, 100 cubits, about 50 metres

Kheta 

   see Hatti

Kheti, Akhtoy 

   A number of kings ruling at Heracleopolis during the First Intermediate Period
   A number of nomarchs during the First Intermediate Period:
       1) Kheti son of Tefibi (inscription)
       2) Kheti son of Sit (inscription)

Khnumhotep, Khnumhotpe 

   1) Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)
   2) Khnumhotep II, grandson of Khnumhotep I, nomarch (Inscription)

Khons, Khonsu 

   1) Moon God, son of Amen and Mut, his main temple was at Karnak; 
   2) Called To: First prophet of Menkheperra under Ramses II

Khufu, Cheops 

   Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Kiosk (from French kiosque, Turkish kösk) 

   A roof supported by columns or poles

Kit, kite, qite, (qd.t) 

   weight, one tenth of a deben, about 9 grammes (during the New Kingdom)
   Greek period: monetary unit worth one tenth of a deben = 2 drachmas

Kohl (fom Arabic kuhl ) 

   Black eyeliner (cf. Cosmetics)

Kubna, Gepen 

   Egyptian name for Byblos

Kush, Kash 

   Nubian region above the second cataract

KV 

   Used by archaeologists together with a number to identify tombs in the Valley of the Kings

L

Labayu 

   Ruler of Shechem, contemporary of Akhenaten (cf. Amarna Letters)

Lector priest 

   Priest reading ritual texts

Libu, Ribu 

   Libyans

Lesonis 

   Greek for Egyptian mr-Sn, an elected official in charge of the economic management of a temple

LP 

   Late Period

L.P.H. 

   Life, prosperity, health (anx wDA snb) [1] - Wish for well-being, added after the names of pharaohs, "prosperity" should rather be "soundness"

Luxor (Arabic el Uksor) 

   modern village, occupying the southern half of ancient Thebes, Ipet resyt

M

Ma 

   see Meshwesh

Maa-kheru (mAa-xrw ) 

   True of voice, justified. Used for 
   1) the winning party in a trial, 
   2) the dead whose heart weighed less than a feather

Maat, Ma'at, Mayet (maA.t) 

   Goddess of Truth; the world order, justice, proper conduct.

Mafdet 

   Goddess, symbolizing judicial authority and the execution apparatus

Mammisi (Coptic) 

   lit. House of Birth, sanctuary attached to a temple; dedicated to the birth of the child deity of a triad

Mastaba (Arabic mastaba, bench) 

   Old Kingdom, underground tomb with above ground structure

Maziqda 

   38 hin, about 19 litres

Medjay 

   Nubian mercenaries since the First Intermediary Period, police under Ahmose I and his successors

Megiddo 

   Important Canaanite town, site of battle

Meh-ta (mH-tA) 

   Area measure, 100 cubits squared, ca.27 m², New Kingdom

Memphis (Greek), Mennefer, Mof 

   Old Kingdom capital of Egypt (near Cairo)

Menat (mnj.t) 

   1) Musical instrument, castanet; 
   2) Broad collar or necklace, attribute of Hathor

Men, Menes, Min 

   First pharaoh of the united kingdom according to Herodotus, identified as Hor-aha

Menkaure, Mykerinos 

   Old Kingdom Pharaoh, 4th dynasty

Menkheperreseneb 

   High priest of Amon at Karnak, 18th dynasty

Mentuhotep, Montuhotep 

   4 pharaohs of the 11th dynasty

Mereruka 

   vizier under Teti (6th dynasty), successor of Kagemni

Meryre, Pepi I, Pepy I 

   Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty

Meryt-Amen 

   Daughter of Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti, wife of Smenkhkare(?)

Meskhenet 

   Goddess personification of the birthing stone, two bricks placed under the feet of the woman giving birth in a crouching position

Meshwesh (mSwS), Ma 

   Libyans settled in the Delta during the Third Intermediary Period, mercenaries

Metjen 

   Official under Snofru (Biography)

Min 

   Fertility god
   Pharaoh, see Menes

Mitanni 

   Hurrian people living in Naharin (western Mesopotamia), disappeared as an independent nation during the Egyptian New Kingdom

MK 

   Middle Kingdom

Moeris, Moiris 

   1) possibly Amenemhet III. 
   2) Lake Moeris - lake in the Fayum excavated according to Herodotus by Moeris

Montu, Mont 

   War god

Montuhotep 

   see Mentuhotep

Mut 

   1) Mother goddess, often equated with Isis
   2) Deceased with often malicious intentions

N

Nagada, Naqada 

   Settlement 30 km northwest of Thebes. Name for predynastic periods from 3550 to 2600 BCE

Naharin, Naharina 

   Region in Syria or Lebanon, at times identified with Aram Naharaim, the region between western Tigris and the Euphrates, at others with the region between the Litani and the Orontes.

Naos (Greek naos, temple) 

   The sanctuary with the divine statues

Narmer 

   King, thought by many to be the uniter of Upper and Lower Egypt

Natron (from Spanish, originally Greek) 

   Carbonate salt mixture used in mummifying, found at Wadi Natrun

Naucratis, Naukratis (Greek) 

   Ionian city in the Delta

Nebamen, Nebamon, Nebamun 

   Chief of police in western Thebes under Thutmose IV and Amenhoteop III
   Superintendent of the grain stores under Thutmose III (cf. Abbott papyrus)

Nebwawi 

   High Priest of Osiris under Thutmose III (Inscription)

Necho, Neco, Necos, Nekhau 

   Two pharaohs of the Late Dynastic Period, 26th dynasty

Necropolis (Greek) 

   Greek lit. City of the dead, cemetery

Nefer (nfr) 

   Amulet made of gold, good luck charm

Neferkare, Pepi II, Pepy II 

   Old Kingdom pharaoh, 6th dynasty

Nefertari, Nefertari-Mery-Mut 

   Main wife of Ramses II

Nefertiti, Nefertete, Nofretete 

   Wife of Akhenaten

Neferty 

   Prophet

Neheh (nHH) 

   Eternity, perpetual renewal of cycles, as opposed to djet

Nehes 

   see Nubia

Nekhakha (nxx) 

   see flagellum

Nekhbet 

   Goddess of Upper Egypt represented in the form of a vulture

Nekhekh (nxx) 

   see flagellum

Nekhen, Hierakonpolis 

   Ancient southern capital

Nephthys, Nepthys, Nebt-Het 

   Goddess, wife of Seth

Neshmet (nSm.t) 

   The barque of Osiris

Nilometer 

   Place, generally with column, where the height of the Nile could be measured

Nitocris, Nitokris 

   daughter of Psammetic I, 26th dynasty, Wife of the God Amen

NK 

   New Kingdom

Nomarch (Greek) 

   Ruler of a nome

Nome (from Greek nomos division) 

   Administrative region

Nub (nb) 

   Gold

Nubia, Wawat 

   Region above the first cataract, occupied by Egypt during the 2nd Millennium BCE

Nun 

   Primordial god of water and fertility, depicted as a green or blue man

Nut 

   Goddess of the sky

O

Obol 

   Greek coin, one sixth of a drachma, divided into 8 chalkoi

Ogdoad (from Latin, Greek for eight) 

   The eight primeval gods of creation: Nun and Naunet, Kuk and Kauket, Huh and Hauhet, Amen and Amaunet

Oipe (jp.t) 

   Measure of capacity, 4 heqat, about 20 litres (NK to Roman times)

OK 

   Old Kingdom

On, Heliopolis (Greek) 

   Main temple of the sun god Re

Opening of the Mouth 

   ceremony performed for a deceased person

Osiris, Asr, Ausar 

   God of Duat, consort of Isis. Equated with the Greek Dionysos

Ostracon, Ostrakon (Greek) 

   a pottery sherd used for writing or sketching on, plural ostraka

P

Pabi 

   Ruler of Lachish, contemporary of Akhenaten

Paramoné (Greek) 

   In the Hellenist culture the obligation of a freed slave to perform services for his former master

Paser 

   1) Viceroy under Ay and Horemheb
   2) Mayor and vizier under Sethi I and Ramses II

Pectoral (Latin) 

   Piece of jewellery covering upper chest

Pelusiac, Pelusian (from Greek) 

   The easternmost arm of the Nile, named after the town Pelusium

Pediese, Petiese, Pediaset 

   A number of Late Period priests, cf. The Petition of Pediese

Pepi 

   Two Old Kingdom pharaohs, 6th dynasty:
   1)  Pepi I, Pepy I, Meryre 
   2)  Pepi II, Pepy II, Neferkare, Son of Pepi I

Peleset 

   One of the Sea Peoples, the Philistines, settled in Canaan

Peret, Pert, Proit (pr.t) 

   Season of Growth, from mid November to mid March in Ptolemaic times

Pesesh-kaf (psS-kf) 

   Ceremonial instrument used in the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony

Pharaoh (via Greek and Hebrew (par'oh) from Egyptian pr-aA - 'Great House') 

   Since the first millennium BCE king of Egypt,

Phoenix (Greek), Bennu bird 

   Mythological bird (see Bestiary)

Piankhi, Piye 

   Pharaoh of the Late Dynastic Period, 25th dynasty

Pre-dynastic, predynastic 

   Prehistoric period, 5500 to 3050 BCE

Prehirwonnef 

   Son of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, served in the army

Pronaos (from Greek) 

   Room leading to the naos

Proto-dynastic, protodynastic 

   Period 3200 to 3050, also called Late Gerzean

Prophet (from Greek) 

   Hm nTr, lit. servant of the god, Head priest

Psammetichos, Psammetic, Psamtek, Psamtik 

   Three pharaohs, 26th dynasty

Pseudoepigrapha (Greek) 

   Writings of a later date than purported, often attributed to an ancient authority like a pharaoh

Pshent 

   the double crown of the united Egypt

Ptach, Ptah 

   Creator god, Hephaestos to the Greeks

Ptahhotep 

   vizier under Djedkare (5th dynasty), putative author of instructions of wisdom

Punt 

   Apparently a region in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia and/or southern Arabia. At times identified with God's Land.

Pylon 

   Massive structure at the entrance of a temple complex

Pyramid texts 

   Texts written inside pyramids concerning the afterlife of the deceased

Pyramidion (from Greek) 

   Capstone of a pyramid

Q

Qa'a 

   Last pharaoh of the first dynasty

Qa'a 

   High-roofed reception room in Egyptian houses (see The House of Djehutinefer )

Qadesh 

   see Kadesh

Qebehsenuef, Kebhsenuf etc 

   One of the four sons of Horus

Qenbet (qnb.t) 

   Judicial court

Qoseir, Quseir 

   Port on the Red Sea coast

R

  • Re, Ra - Sun god, Helios to the Greeks, with the cult centre at Heliopolis

S

  • Sabgu - The planet Mercury
  • Sah (sAH) - The constellation of Orion, associated with Osiris
  • Sarcophagus (Greek sarx + phagos, flesh eating) - Stone coffin
  • Sau - Apotropaic amulet
  • Scarab
   1) Dung beetle
   2) Amulet in the form of a dung beetle
  • Sechmet, Sekhmet - Goddess of love and protection, cf. Hathor
  • Serpopards (from Greek) - Long-necked chimaera of Mesopotamian origin
  • Seshat - Goddess, her name means 'female scribe'. Perhaps a form of Nephthys
  • Set, Seth - God of chaos, brother of Osiris
  • Shabti, Shawabti (?) (mainly New Kingdom), Ushabti (mainly Late Period) - Mummyform statuette of the deceased placed since the Middle Kingdom in tombs to do manual labour
  • Shu - God, often identified with Heracles by the Greeks
  • Solar boat, ~ ship, ~ barque - Boat used by the sun god to cross the sky
  • Sopdet (spd.t), Greek Sothis - Goddess, embodiment of the star Sirius
  • Sphinx (Greek) - Statue with lion's body and human or animal head
  • Stela, stele (plural stelae or steles) (from Greek) - Monumental stone slab with carvings

T

  • Tauret, Taweret, Tauwret - fertility goddess
  • Tefnut - Goddess of dew and rain
  • Thoth, Thot, Toth, Tehuti, Djehuti - God of wisdom, his main temple was at Hermopolis, Hermes Trismegistus to the Greeks
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