Out of the mouths of babes: the -child in Ancient Egypt
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Benjamin Hinson
Abstract
This article presents a case study for approaching the analysis of Ancient Egyptian words which describe aspects of childhood. After a methodological introduction, the Egyptian word 
will be used as a test case. Whilst is in some way related to childhood, it occurs only once in written evidence, and its specific meaning is unclear. Perhaps because of this, it has received little discussion in literature. However, a re-evaluation of the word suggests that despite its rareness, it is of both etymological and social interest. It will be argued here that is onomatopoeic, used specifically in reference to children of pre-speaking age. Establishing a context within which this word may have been employed in turn offers interesting information about how infancy was understood in Ancient Egypt.
© 2017 by De Gruyter
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Geographical and Administrative Landscape of Lower Middle Egypt in Text B of the Wilbour Papyrus
- New Fragments of Papyrus Berlin 3024
- Out of the mouths of babes: the -child in Ancient Egypt
- Ostrakon Amarna 297
- Haben Otto Neugebauer und William Feller die Niljahre richtig gemittelt?
- A Hypocephalus with Odd Iconography and Poor Writing in the Berlin Museum
- Von Malachit zu Kupfer
- Überlegungen zu Heinrich Schäfers Von ägyptischer Kunst und zu Hedwig Fechheimers Plastik der Aegypter
- Jean Clédat à Meir (1899–1901)
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- The Geographical and Administrative Landscape of Lower Middle Egypt in Text B of the Wilbour Papyrus
- New Fragments of Papyrus Berlin 3024
- Out of the mouths of babes: the -child in Ancient Egypt
- Ostrakon Amarna 297
- Haben Otto Neugebauer und William Feller die Niljahre richtig gemittelt?
- A Hypocephalus with Odd Iconography and Poor Writing in the Berlin Museum
- Von Malachit zu Kupfer
- Überlegungen zu Heinrich Schäfers Von ägyptischer Kunst und zu Hedwig Fechheimers Plastik der Aegypter
- Jean Clédat à Meir (1899–1901)
