This book, the first of its kind, examines how the phonology and grammar of
the ancient Egyptian language changed over more than three thousand years
of its history, from the first appearance of written documents, c. 3250 bc, to
the Coptic dialects of the second century ad and later. Part One discusses
phonology, working backward from the vowels and consonants of Coptic
to those that can be deduced for earlier stages of the language. Part Two
is devoted to grammar, including both basic components such as nouns and
the complex history of the verbal system. The book thus provides both a
synchronic description of the five major historical stages of ancient Egyptian
and a diachronic analysis of their development and relationship.
