Notes on the Transliteration and Transcription of Egyptian Names and Words
The transliteration of Late Period personal names is included in the tables. Mostly transcribed, but not transliterated, names are used in the main text. The first letter of the name is capitalized in both the transliteration and the transcription. Transliterated theophoric names, when within a name, are not capitalized. The rn nfr names that were in vogue again during the 26th Dynasty are usually omitted.7
The lexical components of a name are separated by a hyphen only in the transliteration, while the transcription follows the rule of inserting the vowel “e” between each consonant of one word. The vowel “e” is omitted between two words. For example, Bs-n-mwt is transcribed as “Besenmut,” and not as “Besenemut.” And Pꜣ-di҆-ḥr-rsnt is read “Padihorresnet,” and not “Padihoreresnet.” Some names, such as Osorkon (Wsrkn) but especially those of the well-known owners of the Asasif tombs, are in accordance with traditional vocalizations. For example, Pꜣ-bꜣ-sꜣ, the owner of TT 279 is transcribed as Pabasa, and the owner of TT 37 Ḥꜣrwꜣ as Harwa. Some lack of consistency can be observed with the transliteration of w, since some names of well-known figures, likely to be easily recognized by the reader, are transliterated as w (e.g., Wahibra or Wennefer), but some as u (e.g., Udjahorresnet), and the names that contain ḥtp are translitered “hotep,” for example Amenhotep.
The same holds true for the name of some deities, such as Mwt, which is transcribed as “Mut.”
The transliteration of letters should be read as follows:
|
ꜣ = a |
m = m |
š = sh |
|
i҆ = i |
n = n |
ḳ = q |
|
y = y |
r = r |
k = k |
|
ꜥ = a |
h = h |
g = g |
|
w = u/w |
ḥ = h |
t = t |
|
b = b |
ḫ = kh |
ṯ = tj |
|
p = p |
ẖ = kh |
d = d |
|
f = f |
s = s |
ḏ = dj |
The traditional reading of gods’ names is retained. For example, Osiris, Isis, and Amun are used (and not Wesir, Aset, and Imen). Theophoric private names are transcribed but sometimes Anglicized as follows: ꜣst as Aset, I҆mn as Imen, Wsi҆r as Wesir, Mnṯw as Montu, Mwt as Mut, Mnw as Min, Nt(t) as Neith, Rꜥ- as Ra, Ḥr as Hor, Ḫnsw as Khonsu, Ḏḥwty as Djehuty. Thus, for instance, the name Pꜣ-di҆-i҆mn-i҆pt is to be read as Padiimenipet, Pꜣ-di҆-nt as Padineith, Ḏd-ḫnsw-i҆w⸗f-ꜥnḫ as Djedkhonsuiuefankh, and Ḏd-ꜣst-i҆w⸗f-ꜥnḫ as Djedasetiuefankh.
Each name is transliterated and transcribed by the author unless the author was not able to see the object or was not able to obtain a good enough photograph of the object that would allow the inscription to be read. In these cases, the name is derived from a prior publication or from the spelling given in the Topographical Bibliography (hereafter PM). This applies to names from the Late Period as well as names from earlier eras.
The variety in transcription of royal names forced a choice among the different systems. A list of transcribed royal names with a chronological framework is provided in Appendix 2: Chronology. For the sake of consistency, the transcription of private names containing royal names follows the system used by Shaw.8 For example, Psmṯk is transcribed Psamtek. Kushite king names, however, are presented in Kushite and not Egyptian form; thus, it is Tanwetamani and not Tanwetamon.9