There are several series based on m. p; f. t; pl. n; but n as a plural seems later than the other two. From them are developed a weak demonstrative to which possessive suffixes can be attached, producing the definite and possessive articles (p’, t’, n’, “the,” p’y-f, “his,” p’y-s “her,” &c.) of Middle Egyptian and the later language.
NOUNS
Two genders, m. (ending w, or nothing), f. (ending t). Three numbers: singular, dual (m. wi, f. ti, gradually became obsolete), plural (m. w; f. wt). No case-endings are recognizable, but construct forms—to judge by Coptic—were in use. Masculine and feminine nouns of instrument or material are formed from verbal roots by prefixing m; e.g. m·sdm·t, “stibium,” from sdm, “paint the eye.” Substantives and adjectives are formed from substantives and prepositions by the addition of y in the masculine; e.g. n·t, “city,” nt·y, “belonging to a city,” “citizen”; ḥr, “upon,” ḥr·y (f. ḥr·t; pl. ḥr·w), “upper.” This is not unlike the Semitic nisbe ending iy, ay (e.g. Ar. beled, “city,” beledi, “belonging to a city”). Adjectives follow the nouns they qualify.
NUMERALS
1, w’; 2, śn; 3, ḫmt; 4, fdw; 5, dw’; 6, sis (or sw’ ?); 7, sfḫ; 8, ḫmn; 9, psḏ; 10, mt. 2, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (?) resemble Semitic numerals. 20 and 30 (m’b) had special names; 40-90 were named as if plurals of the units 4-9, as in Semitic. 100, šnt; 1000, ḫ’; 10,000, zb’; 100,000, ḥfnw.
VERBS
The forms observable in hieroglyphic writing lead to the following classification:—
| Strong Verbs. | Biliteral | Often showing traces of an original III. inf.; in early times very rare. |
| Triliteral | Very numerous. | |
| Quadriliteral Quinqueliteral | Generally formed by reduplication. In Late Egyptian they were no longer inflected, and were conjugated with the help of iry, “do.” | |
| Weak Verbs. | II. geminatae | Properly triliterals, but, with the 2nd or 3rd radical alike, these coalesced in many forms where no vowel intervened, and gave the word the appearance of a biliteral. |
| III. gem. | Rare. | |
| III. inf. | Numerous. III. w, and III. i were unified early. Some very common verbs, “do,” “give,” “come,” “bring” are irregular. | |
| IV. inf. | Partly derived from adjectival formations in y, from nouns and infinitives:—e.g. ś·ip, inf. śipt; adj. śipty; verb (4 lit.), śipty. |
Many verbs with weak consonants—Iy, Iw, II. inf. (m[w]t), and those with א—are particularly difficult to trace accurately, owing to defective writing.