Lesson Five: Non-Verbal Sentences
A sentence where we supply the copula.
In This Lesson:
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Sentence Review: Subject & Predicate
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Egyptian Sentences Where the Copula Must be Supplied
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Nominal, Adjectival & Adverbial Predicates
Sentences with the Verb "to be"
As we learned previously, a sentence has a subject and a predicate. The subject is who or what the sentence is about while the predicate, usually a verb, conveys what is happening to the subject.
In sentences where the English verb 'to be' (is, am, are, etc.) is used, the predicate conveys a state of being, identity, or description. Note the following examples,
"The book is on the table." or "The god is in the temple." (state of being)
"The man is a scribe." (identity)
"The king is wise." or "The water is hot." (description)
The Verb "to be" in Middle Egyptian
While Middle Egyptian uses the particle iw for the present tense and the verb wnn to convey past (wn) and future (wnn) existence, a literal verb 'to be' is often entirely absent in non-verbal sentences, and its meaning must be supplied in the English translation.
Non-verbal sentences may be divided into three basic types: nominal, adjectival and adverbial predicates.
Use the navigational arrows in the slide-show as needed to learn about non-verbal sentences in Middle Egyptian.
