mn-nfr

mn-nfr

Egyptian

Etymology

Shortened from mn-nfr-ppy (“the pyramid of Pepy”), from mn (“to endure”) +‎ nfr(w) (“beauty”) +‎ ppy (“Pepy”) with the final two words in a direct genitive construction, thus ‘The beauty of Pepy endures’. The shortened name could be reinterpreted as mn (“enduring”) +‎ nfr(w) (“beauty”), ‘enduring of beauty’.

Pronunciation

 

• (reconstructed) IPA^(key): /ˈminnafVɾ/ → /ˈminnafVʔ/ → /ˈmennəfə/

• (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈminnafVɾ/[1]
• (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈminnafVʔ/

where V represents an unknown short vowel.

• (Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA^(key): /ˈmennəfə/

• (modern Egyptological) IPA^(key): /mɛn nɛfɛr/
  • Conventional anglicization: men-nefer

Proper noun

 m./f. topo.

1. Memphis [since the Middle Kingdom]

Synonyms

• jnb-ḥḏ
• ḥwt-kꜣ-ptḥ

Descendants

• → Ancient Greek: Μέμφις (Mémphis)
  • Greek: Μέμφις (Mémfis), Μέμφιδα (Mémfida)
  • → Latin: Memphis
    • → English: Memphis
• Coptic: ⲙⲛ̄ϥⲉ (mn̄fe)

References

• Fischer, Henry George (1996) “On the Interpretation of Names of Pyramids” in Egyptian Studies III: Varia Nova, pages 73–78

1. Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 57