ushabti

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Egyptian

(wšbtj, “ushabti”, literally “answerer”), by folk etymology from earlier

(šꜣwꜣbtj), perhaps from
(šwꜣb, “persea (tree)”), which may have been the material they were originally made from. The variant forms shawabti, shabti are borrowed directly from the earlier Egyptian forms šꜣwꜣbtj and šꜣbtj, respectively.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /uːˈʃabti/

Noun

ushabti (plural ushabtiu or ushabtis)

In ancient Egypt, a figurine of a dead person, placed in their tomb to do their work for them in the afterlife.
- 1886, The Times, 1 Sep 1886, p.13 col. A:
  These little images were called in Egyptian “Ushabti,” or “Respondents,” and were in fact supposed to act as servants of the deceased, it being their duty to answer for him and serve as his substitutes when called upon to do labourer's work [...].
- 1957, Lawrence Durrell, Justine:
  The air was all at once full of Egyptian and Greek tear-bottles, Ushabti, and Sèvres.
- 1993, Rikki Ducornet, The Jade Cabinet, Dalkey Archive Press, p. 121:
  Spectacular objects began to surface throughout the world; […] elaborate ivory powder boxes engraved with peacocks or pictures of lions and unicorns playing draughts, precious ushabtiu figures, the combs of an unknown princess, her red ivory jars of frankincense and eye paint, copper coffers, poison rings, diadems.

Alternative forms

shabti
shawabti

Translations

figurines of servants of the deceased

Chinese:
Mandarin: 巫沙布提俑 (Wūshābùtíyǒng)
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Polish: uszebti (pl)

Anagrams

habitus