The Passive flowchart

The Passive

(plays down the role of the initiator/actor and promotes the affected participant)

Non-past

.tw

Past

all affirtmative non-past situations ie present/incomplete state of affairs are passivised by adding the element .tw between the subject (if any) of a sDm-n=f form

If there is no subject the passive is impersonal .tw/.t(w) can be used on its own functioning as a indefinite pronoun eng: (some)one / swe: man

The specific/progressive construction iw=f Hr sDm "he is hearing" is not passivised in middle egyptian, where the construction iw sDm.tw=f is used also for this purpose.

.tw can be attached like a suffix-pronoun to the initian particle AhA-n to form a stative with an impersonal .tw

iw xr.tw n Hnt wA

one can fall far because of greed

iw sxA.tw=f Hr bw-nfr

He is remembered on account of goodness

AhA-n.tw HA.w im

Then one rejoiced therein

The subjunnctive can also be passivised by .tw

Krs.t(w)=k

you will be buried

Subjunctive form of verbs are typically used to express various states of unreality such as wish, emotion, possibility etc or actions that have not yet occurre. Occurres most often in subordinate clasues, particularly "that-clauses" ( compliment clauses in MEg).

passive in other suffix-conjugation patterns

Negations

.tw is used in the past, present and future negated verb forms n-sDm=f, n sDm-n=f and nn sDm=f

The use of .tw in past sequential sDm-in=f represents the second exception to the rule that .tw is used only for the passivisation of non-past.

iw(=f) iri=f 'he does

iw(=f) Hr iri 'he is doing'

The narrative pattern sDm-xr=f form its passive with .tw

sDm=f 'may he hear' (subj.)

iw=f r sDm ' he shall hear'

The differences between generic vs. specific present and indivative vs. subjunctive future are NOT expressed in the passive.

iw sDm.tw=f

'he/it is being done'

sDm.tw=f

'may he be heard/He shall be heard'

In middle egyptian ALL NEGATION is passivised by .tw

PAST:

n-sDm.tw rn=i m r wHmw

'my name wan not hear in the mouth of the reporter '

FUTURE

nn di.t(w)=k m inm n(y) sr

'You will not be placed in a skin of an ewe'

PRESENT:

n-sA-n.t(w) bA=i in ir.w a.t

'My soul is not restrained by the keepers of members'

.tw not used , instead two supplementary constructions were used depending on the nature of the subject.

if the subject of a non-past state of affairs was NOT a personal pronoun but anything else such as a noun a MEg had a recourse to the specific grammatical construction

Past Passive sDm A

past passive sDm A could not be used with personal pronouns. So to say things like 'I was seen' the stative of tranastive verbs - ie verbs that take direct objects were used

strong roots

sDm, sDm.w

Doubling roots

mA, mA.w

Extra weak roots

rdi, di, rdi.w, rd.y

Weak roots

mr, mr.y, mr.w

most important to note is the occational ending -w appearing in all root-classes

Endings -w and -y are rare in practise and there is little formal signal that the PP sDm a is present. often clear from the word order instead

not really a sDm=f form

commom in initial main clauses

introduced by initial particle /auxilliary

iw

mk

AhA-n

also used in continuative main clauses linked directly to the preceding clause

occurrs commonly in adjunct clauses without introductory element to express relative past

ia-in=sn -sw SAd HpA=f

'then they washed him, after his navel-cord had been cut'

AHA-n in -n=f smn wDA tp=f

'then a goose was brought ti him and its head was cut off'

AHA-n rdi-kw r iw in wAw n(y) dAD-wr

'Then I was placed on an island by a wave of the sea'