Egyptian language

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Egyptian language summary

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Geography & Travel

Egyptian language

extinct language

Written by James Hoch

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

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Rosetta Stone

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Category: Geography & Travel

Key People:: James Henry Breasted; Jean-François Champollion; Thomas Young

Related Topics:: Coptic language; Sahidic; Asyūṭic; Akhmīmic; Bohairic

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Egyptian language, extinct language of the Nile valley that constitutes a branch of the Afro-Asiatic language phylum. The Semitic, Cushitic, Chadic, Omotic, and Amazigh (Berber) language groups constitute the remaining members of the phylum. On the basis of ancient texts, scholars generally divide the history of Egyptian language into five periods: Old Egyptian (from before 3000 to about 2200 bce), Middle Egyptian (c. 2200–c. 1600 bce), Late Egyptian (c. 1550–c. 700 bce), Demotic (c. 700 bce–c. 400 ce), and Coptic (c. 2nd century ce until at least the 17th century). Thus, five literary dialects are differentiated. These language periods refer ...(100 of 693 words)

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