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Below is a list of the late Meroitic lexical items. The Meroitic script has 24 signs.

The Meroitic script is a syllabic writing system. This system of writing was used

for 500 years.

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In this examination of Meroitic we used the transliteration of many Meroitic

phonemes proposed by Hintze (1974, 1979) , rather than the entire transliteration

system for Meroitic proposed by Griffith (1911). Each Meroitic consonant except

when followed by the vowel sign /i/, /o/ and /e/ represents the consonant sound

plus the schwa (the high/mid central /a/ vowel).

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PRONUNCIATION

Front Central Back

close i (y) (w)

close mid e o

open a

The Meroitic vowels are distinguished by individual signs for i , e , a ,o .

There are four Meroitic vowels /a/, /e/, /i/, and /o/ . There is a neutral vowel

sound attached to the Meroitic consonants except for the te and to signs.

The Meroitic vowel sounds are as follows:

e long e sound as in make

a long a sound as in father

i long i sound as in see

o long o sound as in sock

stands for a in asleep

I believe that Meroitic may have two additional vowel sounds. These sounds

may be the open mid vowels è and ò. In many African languages we find these

vowels.

It therefore stands to reason that they might also occur in Meroitic. I believe

that this is proven by the Meroitic script.

In Meroitic we have the /t/ sound represented by . Eventhough we have the

/t/ sound and the vowel /e/ and /o/,

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we also have the signs  /to/ and  /te/. This suggest that the vowels
attached to t-, must have a different sound than the regular /o/ and /e/ sound. If

the sounds were not different the Meroites could have just used the signs 

/to/ and  /te/ to write these sounds instead of  (to) and  (te). I
would therefore venture to say the should be pronounced $ tò # and

should be pronounced $ tè # in Meroitic.

CONSONANTS

There are five syllables in Meroitic ñ , se, te , to and the so-called divider

sign (:) -ne represented by separate sounds (Hintze 1974). In this translation of

Meroitic each Meroitic syllable without a vowel attached to it is written as a single

consonant .

The consonants of Meroitic are as follows:

h kh like the rasping ch: Scottish loch and Bach in German

h ch ich breathy ch, ç

a pronounched like /a/ in father

b as in English

d as in English

i pronounced like /i/ in machine

k pronounced like the /k/ in King

l as in English

m "

n "

p "

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r "

s pronounced like /z/ in zoo or /s/ as in rose

s pronounced like the sh in share

t as in English

to pronounced like the to in stole

te pronounced like the te in tea

w pronounced like the /w/ in water

y as in English

ñ pronounced like ng as in sing

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Meroitic Consonants

Plosive p, b t,d h(kh) k,q h(ch) Nasal m n

Lateral l

Rolled r

Fricative s s(sh) h(ch)

Semi-vowel w y

GRAMMAR

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Late Meroitic has the VSO pattern. The Meroitic language include both

prefixes and suffixes, but, suffixes are used extensively in the writing. The

popular sentence pattern in late Meroitic inscriptions is -->VP NP or S--> VP

NP VP. For example,

wto si lit. to guide you satisfaction

"You guide (me) to satisfaction".

terike lo wi-ne s lit. Fashion dispatch the Awe patron

"Fashion (and) dispatch the Awe of the patron".

Meroitic was probably a lingua franca used by the Meroites to unite the

diverse ethnic groups which lived in the Meroitic empire. Although many

vocabulary items of Archaic Meroitic was used to write Late Meroitic text, the

Late Meroitic structure is less complicated than Archaic Meroitic.

Many Meroitic words are homophone signs. A homophone sign has the same

phonetic value as another. The interchangeable Meroitic homophones include

b=/=p, t=/=d, k=/=g, s=/=s and n=/=ñ , e.g., tb / tp 'announce in a loafty voice'.

The Meroitic separator sign (:) has the phonetic value -ne. This sign in the

Meroitic script was used to change verbs into nouns, or signify the word "good".

The element -ne-, although it is occasionally used in the initial formation of

words, the separator sign -ne, was primarially used as a suffix.

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LATE MEROITIC WORD LIST

a1, intensive prefix 'to'; element used to

form the future
tense
a2, third person suffix 'he, it, she'.
$ari, affirmation
ah, teach, to learn, to study
ab, ancestor, father
($$arrette, Harendotes (Horus the Avenger
of his father)
$Ariteñ, name of a god
-an(a), plural suffix: wi-ne-ana 'much awe,
much fright
much respect'
ap, ancestor; father
 api, the ancestor leaves
0(atsh, to glow
ato, path, road, route
2. out here
3. absent, on tour, away
4. way , march, progressive
atom, he is to be reborn; e.g. atonhene 's/he is
be reborn to
realize
ale, the palm off the hand
$ater, hero
+$aro, long (time); olden times; perpetuate
+$arone, perpetuation, perpetuity
ato, suitable

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0as-l, religious
,ar, to bring out, produce
$ari, manifestation; affirmation, revelation
($art, praise
añ, spirit
aññ, cosiderable spirit
am, soul
(ant, prophet
ad, he leaves
+ apote, agent
ato, water (?)
al, nobel
(at, down the path
B
b, Ba (aspect of Man)
2, plural element, 'many, much , abundant
+bo, all; to swell, to inflate
$br1, man, men
2, sustain, bring
bh, mature, ripe
D
d, give, bequeath; to leave a legacy
d-ne, transmission, deliver; bequeath, pledge,
inheritance
dd, considerable donation
dd (Egyptian), holy pillar
dete, your donation; your almsgiving
2. extreme limit
(dot, in the meantime, at such a point; interval
db, leave a grand legacy

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de, indeed; give the offering

di, on its passage; to place; to set (in place)
dili, wayfaring, travel
dl, rising
dh, donations; grand donations
do, donation, offering; consecrate
2. give (its) beginning
do-a, gone away
E
e1, vouchsafe; give; command; grant a boon
e2, masculine nominative singular accusative suffix
for
e3, complete, complement;
e4, register, book
(e-t, vouchsafe the arrangement
2. you vouchsafe
" command
" complete
eb, cover
el, gift

elne, revelation
e-ne, almsgiving; generous
2. contribution, presentation
ek, nourishment
ene, Commander, Chief;
em, to teach; to direct
2. great favor
em-ne-a, he is to teach
enep, gives him

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2. Commander
3. bestowal
+e-o, beginning now!
2. give opening too
$er, produce, evoke
$eri, go give indeed; go favor indeed; go
vouchsafe indeed
eb, cover
'es, welfare, manifestation
2. es, welfare, manifest
3. agreed; granted
4. well, good
eto, out here, out
2. way, route, road, path
eñ, command; punish
/ey, favor

H
h, kha
2. great; h-ne 'greatness'
3. offer alms
$hr, dignity

H
h, offering; grand, great
hl, support
+ho, soul
$hr , repute, esteem
I
i, go

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ine, tradition, (as) is the Way

ik, place, spot, ; abode, sojour, place where
(one) sojours
'i-s, singular nominative
im, s/he goes, it goes
2. reach; do , make
3. act, attach
4. memory, remembrance, recollection
ih, (to) the spot
idi, give it leave
ide, the bequeathal
in, he goes
K
k, as is obligatory,k-ne, Object of supplication
kb, to desire
ke, to revitalize; ask permission
kene, origination, revitalization
ketene, ascent
ki, the order, work
kdi, lady; duty
kl, tolerate, bear; borne
L
-l, meroitic ending particle;
2. verb "to be" ; lne 'living, existence'
leb, to restore; leb-ne "restoration".
li, exalted; li-ne 'transmittal, transmit,
lh, behold; grand, great
lk, Lak , a tribal name
 behold
lte, transmigration

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,lw, to have glory; lw-ne, gloriy

M
m1 ,measure,; great, much, many; long
2, used to form verbs into adjectives
3, third person singular maculine pronoun him ,
his
4, 'to be'
mde1, great son
2, proceed, progressively; open with force
mek, much, many, considerable
mi, rain, libation
2, injury
+mo, to be
2, boast, extensive, ample, expansive,
boundless
ml, under the influence, spirit, soul; heart
min, good libations
mk, lord, god
(met, release
mnte, like, such as
mel, spirituality
+mlo, innerheart
mni, Amani, a Meroitic god
(mt, break open
mte, unlock
$mr, hand, luck
/mey, measure, proportion, dimensions, length
( mnpt, Great Napata
( mnpt ine, Within Great Napata
N

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nea, now
neb, much good
ne, good; intruth
nm, to bend, to incline
nmi, bowing, lending, obeisance
(ntk, the lord
'ns, to desire
n-ne-a, will be goodness; much goodness;
his goodness
nem, name
nte, honor; bow in reverence
neh, at this moment
(net, bow in reverence; your goodness
ni, shinning
+'Nsdoke, Nasadoke ( a tribal name)
$Nhbr, Nkhabara (tribal name)
nl, retire
+no, again, renew
neh, (has) passed away
nebk, in accord with , in agreement with
nek, god
nem, bend, incline, reverence
nine, radiance, incandescence
Ñ
ñ1, good
2, third person personal pronoun 'his, him'
ñ-ne, goodness; to manifest, to show
2. ; his goodness
ñk, now, at this moment; at present
ñl, penetrate, to conceal; to retire;

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ñl-ne, departure, parting, emigration,

embarkation
#ñq, at present

ñtelne, bows in reverence (to the gods)

ñe-ne, Goodness
(ñt, honor, bow in reverence; veneration; piety,
homage, worship
ñbli, the law
ñk, to perish, to disappear; now; present
participle
/ñy, bring good
:
: -ne, good
: -ne,particle used to change verbs into nouns
: nea, now, at this time
nei, goodness; benevolence
*neno, to show, to manifest, to reveal
)net, bow in reverence
neh, (has) passed away

O
*o1, used to change nouns into adjectives
2. commence, begin, open ;
3. reaching; initiate, start
4 . attain; to arrive at
*o-ne, genesis
o-e, beginning now!
*ote, esclamation used to express astonishment
or admiration:

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wonder, approbation, recognition, prestige

*ok, produce, produce;
2. yet, still, as yet;
3. anew
*ok-ne, the acquisition
*ol, grand
*ode, wonderment, admiration
)*ot, to esteem; ot-ne 'approbation'
 on, to commence, to set about
2, to stay, to wait for
(  otp, esteem, recognition
 oi, commencing , to reach
oy, commence to make/form
P
 p, beg, solicit, pray
 penn-ne 'everywhere'
  pi, go pray
# pilqe, Philae
 pk, take aim
 pl, praise, righteous; pl-ñ 'righteous good'
 ph, with the intention; to aspire
'$ phrs, Faras
( pt, praise
 pm, clear, bright
 pe, therefore;
pe2 bestow, vouchsafe, favor, donate
pe, foot
$ per, support; to boast, to praise
$ per-ne, uplift, nurture
adulation, glorification, grace; rapture,

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apporbation
( pet, reverence
pet2, he implores
 pl, righteous
 ph, with the intention; to aspire
ripen, mature, decay
 ps, guard, protection
 pk, to aim, to take aim
# pq, fashion, make; make it so, grant (my) prayer
lit. "prayer make it"
$# pqr, prince
( pt, praise
 pol, all
 peñn, bestow on him Greatness
0 pesto, viceroy
$ perite, agent
 pedeme-te, Ibrim
' pesto, "pray to manifest dynamicism"
$ phr, pray for dignity

Q
# q, make, form act ; to desire
# qe creation; qe-ne Creator
+# honorable
$#qor monarch
R
$ r, indeed, certainly
$ re, indeed; give indeed
$ ri, city
+$ ro, unlock

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+$rone, unlocking good

($ret, union; to unite, reconcile
$reto, inclination
($rit, to look, to search
$rike, indeed to sojour
$rinek, withdraw, leave
(rito, penchant, bent, inclination
$rem, witness
$rm, touch; to witness
$rm-ne, manipulation
#$rq, to cover; to escort
'$rs, to spread, to extend
'+$rosi, unlocking contentment
" satisfaction
$rte, to unite
$rh, to extend, to spread over ; sojour
'S
's, son;
1. to protect , to support;
2. to be
3. ascent, rise
's-ne prop up ; sne, Protector
'sl, consecrate
'ste, mother; rich
's-l, king
'sb, pile' heap, piece
2. dedicate, consecrate
3. cover, rub with ointment
'sl-ne, harmony, merit
'sl, bring, set in, motion ; to leap over, consecrate

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'si, to be
2, satisfied, satisfying, happy
'si-ne, contentment, atonement
'sn, clever, skillful
'sli, rule, order
2. regularity, dynasty
'sm, wife
+'stelo, (he) is (laid) low
2. he is solitary
3. he is alone
0Sh
0sh, King, patron ; to protect, to support
0shne, defeated, destroyed
+0sho, life, to live
0shi, satisfy
0sh[a], to consecrate
0sh[a], spirit body
#0sh[a]q, Shaqa (a tribal group)
0shene, sustence
$0shr, sister, luck
0she, son
2. to be
3. to prop up, to support
4. to be
5. to be patron of
6. shelter, favor
0shañ, in harmony, art, skill
0she-ne, to be satisfying, atonement
2. happy, pleased, glad
3. to be content, to be alive

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4. encouragement, sustence,
maintenance
0shi, burial ground
0shi-ne, atonement, expiration; propitiation
0sh, the spirit body
$skr, dignity, eminent
+0so, to live, life

$0Sore, Osiris
+0soh, happiness, prosperity good, fortune
2. to render, to retire, to restore
3.
+0soh-ne, The Restorer, The Reconciler, The
Deliver
0snea, a (new) vivification
0sim, abode, house
0sm, refuge, equal
(0st, exaltation
0s-ne-a, close at hand, coming, approaching
0sb, annoint, cover with oil
0sk, to remain, to stay
0skte, 'you will remain'
+0sone, animate, existence; vital spirit
0sik, contentment
2. overflowing, to run over, to be flooded
3. to march, to walk, to advance
4. step, pace
0se-a, favour
$+00ssor, scribe
$0skr, to be emminent, to be worthy; to be

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dignitied
$0skr-i, Eminence, Worthy, Dignified
0ste, mother
T
(t1, here
t2, third personal pronoun 'he, it, her'
t3, to arrange, to establish
(ti, go arrange
(tke, set in motion
(tk, set in motion
(tl, elevate; tl-o 'upstanding'
(tm, to produce, to be born; tm-o 'open up the
rebirth
/(Tmey, Tameya ( a tribal group)
$(tr, to be eminent, tr-o 'emminence';tr-ne
"Eminent"
'(ts, to put, to lay
(ti, you go
(tke, to move, to set in
(tñ, thy
($(trot, grand, firm, solicit
(tm, to be born, bear, came into being; to produce
2. to fear
(tia, it goes to arrange
(t-ne, the Good
(tak, reflection
(tb, proclaim;
(tbi, disclosure, dissemination, spreadless
(timhene, 'he goes grandly to direct'
(tkha, move

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(tk, set in motion

2. to be, to investigate, to reflect

(tn, the rebirth, to be born

(tña, come into being
$(tr, this indeed
2. to raise, to erect, to support
3. collect
+$(tr-o, elevation, Eminence
/(tmey, give form to the rebirth
'(ts, the Commandant, chief
(tñ, to be reborn
(tñ-ne, rebirth
(tm, to be born, come into the world
(td, he donates, he gives
(tl, to elevate
$(tr, raise
0(tsh, to burn, to glow
+$(troto, grand, solid, firm
(tki, go investigate
(th, to investigate, to reflect
$(trn, here indeed (is) good
Te
-te, second person pronoun usually used with
males 'you, your'
( to place, to put
teb, loftiness; to announce in a lofty voice
ted, the donations
tene, rebirth; to the rebirth
2. to arrange

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tel, to elevate,
te-l, the one
tel-ne, erection, elevation, ascent
+tel-o, encouraging, encouragement; elevated,
exalted, uplifted,
upstanding
tep, to announce in a lofty voice
$ter, to erect
$teri, fashion, manner etiquette
+ tep-o, loftiness
te-o, the opening; the beginning
tek, to reflect, to investigate
(',tewisti, (Egyptian) adoration
To
-to, second personal feminine suffix 'you, your'
+to, light, to initiate, to kindle; to shine
2. here
3. combustion
4. stimulate, arouse, animate, elate, evoke, stir
5. dwell
tone vigorousness, dynamicism, energy,
physical fitness;
2. Good light
toh, to establish
tom, to bear, to be born
tok, to be, to reflect
W
,w, to guide, to leade, to steer; w-ne "Commander,
Steward, Chief;
+, w-o, 'steering, guiding'

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,wb, to prepare
,we, to give escort
,wi, honor; wi-ne "Object of Respect, Awe'; good
honor'
,wid, leave honor as the legacy
',ws, dress, clothe
(,wt, place, put
Y
/y, to make, to form
/ye, to be capable
/y-ne, form good
/yi, to travel, to journey
/yi-ne, progressively; eternal
$/yir, cleanse, purify

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Abdalla, A.M. 1994. Personal Descriptions in Meroitic

Funerary inscriptions. In Hommages a Jean Leclant,

(ed.) by C.Berger, G. Clerc & N. Grimal, (Institute

Francais d'Archeologie Orientale: Bibliotheque d'

Etudes 106/2), pp.1-15.

Abdalla, A.M. 1978. The Meroitic Civilization:Its

Mediterranean Contacts and Africaness. In Afrique

Noire et monde mediterranean dans L'Antiquité

Colloque de Dakar. (Dakar:Université de Senegal) 89-

114.

Griffith, F.L.1911. Karanog. The Meroitic Inscriptions

of Shablul and Karanog. Philadelphia: Eckley B. Coxe Jr

Expedition to Nubia. Vol.VI.

Haycock, B.G. 1978. "The Problem of the Meroitic

Language", Occasional Papers in Linguistics and Language

Learning, no.5: 50-81.

Hintze, F. 1979. "Beltrage zur Meroitishen

Grammatik",Meroitica 3, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag.

Winters, A.A. 1984. "A note on Tokharian and

Meroitic".Meroitic Newsletter, no. 23: 18-21.

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____________.1988. "The Dravidian and Manding substratum in

Tokharian". Central Asiatic Journal, 32 (1-2): 131-141.

------------.1989. "Chiekh Anta Diop at le Dechiffrement de

l'ecriture Meroitique", Revue Martiniguaise de Sciences

Humaines et de Litterature, no.8: 141-153.

Winters, A.A. 1984. "A note on Tokharian and

Meroitic".Meroitic Newsletter, no. 23: 18-21.

____________.1988. "The Dravidian and Manding substratum in

Tokharian". Central Asiatic Journal, 32 (1-2): 131-141.

------------.1989. "Chiekh Anta Diop at le Dechiffrement de

l'ecriture Meroitique", Revue Martiniguaise de Sciences

Humaines et de Litterature, no.8: 141-153.

Winters, C.A.(1998). Meroitic funerary text. Part 1,

Inscription Journal of Ancient Egypt, 1 (1), 29-34.

Winters, C.A.(1998b). Meroitic funerary text. Part 2,

Inscription Journal of Ancient Egypt, 1 (2), 41-55.

Winters,C.A. (1999). Inscriptions of Tanydamani,

Nubica et Ethiopica, IV/V, 355-388.

Windekens van, A.J. 1941. Lexique etymologique des

dialectes. Louvain.

------------------.1979. Le Tokhrien confronte avec

les autre Langues Indo-Europeenes. 2 vols. Louvain.

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