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 OF THE 
 
 University of California. 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 Microsoft Corporation 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/egyptianalphabetOOfiskrich 
 
An 
 
 Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 for the 
 
 Egyptian People 
 
 $<><C=«0<£<0«£<0<<>«C=0£<<><C<C<<><SK>>CO<C<0<>0# 
 
 X alifbe ahl masr. 
 
 § a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, ft (alif) 
 
 1 
 
 A b (be), t (te), t (id), g (gym), g (gen), h (he) 
 
 1 
 
 | h (&$ h (lid), d (V«/J, d (dad), r (V<?J, z (^ 
 
 1 
 
 X s (syn), s (Vjj/»J, s (sad), c (V*), f (fe), q f^ 
 
 1 
 
 Y k (kef), I (/dm), m (myni), n (nun), w(wau), j (/?j 
 
 1 
 
 £>O>«^<C='O>0O<O<'>«O<^«<><>0<£<^<>^<>^C>«O<O<^>* 
 
 Florence 
 The Landi Press 
 
 .3i5-i8 97 
 
The New-Egyptian Alphabet. 
 
fyh alifb£ inglyzyje, we alifb§ riimyje, we alifbe 
 c arabyje. jatara mus mumkin jekfin fyh alifbe masryje 
 keman? 
 
 $¥? 
 
 wdgib c a/a kill I ivdhid jehibb masr, in jisd c id c ala migy 
 el jom, elly fyh hell en nds es sdkinyn c alal nyl jimkinhum 
 jiqru we jiktibu el lisdn elly jitkallimuh ive jifhamuh. 
 
 •^ 
 
 el alifbe es sahle li et ta c lym we lil kitabe tig c al 
 es sa c b nabyh ; we en nabaha tig c al es sa c b qawy we 
 mabsfit. 
 
An 
 
 Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 for the 
 
 Egyptian People 
 
 #CK*><%>0>C<><<><%><>C<>><^^ 
 
 A alifbe ahl masr. X 
 
 § a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, Ci (a/if), & 
 
 A b (be), t (te), t (/a), g (gym), g (£"<?«), h (7/<?J, A 
 
 § h (7*a), h f#a), d (da/), d (g&ft/), r (re), z (ze), V 
 
 £ s (syn), s(syu), s (sad), c ( c en), i (ft), q (</df), & 
 
 Y k (kef), I (/dm), m(my?u), n(nuu), vj(ivauj, j (je). Y 
 
 
1 ,^°l % 
 
 uA 1 
 
 «y> 
 
Contents. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 i. The Alphabet 7 
 
 2. Pronunciation 9 
 
 Vowels. Consonants. Diphthongs. 
 
 3. To the English Learner 16 
 
 4. The Written Alphabet 17 
 
 j. Illustrative Readings 18 
 
 Phrases and Sentences. Proverbs. A Story. Verse. 
 
 6. The Story of the Alphabet 25 
 
 Wilhelm Spitta. Preceding Steps and Studies. Spitta's Work. The Al- 
 phabet. Conclusion. 
 
 7. hasan li fattne >6 
 
 Erratum. - On page 9 transfer the word jomen from the 15th 
 to the 23d line. 
 
The Alphabet. 
 
 (alifbe). 
 
 a 
 
 alif 
 
 ah 
 
 
 h 
 
 //a 
 
 (*> 
 
 a 
 
 alif 
 
 a 
 
 
 d 
 
 ddl 
 
 (*) 
 
 e 
 
 alif 
 
 eh 
 
 
 d 
 
 ddd 
 
 (o») 
 
 e 
 
 alif 
 
 e 
 
 
 r 
 
 re 
 
 0) 
 
 i 
 
 alif 
 
 ih 
 
 0) 
 
 z 
 
 ze 
 
 (j) 
 
 y 
 
 alif 
 
 y 
 
 s 
 
 syn 
 
 (u-) 
 
 o 
 
 alif 
 
 oh 
 
 
 s 
 
 iyn 
 
 (u>) 
 
 6 
 
 alif 
 
 6 
 
 
 s 
 
 sad 
 
 (o*) 
 
 u 
 
 alif 
 
 uh 
 
 
 c 
 
 'en 
 
 (&) 
 
 u 
 
 alif 
 
 u 
 
 
 f 
 
 fe 
 
 (^) 
 
 b 
 
 
 be 
 
 ( v ) 
 
 q 
 
 qdf 
 
 (o) 
 
 t 
 
 
 te 
 
 ( ° ) 
 
 k 
 
 kef 
 
 (*) 
 
 t 
 
 
 id 
 
 (Jo) 
 
 1 
 
 lam 
 
 0) 
 
 g 
 
 
 gym 
 
 U) 
 
 m 
 
 m\m 
 
 (r) 
 
 g 
 
 
 gSn 
 
 ( t. ) 
 
 n 
 
 nun 
 
 (o) 
 
 h 
 
 
 hi 
 
 ( s ) 
 
 w 
 
 wau 
 
 (3) 
 
 h 
 
 
 hd 
 
 (e) 
 
 J 
 
 je 
 
 (v) 
 
a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, u, b, t, t, g, g, k, k, 
 /i, d, 4, r, z, s, s, s, c , /, q, k, /, in, n, w, j. 
 
 -Sv^g^- 
 
Pronunciation . 
 
 Vowels 
 
 a like English a in at, had, man. 
 
 Examples. — ab, father ; abadan, never; ana, I; 
 dahab, gold; samak, fish; ma c laqa, spoon ; nahl, date- 
 palms ; nadah, he has called; naddara, spectacles, eye- 
 glasses, opera-glass ; wara, behind; wa c ad, he has pro- 
 mised ; jitkallimu, they speak, ivill speak; jistannak, he 
 waits for you; wala, or. 
 
 a like English a in ah, bar, father. 
 
 Examples.- — ale, tool; bab, door; saif, seeing; 
 sstf, he has seen; la, no; maward, rosewater ; mydan, 
 square, public place; mylad, Christmas ; nar, fire; na- 
 miisvje, mosquito-net ; wadih, clear, distinct, plain; jafa, 
 Jaffa; jomen, two days. 
 
 e like English e in bed, ell, send. 
 
 Examples. — el, the; esne, Esne ; efendy, Mr., gen- 
 tleman ; gebel, mountain; geclyd, new; kelb, dog; 
 megawir, student; we, and. 
 
 e like English ey in they, or ay in say, hirer. 
 
 Examples. — etnen, two; es, what; bed, eggs ; 
 c eb, shame; c es, bread; fen, where; qaret, I have read; 
 le, why; lei, night, evening. 
 
 a <i e c i y o 6 u u b t t g g h h h d d r z s s s c / q k I in n wj 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 1 like English i in begin, sip, till. 
 
 Examples. — ibn, son; isbitalje, hospital; iswid, 
 black; inglyz, English; imte when; inte, you; kilme, 
 word; misik, he lias seized, grasped. 
 
 y like English ie in fiend, ea in steal, or ee in eel. 
 
 Examples.- — yd, hand; imsy ! go away! byr, well; 
 byra, beer ; sittyn, sixty ; c yd, festival; malyje,f nance ; 
 myn, who; naggaryn, carpenters ; wazyr, vizir. 
 
 O like English o in not, offer, yonder. 
 
 Examples. — obera, opera; ogostos, August; bor- 
 tuqan, orange; hod! take! c osmanly, Ottoman ; mo- 
 qattam, Mokattam. 
 
 6 like English o in note, over, so, throne. 
 
 Examples. — oda, room; bordo, Bordeaux, claret; 
 bdsta, post, post-office ; r6sto, roast ; kom, hill, mound; 
 noba, time, once; jom, day. 
 
 U like English u in full, pulley, put. 
 
 Examples. — uht, sister; umm, mother; gurnal, 
 newspaper ; tult, third; dukkan, shop ; qumsan, shirts; 
 kutub, books; muslim, Moslem; muftah, key; wust, 
 middle. 
 
 U like English oo in fool, ooze, soot, stool. 
 
 Examples. — bulaq, Boulak ; guwa, in, within; 
 huwa, he; dud, worms; malbus, clad, dressed ; kalun, 
 lock; nur, light. 
 
 a a c c i y o o u ft b t t g g h h h d d r z s s s c / q k I m n w j 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 Consonants. 
 
 b like English b. 
 
 Examples. — abryl, April; amah, fox; ibtada, he 
 has begun; bciia, pasha; balto, overcoat; bet, house; 
 tibn, straw; sabab, cause; kitfib, book; matba c a, prin- 
 ting-office, press. 
 
 t like English /. 
 
 Examples. — etnasar, twelve; itkallim, lie has spo- 
 ken; banat, .girls, daughters ; bintu, Napoleon, twenty- 
 franc piece ; taufyq, Tewfik ; telat, three; telefdn, tel- 
 ephone; tor, ox, bull; hagat, things; kittan, linen. 
 
 t like English /, but with a rounding of the lips (as in 
 forming the letter o), and with slightly greater stress. 
 
 Examples.- — ittala c , he has studied; tanta, Taut a ; 
 ter, birds; tyn, clay, soil; c atsan, thirsty; qutta, cat ; 
 lahbata, confusion; jitla c , he ascends, he conies out. 
 
 cr like English g in bag, dagger, give, go. 
 
 Examples. — agrumyje, grammar ; gamal, camel ; 
 gamb, side, beside; hagar, stone; faggal, radish-seller ; 
 figl, radish; jigy, he comes. 
 
 or like a strongly-aspirated, guttural r. 
 
 Examples. — aga, aga ; bagl, mules ; gada, break- 
 feast, lunch; gasal, he has washed; sugl, business, work; 
 luga, language; magrib, west; jigsil, lie washes. 
 
 a d e e i y o 6 u u bit g g h h h d d r z s s s z f q k I m n wj 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 like English // in have, hear, behind. 
 
 Examples. — allah, God; azhar, Azhar mosque; 
 gihe, direction; hene, here; hyje, she; hum, they; 
 zahr, flowers ; muhandis, engineer ; jahud, Jews. 
 
 like English h in horde, but slightly more aspirated. 
 
 Examples. — ah mar, red; tiftah, you open; habl, 
 rope; het, wall; ihna, w<?/ humar, donkey; sahiby 
 [sahby,] my friend ; mahall, place, spot. 
 
 like German ch in ach, doch, Sache, or Scotch ch in /<?r//. 
 
 Examples. — tabbah, cook; habar, news, informa- 
 tion; hamse, five; duhhan, tobacco; haif, fearing; 
 kutubhane, library; mahzan, magazine, warehouse. 
 
 like English d. 
 
 Examples. — edfu, Edfu; tadrus, Theodore; gedyd, 
 new; dol, these; durus, lessons; madne, minaret. 
 
 like English d uttered with a rounding of the lips 
 and slightly greater stress. 
 
 Examples. — adrab, / strike; ard, earth; dilim, 
 dark; duhr, noon; c adm, bones; nadafe, cleanliness. 
 
 like English r, but slightly more rolling. 
 
 Examples. — arba c a, four; berins, prince; ragil, 
 man; rfthl go / qirs, piastre; kafr, village; marraten, 
 twice. 
 
 like English z. 
 
 Examples. — gezyre, island ; ruzz, rice; zamb, mis- 
 take; z^j [zaj], as, how; z&t, oil; mazbiit, flrm, secure. 
 
 ' e i y o 6 u u b t t g g h h Ij d d r z s s s c / q k I m n w j 
 
The Egyptian ^ Up ha bet 
 
 S like English s in sad, side, mouse. 
 
 Examples. — asmar, brown; iswid, black; bess, 
 only, enough; rfis, head, cape; saijid, gentleman; sa c a, 
 hour, clock, watch; sellim, stairs, ladder. 
 
 S like English s/i in fishing, shall, mesh. 
 
 Exampf.es. — hasab, wood, timber; hass, he has 
 stepped in, entered; saijal, porter, bearer ; sv, thing; 
 suwaije, some, a little; c es, bread; mismis, apricot; 
 mus, not; wiss, face, visage. 
 
 S like English s, but with a rounding of the lips and 
 somewhat greater stress. 
 
 Examples. — asfar, yellow ; bass, he has looked at, 
 gazed at; rahys, cheap ; sala, prayer ; sugaijar, small, 
 little; sot, voice; masr, Cairo, Egypt; wasfe, description; 
 wusul, arrival. 
 
 c an explosive articulation, made by compressing the 
 air-passages deep down in the throat. 
 
 Examples. — iLallim, he has learned; gyan, he is 
 hungry; za"°aq, he has cried out; c azym, glorious, 
 splendid; "aly, high, Ali; c en, eye, spring; neby c , we 
 will sell ; ji c mil, he makes, he does. 
 
 I like English f in after, find. 
 
 Examples. — afryqa, Africa; alifbe, alphabet, ABC ; 
 far, mouse; febrajir, February; fihimt, / have un- 
 derstood; kaff, palm op the hand; nafar, people; nafs, 
 soul, self. 
 
 adeeiyoouubtt g g h h h d d r z s s s c f q k 1 m n w j 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 C| is in Cairo a catching (or quick, forced expulsion) of 
 the breath; in other parts of Egypt like the English g 
 in gourd, but somewhat deeper and stronger. 
 
 Examples. — baqar, cattle; daqq, he has struck, 
 knocked; suq, market; qauwas, cavass, consular mes- 
 senger ; qunsul, consul; maqasse, broom. 
 
 k like English k. 
 
 Examples. — akl, food; hanak, mouth; sikkyn, 
 knives; katulyk, Catholic; kan, was; kull, all, the whole; 
 lakin, but ; makkar, sly, sharp. 
 
 1 like English /. 
 
 Examples. — atkallim, I speak ; almanje, Germany; 
 tell, kill; lau, if; laban, milk; lelat, nights; luqsor, 
 Luxor ; julje, July. 
 
 Ill like English m. 
 
 Examples. — araa, blind ; embareh, yesterday ; had- 
 dam, servant; sama, heaven, sky ; lamma, when, after, 
 so that ; maksur, broken ; min, from; myl, mile ; minje, 
 Minieh ; n6m, sleep; j6maty, daily. 
 
 n like English n. 
 
 Examples. — enhu, which; tany, other, second, 
 again; nabolitciny, Neapolitan; nar, fire; nas, people; 
 fingdin,' cup; jasmyn, /'as/nine. 
 
 W like English w. 
 
 Examples. — uwad, rooms; tawyl, long; sawa, to- 
 gether; maswaqa, whip; wabur, steam-engine, steamboat, 
 
 a d c e i y o 6 u u b t t g g h h h d d r z s s s ' f q k 1 m n zvj 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 locomotive, train; wahry, late; wahid, one; widn, ear ; 
 jigawibu, they answer. 
 
 ] like English y in yet, yesterday, youth. 
 
 Examples. — italje, Italy; yjam, days; tamanje, 
 eight; hyje masryje, she is a Caircuc ; c asaje, stick, 
 cane ; lyje, to me; jasyr, prisoner, captive; jakul, he 
 eats; jegyb, he brings; jequl lie says ; jigu, they come; 
 jitkallim, he speaks; ma jidrabs, he does not strike; 
 ja salam ! good gracious / jekuhhu, they cough; jimla, 
 he will pill ; jiisif, Joseph. 
 
 Diphthongs. 
 
 ai like English i in irate, life, right, or ei in height. 
 
 Examples. — aiwa, yes; istaraijah, he has rested; 
 baijad, he has whitened, zvhitezv ashed ; tultai tico thirds; 
 haiwan, animal; saijib, he has let go, let loose; c aijan, 
 ill, sick; kuwaijis, pretty, nice, good; mitbaijin, showing, 
 appearing; jedaija c , he will lose. 
 
 ail like English ou in out, sound, or ow in now. 
 
 Examples. — -auraq, papers, documents ; auwal,Jzrst; 
 bauwab, doorkeeper, hall-porter ; rauwah, he has gone 
 away, gone home; c auwaq, he was delayed; fauwal, 
 dealer in beans; mauwut, he has killed; medauwar, 
 round, circular ; mestaufy, complete; waZaq meqauwa, 
 paste-board ; nauwar, blossoms. 
 
 The Egyptian word for water varies greatly in its phonetic expression — 
 maije, moije, moje. The second of these forms seems to be an almost unique 
 example of a third diphthongal combination, namely, oi. 
 
 a d e e i y o 6 u u b t t g g h h h d d r z s s s c f q k I m u w j 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 To the English Learner. 
 
 Those who are familiar only with the English al- 
 phabet have merely to bear in mind that 
 
 j is always pronounced like English 
 y in the words yes, your, yield, yeoman, 
 steelyard, 
 
 as, for example, in the Egyptian vocables:- — agriimyje, 
 (grammar), italje (Italy), gam c yje (society, assembly), lyje 
 (to me), myje (thousand), jallah! (go ahead!), jeruh (he goes, 
 he will goj, jemynak (your right), jigy (lie comes), jisrab 
 (he drinks, he will drink), jom (day), jusif (Joseph), junje 
 (June). 
 
 Likewise it must be remembered that 
 
 y is always pronounced like ie in the 
 English wield, or ee in steel, or e in me, 
 
 as, for example, in the Egyptian words: — yd (hand), 
 battalyn (bad ones), byr (well), tyn (Jigs), taijibyn (good 
 ones), tawyl (long), kebyr (great, big), ketyr (much, very), 
 myl (mile), myladyje (Anno Domini), myn (who), nyl (Nile), 
 jesufny (he sees me). 
 
 adeeiyoou u b t t g g h h h d d r z s s s z f q k I m n w j 
 
TJic Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 17 
 
 The Written Alphabet. 
 
 <Xs &/,£/ & V tl & -O- Ms £s ;& j£ 
 . "9- "5? v ^ ~ 'ds ^y Sis % J 
 <d ^ c J <<7 k / w tv ^^ - 
 
 ^eris nxxJtaA/ x£as xzJiAasn/ rrhtn/ 
 vtofvuxy . el6u <axixtsxzl&hs J*zAs~fr 
 
 <£*/ ^cu> ^ti^raS - ^faskaArtzxz/ 
 ^ei j7£t££ X7M7Z/Z/ ^ewxtZt . ellu 
 
 adeeiyoou u b t t g g Ji h h d d r z s s s '" f q k I m n zv / 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 Ilhtstrative Readings. 
 
 Phrases and Sentences. 
 
 ana we inte, / and you. qui ly ! tell me ! bi kam 
 er rati? for how much a pound? kull jom we jom, every 
 other day. myn di? who is that? imsy min bene, ja 
 waled ! go away prom here, boy ! garak myn ? who is your 
 neighbour? rah fy betoh, he went into his house. 16 let? 
 why not? kelb el be" kebyr qawy, the bey ' s dog is very big. 
 myn min es syn ? who is from China? aiwa, ja sydy ! 
 yes, sir / el haqq wajak, you are right. manys gany, 
 / am not rich. ma lohs sugl c andy, he has nothing to do 
 with me. hyje zatha gat, she herself came. di c eb, that 
 is a shame. lak al6je, / am indebted to you. fy e ger 
 kide ? what else is there? fat aleje fil bet, he called at my 
 house. fyh fulus ? is there any money? la, ma fyKs, no, 
 there is none. gara & ? what has liappened? ma garas 
 haga, nothing has happened. suf el banat d61? look at those 
 girls! ana mus fahim, c auz e? / don't understand, what 
 do you want? inte kunt c and myn embareh bil lei? at 
 whose house were you yesterday evening? el c ilm jegyb el 
 hilm, learning brings patience. el qabtan sakin fy masr, 
 the captain resides at Cairo. etnen etnen, two and two. 
 hum kanu fil hammam jom el gum c a, they were at the bath 
 on Friday. kam noba ruht fil ihram? how many times 
 did you. go to the Pyramids? marraten, we inte? twice, 
 and you ? 
 
 sabah el her! good morning! naharak sa c yd ! good 
 day ! mesa el her ! good evening ! leltak sa c yde ! good 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 night! ezzajak? how do you do? kef krfak? how arc 
 you? taijibyn? arc you well? taijibyn, el hamdu lillah, 
 very well, thank God! marhaba ! welcome! ahlan we 
 sahlan! you are welcome! itfaddal, tefaddal ! please! be so 
 good! please conic in! help yourself! take a seat! ma c es 
 salame, good bye! auhastina, ja hawaga ! thanks for your 
 visit, sir! istanna suwaije! stop a little! sallim ly c ala 
 ummak! my regards to your mother! 
 
 uladha fen? where are her children? ma afhams 
 turky, / do not understand Turkish. ruhna netull c alehum, 
 we went to call upon them. diryt bil habar? did you hear 
 the news? elly tat tat, let bygones be bygones, ma ji c rafs 
 rasoh min rigleh, he does not know his head from his foot. 
 hyje ahsan min n oh bi ketyr, she is better than he by a 
 good deal. da beta ha, that's hers. bijakul lahme haf, 
 he eats meat and nolhiug with it. hallyk jemynak ! keep to 
 your right! suft el jasmynat fil genene beta c na? have 
 you seen the jasmines in our garden? baqa tehuss en 
 nasara el kenyse, now the Christians enter the church. 
 ihna kunna til mahatta es sa c a telate we nuss, we were 
 at the station at half past three. el hoga el nemsawy biji c mil 
 ^ dilwaqt ? 7^hat is the German school-teacher doino- now? 
 ma neqitls haga, we say nothing. jeruhu imte? when arc 
 they going? huwa ma jihdimnys, he does not serve me. 
 matluboh kam qirs ? how many piastres does he demand? 
 ti c mil e fy masr ? what are you doing at Cairo? elly 
 c atsan jisrab, he who is thirsty will drink. ma ticlrabhas! 
 do not strike her! et taljanyje jifhamu el lisan el esban- 
 joly, lakin ma jiqruhs, the Italians understand the Span- 
 ish language, but they do not read it. 
 
 bdstet el hind ma gats lissa. — el kahrabayje hyje hibr 
 et telegrafgy, we c iddet et telegraf hyje qalamoh. — ism 
 hedewy masr c abbas basa et tany. — muhammad taufyq 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 el hedewy es sabiq kan jehibb masr we jehibb h£rha ; 
 we wafatoh si c bet c alal masrijyn kulluhum. — el bahr el 
 abjad we el bahr el azraq jingim c u sawa c and el hartum 
 fy wust afryqa, we min henak jibtidy bahr en nyl. — el 
 agrumyje c ilm el luga, we hyje maqsuma qismen : i. c ilm 
 el kilmat, we 2. c ilm eg gumal. kull masry lazim jit c allim 
 el agrumyje c asan innaha ti c allimoh jitkallim we jiqra we 
 jiktib el lisan elly rabbuna iddah loh, we elly jisma c oh kull 
 jom. — masr maqsuma li qismen, bahary we qibly ; fy kull 
 qism saba c mudyryat. mudyryat bahry hyje :. qaljtibyje, 
 daqahlyje, garbyje, serqyje, behera, menufyje; we mudy- 
 ryjat qibly hyje : eg gyze, benysuef, el faijum, minje, asjut, 
 girge, qene we mudyryet el hudud. — halet el malyje el 
 masryje fy yjam c abbas basa et tany ger haletha fy yjam 
 isma c yl bS.sa. — bilad eg gezair fil waqt el hadir tab c a li 
 feransa; we hyje waq c a ben marakis we tunis. — el faqyr 
 di jasyr c and el emyr el kebyr ketyr. — sallim c alal me c al- 
 lim qabl ma titkallim ! — el qamar jedur hawalen el ard 
 kull telatyn jom marra. — ed dunje kullaha ti c raf elly 
 ji c rafuh telat ashas. — eg gami c el azhar akbar medrese 
 islamyje fy ed dunje, we el h6gat fyh astar hogat el lisan 
 el c araby el qadym, we min a c lam en nas fy c ulum el 
 qoran. ma fys mahall jimkin el insan jit c allim fyh el 
 c ulum el c arabyje zej el gami c da. el megawiryn elly 
 fyh gu min bilad ketyre, min marakis li hadd el hind. el 
 gami c el azhar kebyr we kuwaijis qawy, we en nas tinbisit 
 ketyr min et tafarrug c aleh, we musahdet el c ulama el 
 c uzam we et talamza elly fyh.-— Dante kan sa c ir taljfiny 
 mashfir; c as min 600 sene. ashar as c aroh ismoh A komedje 
 el muqaddasa. huwa inwalad fy felorensa, we mat manfy 
 fy rafenna, ja c ny ba c yd c an watanoh. — ism el felasuf elly 
 ihtara c en naddara elly jesufu biha en nugfim kan galyleo ; 
 huwa mat senet 1642 myladyje, we indafan fy felorensa. — 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 auwal kitfib taba c uh kan fy germanje min rub c emyje we 
 hamsyn scne. min qablaha kanet el kutub kullaha mak- 
 tube bil hatt. — el gami c loh madne wala madneten, we 
 lywan, we mambar, we dikke, we mihrab jedill alal qible 
 au gihet mekka el mukarrama ; we fil h6s hanafyje we 
 meda ; we fy gawami c fyha medrese. aqdam gami c fy 
 masr huwa garni' c amr, we garni ahmed ibn tulfin. 
 
 el masrijyn kanu fil auwal jitkallimu we jiktibu el 
 lis&n el masry el qadym ; ba c den saru jitkallimu bil qibty; 
 we ba c den saru jiqru we jiktibu el c araby. dilwaqt humma 
 jitkallimu we jiktibu el masry el gedyd. bil taryqa di 
 el masrijyn gaijaru lugethum marrat ketyr. — el luga el 
 qibtyje kanu jista c miluha fy masr ril kitabe we el kalam 
 qabl duhtil el islam; fy kutubhanat bilad el iferang kutub 
 ketyre maktube bil lisan el qibty. ahsan agrumyje qibty 
 katabha el mu'allim stern bil almany. el luga el qibtyje 
 ma jitkallimus biha dilwaqt. — el fellah el masry mus mit c al- 
 lim. le? c asan innoh jiltizim jit'allim alifbe sa c be qawy, 
 we lammajit c allim el alifbe di jilaqyha ma tinfa c us fil c araby 
 elly bi A tkallimoh. huwa c auz jit c allim el lisan elly jitkal- 
 limuh en nahar da, mus el lisan elly itkallimuh min muddet 
 humsemyt sene. — el alifbe ma c mula min ginsen min el 
 huruf: huruf laha sot wala natiqa; we huruf bala sot wala 
 sakita. el huruf en natiqa ginsen : qusaijara (a, e, i, o, i/J 
 we tawyla fa, e,y, o, u). baqy huruf alifbe, min harf el be 
 lil ahir, hyje huruf sakita (b li hadd // 
 
 saqqdra, elly kdn ismalm zamdn ment, kanet auwal taljt 
 li bilad masr; baden luasor, elly kdnu el jundn ]isam- 
 muha tebes, baqct taht masr ; we bad luasor baqet isken- 
 deryje et taht. el z agam daJjalu masr min aktar min alfen 
 sene we hakaniuha muddet myten sene taqryban. fy yjdm 
 er rumdn (et taljdnijyn el quddm) we el jundn, iskenderyje 
 kanet hyje taht masr. iskender el kebyr, melik er rum, bana 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 medynet iskenderyje we indafan fyha. — fy scnet tamantdsar 
 min el higra dahal c amr, general el halvfc c omar, bildd masr, 
 we kdnet waqtaha tab" a 11 mamlakct er rum ; we ahad 
 iskenderyje fy scnet wdhid we c esryn min el higra. z omar 
 kdn el Ijalyfc fy dimisq es sdm. huwa bana masr el qdhira, 
 taljt el hukume li bildd masr. masr sdret guz min mam- 
 lakct ct turk fy scnet Q22 HI higra. — akbar feldsifet el 
 c arab ibn sync, el maruf c and el iferang bi ism avisenna, 
 we ibn rnsd, ct maruf c anduhum bi ism averrhoes. ibn 
 sync inwalad fy bnhdra scnet j$8 higry/c, we ibn rusd in- 
 ivalad jip bildd esbdnje scnet 520 higryje. — el maqryzy mat 
 scnet 81 g higryje ; huwa katab gogrdfyjet masr city inta- 
 ba c ct fy matbact buldq ; we ab el mahdsin katab tdryh masr 
 miu yjdm cl haly/c c omar li //add mot cl mcallif scnet 84J 
 higryje. we ibn haJdun kdn min a lam cl masrijyn, we katab 
 tdryh tawyl li masr.- — cl kitdb city kataboh batlymos, cl 
 feldsuf er rumy, c ala en nugfim targimoh bit c araby cl fcr- 
 gdny. — cl gabr c ilm hisdb a. la, jistamilu fyh cl huruf bi- 
 ddl cl a c ddd. 
 
 Proverbs. 
 
 el yd el battale nigise. 
 
 iftakarna el qutt gana jenutt. 
 
 el hasud la jesud. 
 
 ma ba c d es sabr ilia el qabr. 
 
 el hurfib nuss es saga c a. 
 
 Ms min fummak jetul kummak. 
 
 161a el kasura ma kanet el fahura. 
 
 el awar ben el c imy sultan. 
 
 m% fyhs warde bala sok, la. halawe bala nar. 
 
 gajib ly hakym gasym \% ja c raf et tyn min el c agyn. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 basal bi hamse we bi Ijamse basal. 
 
 min talab el c ula sihir el lejaly. 
 
 el jom elly jefdt ahsan min elly jigy. 
 
 in kan lak c and el kelb haga, qui loh : "ja sydy! " 
 
 j6m c asal we jom basal. 
 
 utlub eg gar qabl ed dar, we el rafyq qabl et taryq. 
 
 min taanna nal ma jitmanna. 
 
 elly fy ydak aqrab min elly fy gebak. 
 
 " es biddak, ja a c ma ? " " quffet c ujun. " 
 
 el qird c and ummoh gazal. 
 
 qabl ma timsy suf rajih tehott riglak fen. 
 
 elly c ala rasoh batha jihassis c aleha. 
 
 en nar wala el 'ar. 
 
 in tili c el c eb min ahl el c eb ma hus c 6b. 
 
 es eab tiih fv melvsr 
 
 A Story. 
 
 kan ragil ruziq bi waled we firih boh. kan biddoh 
 jister) r loh mahd. rah li wahid naggar we idda loh ma- 
 salan rijal we qal loh: " i c mil ly mahd: " qal loh en nag- 
 gar: "taijib! nahar el gum c a ta c ala we hod el mahd!" 
 ja c ny ba c d tamant yjam kan el hamys. nahar el gum c a 
 er ragil rah loh, we qal loh: " hat el mahd! " qal loh 
 en naggar: " lissa mns halas. " we it c ahhar en naggar 
 lamma misy el waled, we kibir, we itgauwiz we istaulid 
 waled, qal li abuh : " c auz mahd li ibny. " qal loh abuh : 
 " riih en naggar el fulan}* ana wassetoh bi mahd jibqa 
 dilwaqt c esryn sene ; hodoh minnoh ! " rah en naggar, 
 qal loh : " hat el mahd elly wassak boh abuje we idda lak 
 rijal ! " qal loh en naggar : " hod er rijal, ma ahibbis asta c - 
 gil es sugl! " 
 
2 4 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 Verse. 
 
 ana el wabfir iswid gatys 
 we mustaraje alfen kys ; 
 dol jihdimuny efendyje 
 mitrahifyn nazilyje 
 kull wahid bi mahyje 
 hilaf el daira we el dywan. 
 
 huwa. — " ja munjet el qalb, qui ly we es baqa jigra? 
 adi telatyn sene haddam bala ugra ; 
 we adi telatyn sene we ana warak sanwah ; u. 
 we adi telatyn sene haddy lukum madas ; 
 we adi telatyn sene we basma c kalam en nas ; 
 we adi telatyn sene we el bab qussad el bab ; 
 myje we tamanyn sene ma hadd radd gawab. " 
 
 hyje. — " in get min el bab isha el bauwab jidrabak! 
 we in sret min el het u c a es si lie wa? c a bak ! 
 we in tirt fil gau saija c t el c uqab gabak ; 
 we in get min el bahr et timsah aula bak. 
 
 kuwa. — " in get min el bab halletoh sab c at ilwah, 
 we in get min el het halletoh sadah we madah, 
 we in tirt fil gau aksar lil c uqab eg ginah, 
 we elly halaqny jinaggyny min et timsah. 
 
The Story of the Alphabet. 
 
 The alphabet here represented and explained is that 
 of the living language of Egypt. It consists of thirty-four 
 letters, of which the first ten express pure vowel sounds — - 
 five short in their nature, and five long. No existing 
 tongue possesses' an alphabet embracing so wide a vocal 
 range, and at the same time of so simple a character; 
 and few nationalities can boast of one which can be so 
 rapidly acquired, or so readily applied both in writing and 
 printing. It may be generally described as a modification 
 of the Latin letters, devised with no little ingenuity, and 
 adapted with no little skill to the vocabulary in use, at 
 the present day, by the inhabitants of the Nile valley. 
 Properly speaking, it is not to be regarded as a system 
 of transcribing, or transliterating, the elements of any other 
 alphabet, but rather as an independent ABC, specially 
 elaborated to express, in the clearest and most convenient 
 manner, the vocal and consonantal articulations of this 
 newest Egyptian tongue. It is to be treated as belonging 
 to the Egyptians, just as the German alphabet belongs 
 to the Germans, or the Greek alphabet to the Greeks, or 
 the Persian alphabet to the Persians. It is not intended 
 to be used in writing any other form of speech, and, in 
 particular, it cannot be employed, without material alter- 
 ation and extension, in writing the classical or Koranic 
 Arabic — often styled the Old-Arabic — -which is the parent 
 
26 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 of the modern Egyptian. Its component letters are here 
 arranged, to some extent, morphologically — a method 
 which, as a noted English writer tells us, " is very conve- 
 nient for the learner; letters of similar form being brought 
 into juxtaposition, it becomes easy to compare them, and 
 to remember minute distinctions in their outlines. " J ) But 
 the classification of the letters is not a matter of grave 
 importance. The Old-Arabic alphabet, as it has been, in 
 the course of time, adopted and adapted by various Asiatic 
 nations, differs more or less, in each country, in order and 
 extent, from its primitive. We have grown accustomed, 
 too, in these days of investigation, to see all alphabets 
 arranged, by the grammarians, for their special purposes, 
 in differing groups in accordance with varying schemes 
 of collocation or of classification. This new alphabet — so 
 simple yet so complete — owes its origin to that most 
 ardent friend of the Egyptian people — that most zealous 
 and most successful of all students of the Egyptian dialect, 
 
 Wilhelm Spitta, 
 
 who was born June 14, 1853, in the little Hanoverian town 
 of Wittengen, and died at the baths of Lippspringe, in 
 the principality of Lippe, September 6, 1883. Within the 
 narrow limits of an existence of three decades it has rarely 
 happened that a single brain has wrought so much and 
 wrought so well. But that brain was fortunate enough to 
 discover its proper field of study and energy at an extra- 
 ordinarily early age. While still young, Wilhelm lost his 
 father, the lyric poet, Philipp Spitta, from whom he inher- 
 ited the quick intelligence and early mental maturity, which 
 enabled him to begin his Oriental studies even during his 
 gymnasial years. These were passed at Hildesheim, the 
 
 1) The Alphabet by Isaac Taylor (London, 1883), I, p. 189. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 picturesque cradle of North-German art, whence, after a 
 brilliant exit-examination, he entered the university of Got- 
 tingen at the Easter term of 1871 ; but ultimately, having 
 meanwhile undergone his year of military service, he trans- 
 ferred his studies, for the sake of the Arabic instruction of 
 Heinrich Fleischer, to the university of Leipsic, at which 
 great school he took his doctorate early in 1875. So evi- 
 dent and so eminent were his qualifications for the post 
 that, through the efforts and recommendations of his teach- 
 er, Fleischer, and of the Egyptologist, Georg Ebers, he 
 was appointed, while still an undergraduate in the univer- 
 sity, the successor of Ludwig Stern as director of the Vice- 
 regal Library which had been founded at Cairo in 1870 
 by the khedive Isma c yl. He assumed the duties of this 
 office April 5, 1875 — not }" et twenty-two years of age. 
 The following year he published at Leipsic his valuable 
 tractate, " Zur Geschichte Abu c l-hasan al Ascharis " — a 
 paper first drawn up in order to serve as his doctor's 
 dissertation. This was succeeded later on by various con- 
 tributions to the Oriental journals of Europe; it was fol- 
 lowed, as well, by numberless hours of ready and un- 
 grudging help to students and others, who sought his 
 scholarly aid, and by generous counsel and assistance in 
 all undertakings promising to be of advantage to Egypt, 
 its people or its letters. But to all outward appearance 
 his heart was most of all in his official work. When, on 
 April 19, 1882, he was deprived by the minister of edu- 
 cation of the position he had so ably filled — a conse- 
 quence of the oligarchic fanaticism which had raised the 
 ignorant c Araby and his fellow conspirators to power — he 
 could write to a learned compatriot thus: — " In truth the 
 existing organization of the Library, in all its departments, 
 is my work. I have re-arranged and catalogued, with my 
 
28 
 
 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 own hand, its European section; of the Oriental division I 
 have compiled a card-catalogue by authors, with shelf-lists, 
 and have very nearly ready for the press two big volumes 
 of a scientifically-classified catalogue. I have brought the 
 collection from 13.000 volumes to 30.000 — of which 20.000 
 are Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts. The present 
 personnel is my creation, and T have even taught the art of 
 cataloguing to my successor. All this has been the labour 
 of seven hard years. " These " seven hard years " were 
 more fruitful for Egypt, as we shall hereafter see, than 
 were the Pharaonic " seven years of great plenty. " 
 
 Those who had the good fortune, as did the writer 
 of these pages, to see Spitta be engaged at his work in 
 the important Cairene collection of books, were amazed 
 at both the quantity and the quality of the labour he was 
 accomplishing. He seemed to them the model librarian — a 
 combination of the highest intelligence with the highest fac- 
 ulties of administration and industry. Little did many of 
 his interested visitors dream that those long hours of dili- 
 gence represented the less valuable portion of the task 
 he had assigned himself. Few, certainly, of his European 
 associates, understood that outside of that not very whole- 
 some edifice in the darb el gamamyz, in which were 
 housed the precious volumes under his charge, he was 
 building himself (during hours which should have been 
 hours of restful leisure) a monument which can never 
 decay. He made his home, from the beginning, in an Ara- 
 bic household, and during much of his unofficial time came 
 into contact only with natives, taking down from their 
 mouths, with untiring assiduity, glossaries, idiomatic say- 
 ings, proverbs and popular tales. Amid these surround- 
 ings, or arranging, during his summer vacations, the abun- 
 dant material thus accumulated, he at length brought 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 29 
 
 to a conclusion, before the earliest five of his " seven hard 
 years " had completely elapsed, his systematic investiga- 
 tions into the living speech of Egypt. The result was, 
 as has been more than once remarked, " the first scien- 
 tific treatment of a modern Arabic dialect; " and not often 
 has a first treatment been so exhaustive. His " Gram- 
 matik des arabischen Vulgardialectes von Aegypten " was 
 published in the latter half of 1880, and was followed by 
 its supplementary volume, the "Contes Arabes Modernes " 
 in 1 883 — almost in his dying hours. These two works form, 
 perhaps, the most remarkable contribution to Oriental lin- 
 guistics during the last quarter of a century, and are, in 
 every respect, models of philological research and state- 
 ment. No one who has read the deeply-interesting pref- 
 ace to the " Grammatik " can doubt the warmth of the 
 hope which he entertained that the work — as his biogra- 
 pher expresses it — " might contribute to the elevation of 
 the spoken dialect into a written language, thereby bridg- 
 ing over that deep chasm between the idiom of the people 
 and the idiom of literature, which is the greatest obstruc- 
 tion in the path of Egyptian progress. " 
 
 The striking and forcible paragraph which closes the 
 preface has been frequently cited, but a translation of it 
 here can hardly be out of place : — " Finally I will ven- 
 ture to give utterance to a hope which, during the compi- 
 lation of this work, I have constantly cherished; it is a 
 hope which concerns Egypt itself, and touches a matter 
 which, for it and its people, is almost a question of life or 
 death. Every one who has lived, for a considerable pe- 
 riod, in an Arabic-speaking land knows how seriously all its 
 activities are affected by the wide divergence of the written 
 language from the spoken. Under such circumstances there 
 can be no thought of popular culture ; for how is it possi- 
 
3 o The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 ble, in the brief period of primary instruction, to acquire 
 even a half-way knowledge of so difficult a tongue as the lite- 
 rary Arabic, when, in the secondary schools, youths undergo 
 the torture of its study during several years without arriving 
 at other than the most unsatisfying results ? Of course 
 the unfortunate graphic medium — the complex alphabet — 
 is in great part to blame for all this ; yet how much easier 
 would the matter become if the student had merely to write 
 the tongue which he speaks, instead of being forced to write 
 a language which is as strange to the present generation of 
 Egyptians as the Latin is to the people of Italy, or the Old- 
 Greek to the inhabitants of Greece — a language which, 
 without being the popular speech, is no longer even the 
 classical Arabic ! A real literature cannot be thus devel- 
 oped ; for only the limited cultivated class knows how to use 
 a book ; to the mass of the people a book is really a thing 
 unknown. If he have need to write a letter, or execute a 
 document, the ordinary man of the people must put himself 
 blindly into the hands of a professional scribe ; he must 
 trustingly sign the most important papers with a seal 
 which he cannot read, and which may be and is easily 
 imitated. Why can this lamentable condition of things 
 not be changed for the better? Simply because there is 
 a fear, if the language of the Koran be wholly given up, 
 of incurring the charge of trespassing upon the domain 
 of religion. But the Koranic language is now nowhere 
 written ; for wherever you find a written Arabic it is the 
 Middle-Arabic of the offices. Even the dubious unity of 
 the Islamitic peoples would not be disturbed by the adop- 
 tion of the spoken vernacular, since the language of prayer 
 and of the ritual would still remain everywhere the same. 
 It is also asserted that the New-Arabic is wholly unfit to 
 become the language of the pen because it obeys no fixed 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 laws, and flows on without any syntactic restrictions. I 
 venture to believe that the present publication proves that 
 the speech of the people is not so completely incapable 
 of discipline; that, on the contrary, it possesses an abun- 
 dance of grammatical niceties; and that it is precisely the 
 simplicity of its syntax, the plasticity of its verbal construc- 
 tion, which will make it a most serviceable instrument. Did 
 the Italian seem any more promising when Dante wrote his 
 Divine Comedy? And would a commission of the most 
 learned and most expert men of Egypt, not be able to 
 do infinitely better that which it has not appeared to me, 
 a foreigner, too difficult to undertake ? " 
 
 The distinguished Eduard Meyer — himself a sad loss 
 to the ranks of Germany's orientalists before he had reached 
 his real maturity — was Spitta's most intimate associate in 
 his university years and afterwards. He thus describes Spitta 
 during his Leipsic clays: — ■" He had an aspect full of vigor 
 and comeliness; the weakness which had affected him in his 
 boyish years had completely vanished ; and no one who 
 looked at him could have divined that he was doomed to be a 
 victim of pulmonary disease. The strong moral seriousness 
 and lofty nobility of his nature were evident in everything he 
 did or said. " The same friend affectingly adds: — " Per- 
 sonally I know not how to do him other honor than to de- 
 clare thus publicly that the greater part of whatever I may 
 either intend, or may accomplish, will be based upon princi- 
 ples which we unitedly developed. " As early as the last 
 months of 1877 his physical appearence already showed 
 slight changes, but in the winter of 1880-81 he was still 
 a striking and attractive personage — perhaps handsomer 
 because of the hectic flush which tinged his cheeks, and pre- 
 saged the sure fate awaiting him. In society he was often 
 modestly reticent, but when he did talk the listener soon 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 recognized the depth and breadth of his knowledge. He 
 was familiar with most of the languages of Europe, and 
 with all of those of the east which have adopted the Old- 
 Arabic alphabet, although his Oriental studies began with 
 the Sanscrit. In the literature of bibliography, and of 
 bibliothecal management he was well versed. Like all his 
 family he was fond of music, which was almost his only 
 diversion; and his finely-trained ear stood him in good 
 stead in testing and fixing the fluctuating and uncertain 
 vowel-sounds of Egyptian speech. One may occasionally 
 doubt the correctness of his transcription, but after hearing 
 the word in question pronounced by a dozen different native 
 voices the decision is generally in favor of the Spitta or- 
 thography. 
 
 Looking back upon the hours of intercourse with him, 
 and recalling a thousand instructive incidents indicating his 
 extraordinary intellectual capacity, it is impossible not to 
 wonder what a score of years, added to his scanty score 
 and a half, might not have enabled him to accomplish. 
 But whatever his additional achievements might have been 
 it is certain that they would have largely benefited the 
 Egypt he so loved — how deeply and truly may be judged 
 from the concluding words (the very last he wrote) of the 
 introduction to his " Contes Arabes Modernes: " — " Au 
 moment ou j'6cris ces lignes, je vais quitter l'Egypte pro- 
 bablement pour toujours, assurement pour longtemps. Je 
 serais content si, par les pages suivantes, je gagnais quel- 
 ques nouveaux amis a la vieille Egypte populaire, humble 
 et cachee, mais forte par la chaleur interieure de sa vie, 
 par l'intimite et la naivete de ses sentiments — a cette 
 Egypte inconnue des financiers et des diplomates, qui, 
 depuis les Pharaons jusqu'a nos jours, a survecu a toutes 
 les civilisations. " 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 33 
 
 Preceding Steps and Studies. 
 
 What the Germans style the " Transcriptionsfrage " 
 which may be loosely denned as the question of writing 
 extra-European languages by means of a European or mod- 
 ified European alphabet — has produced a considerable 
 literature. The history of this branch of philological work 
 cannot, of course, be portrayed here at any length. The 
 efforts of English scholarship, so far as this kind of re- 
 search is concerned, have been chiefly limited to the lan- 
 guages of India. They began with an essay by Sir Wil- 
 liam Jones — a man memorable in many ways — " On the 
 Orthography of Asiatic Words in Roman Letters " (1788). 
 His observations show great insight, technical and otherwise, 
 for he objects to the use of" double letters " to express a 
 single vowel sound, and to the intermixture of "Roman and 
 Italic letters " in the same word, which, he remarks, " both 
 in writing and printing would be very inconvenient. " He 
 did not however adopt throughout the principle of" one 
 sound, one letter; " and the little he attempted in the tran- 
 scription of Arabic, evinced a marked deficiency of knowl- 
 edge in regard to the phonology of that tongue. He in- 
 sisted on giving to the European vowels their Italian 
 values, but in the crude condition of philological studies, 
 at that time, he failed to see that the English consonantal 
 system is, in many respects, as barbarous as its vowel 
 scheme. On the whole, however, he exhibited qualities 
 which were hardly again united in the same mind until 
 the appearance, more than two generations later, of 
 Lepsius and Spitta. But his good endeavours were thwart- 
 ed by an inferior scholar, John Gilchrist, who, in his 
 grammatical and lexicographical works on the Hindu- 
 stani (1 787-1 796), adopted, in his transcriptions, the En- 
 
34 
 
 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 glish alphabet pure and simple, heedless of its defects 
 and anomalies. It is Gilchrist who is responsible for the 
 uncouth orthography of Indian local and personal names 
 so long prevalent in English publications, and not yet 
 wholly abandoned. Sometime after 1830 Sir Charles Tre- 
 velyan, a man of varied ability and familiar with many of 
 the Indian idioms, made a serious attempt to recur to 
 the methods of Sir William Jones which partially suc- 
 ceeded 1 ); later an Max Muller, as we shall hear, proposed 
 a complete revision of the previous method of transliter- 
 ation, but his combination of Roman and Italic letters, 
 long before justly condemned by Sir William Jones, gave 
 evidence of that want of proper aptitude for this kind of 
 labour, which has been common to many minds otherwise 
 of high philological astuteness. Dr. Caldwell, Sir Monier 
 Monier- Williams 2 > and the Rev. George Uglow Pope, as 
 well as a special committee of the Madras Literary Society, 
 followed in the track of Trevelyan, the second-named 
 displaying great good sense, but some of the others 
 clinging to the clumsy double consonants (especially ch 
 and sh). 
 
 In France the acute, but not always profound Volney 
 was the first to take up w T ith seriousness the subject of 
 expressing Asiatic and African vocables by means ot 
 European letters; he did this in connection with the pub- 
 lication of the results of the Napoleonic scientific sur- 
 vey of Egypt (1795), an d> at a subsequent period (18 18), 
 
 1) Original Papers illustrating the History of the Application of the Ro 
 Alphabet to the Languages of India, by Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan, edited by 
 Monier Williams (London, 1859). Interesting reviews of these papers appeared in the 
 London Athenceum (1859, II, p. 628), in the Calcutta Review (July, 1864) and in 
 the London Reader (1863, II, p. 604 and 1865, I, p. 598). 
 
 2) Bagh o Bahar : the Hindustani Text of Mir Amman: edited in Roma7i Type, 
 with Xotes, and an introductory Chapter on the Use of the Roman Character in Oriental 
 Languages, by Monier Williams (London, 1859). 
 
7V/c Egyptian . Xlphabet 35 
 
 presented a more carefully elaborated scheme. In his 
 earlier method he employed two characters to represent 
 a single sound in only a single case, but his mixture of 
 Greek and Latin letters, and some of his peculiar graphic 
 modifications of the Latin alphabetical signs made a wri- 
 ting at once unseemly and complicated; his final alphabet 
 was an improvement, but his mingled Italic and Roman 
 letters, his superlinear letters, his retention of several 
 Greek letters, as well as some other features of his alphabet, 
 kept his text still far from sightly. The Germans were 
 late in the field, but, as in so man}- other portions of the 
 linguistic domain, their labors were more fruitful. In his 
 Latin transliteration of Sanscrit words Bopp (1833) led the 
 van in forsaking the unsvstematic modes of transcription, 
 but was soon followed by Brockhaus, Benfey and the whole 
 Sanscrit school — one of Germany's greatest glories — while, 
 in treating in the same way the Old-Arabic alphabet, the late 
 Karl Paul Caspari and Fleischer were not slow to make im- 
 portant innovations in the right direction. 
 
 In the meantime physiology had come to the aid of 
 philology, and the new science of phonology was growing 
 up. This led to a treatment of the subject on a wider 
 scale as well as by juster methods. Moreover a new stim- 
 ulus from a novel source was given to these alphabet- 
 ical studies. It was in 1848 that the Rev. Henry Venn, 
 the secretary of the Church Missionary Society in London, 
 issued his " Rules for reducing unwritten Languages to al- 
 phabetical Writing, " for the benefit more particularly of 
 missionaries in various parts of Africa. In many other 
 quarters the subject was now taken up with energy. The 
 accomplished Christian Bunsen — then Prussian ambass 
 in England — enlisted several noted philologists and other 
 scholars in the movement, summoning them to a conference 
 
3 6 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 in London. Among those participating were Trevelyan, 
 who still supported the alphabetical ideas of Sir William 
 Jones, and Max Muller, *) who devised and advocated an 
 entirely new scheme to which allusion has already been 
 made, but which was soon overshadowed by that emana- 
 ting from Berlin. In that city Richard Lepsius, incited 
 by the missionary organizations, interested himself in the 
 matter, for the treatment of which his previous studies 
 had specially fitted him, soon producing his " Standard Al- 
 phabet" (1855), and ultimately a second edition (1863) with 
 modifications. 2 ) Between these two issues came his treatise 
 " Ueber die Ausprache und die Umschrift cler arabischen 
 Laute " (Berlin, 1 861). The " Standard Alphabet " is a vast 
 contrivance of nearly eighty sonant expressions, notable 
 beyond all preceding efforts for its technical excellence, 
 and for the evidence of common sense, as well as of schol- 
 arly research, which characterizes it. Five diphthongs 
 are expressed by double vowels ; nine letters are either 
 derived from the Greek alphabet or are arbitrary signs; 
 and the remainder are all Latin letters modified by dia- 
 critical marks. It includes a distinct representative of 
 every possible variety of human articulation. But its chief 
 utility is in furnishing a written medium for the wholly 
 uncultivated tribal tongues — unconnected, even remotely, 
 with any form of written speech — and in which it seems 
 unlikely that any great printed literature will ever exist; 
 
 i) Proposals for a Missionary Alphabet by Max Muller (London, 1855, with 
 a folio volume of alphabets). As late as 1867, when his " Outline Dictionary" was 
 published, Professor Max Midler, in his transliteration of foreign alphabets, still made 
 use of both Italic and Roman letters. 
 
 2) Standard Alphabet for reducing unwritten Languages and foreign graphic 
 Systems to a uniform Orthography in European Letters, by C. R. Lepsius (London, 
 1863, but printed in Merlin). The slight historical sketch of the subject here given 
 is greatly indebted, for its facts and dates, to this second edition of the treatise of 
 Lepsius. 
 
The Egyptia7i Alphabet 
 
 in that aspect it has undoubtedly been a boon to the mis- 
 sionary world. For other purposes it has proved less 
 useful ; and it has never been generally applied to any con- 
 siderable linguistic group. 
 
 Spitta's Work. 
 
 With all that had thus been discussed and done by 
 the preceding scholars — -English, French and German— 
 whose names have here been cited, and by many others 
 to whom no reference has been made, Spitta was minutely 
 familiar. He approached the alphabetical part of his task. 
 however, with the sole idea of evolving the simplest and 
 clearest medium of expression for a language which was. 
 as yet, unendowed with any, but which was the daughter 
 of a tongue possessing one too cumbersome for national 
 use, too complex in its character for the purposes of mod- 
 ern life. Although still an unwritten speech it was des- 
 tined, unless all the experience gained from the history 
 of linguistic development be misleading, to blossom out, 
 at no remote date, into the flowery freshness of a new 
 literature. Spitta was, perhaps, the only available person 
 of his day, who could look at his undertaking, as it grew 
 into realization, from every point of view. Repossessed 
 all the imaginable qualifications for his task — not a few 
 of which, as has already been stated — had been notably 
 lacking in those who had heretofore occupied themselves 
 with the invention or designing of alphabets — with the 
 evolution of schemes of transliteration. He was not only 
 an able philologist and phonologist, but he perfectly un- 
 derstood every phase and feature — even those technical 
 subtleties generally known only to the expert — of the arts 
 of writing and printing. This is a most important con- 
 sideration, for an alphabet must serve three very dissim- 
 
3 s The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 ilar ends — it has to be read, it has to be written and 
 it has to be printed. A scholar may know whether the 
 alphabet be such that, through its proper expression of 
 the proper sounds, the language can be satisfactorily read, 
 but only the calligraphist can decide whether it be fit for the 
 purposes of chirography, only the printer can judge whether 
 it be available for the aims of typography. Want of this 
 technical availability has recently resulted in the speedy 
 condemnation of a method of transcribing Arabic, adopted, 
 after much learned travail, by a congress of Orientalists — a 
 method which, at a glance, shows the absence of any prac- 
 tical, artistic or mechanical expertness in the committee 
 which devised it; for it employs signs inconvenient in cal- 
 ligraphy and nearly impossible in typography. T) 
 
 The alphabet of Spitta uses a single Latin character 
 to express a simple phonetic element — an absolutely es- 
 sential condition — such combinations as eh, oh, kk, sh find- 
 ing no place in it, and indeed no literal combinations what- 
 ever being used except those representing the diphthongal 
 ai and au. This avoids every chance of obscurity, for if you 
 use S as one sonant sign, // as another, and sh for a third 
 
 I) A diacritical sign frequently used in the system of transliteration for Arabic, 
 reported by a committee to a late Congress of Orientalists at Geneva, is made by the 
 awkward process of a stroke backward, followed by a stroke forward — an operation 
 which will not commend itself to the calligraphist. What would the writer of En- 
 glish think, if instead of dotting the i he were constantly obliged to complete this 
 double stroke? Among the letters to which this diacritical wonder must be subscript 
 is the g (to represent the c gen) — but the downward extension of the printed^ already 
 goes as far below the line as is possible without impinging upon the type below it. 
 How do the astute devisers of this scheme propose to get the type-founders to cast, 
 or the printers to use such an impossible type? Unless they intend to cut off the 
 lower end of the letter, and put the sign under the tail of the g as it were, the mark 
 must at best be made too minute to remain Jong unbroken. But when the student 
 has fairly decided to learn and to employ this congressional method of transcription 
 he will find that, after all, he need not feel himself obliged to adhere to it, for he 
 is told that, in many cases, in place of the transliterating letter the substitution of 
 a combination of two other letters is " permissible. " For instance, in place of the 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 39 
 
 sound, how are you to know when the two letters are to 
 be pronounced individually and when together, in other 
 terms, whether you are to read ashal as as-hal or ash-al? 
 Considered from the outset as a genuine alphabet, and not 
 as a mere artificial contrivance for transliterating another 
 alphabet, it, of course, admits of no confusing alternatives, 
 such, for example, as allowing ch or kh to be written at 
 the will of the transcriber for //. Each Latin character, 
 too, retains its identity, its personal individuality, its pure 
 Latinity, so to speak, without disfigurement by over-heavy 
 or wrongly-placed appendages. The letters are modified 
 solely by additions, not by organic charges of form; and 
 those additions are of the simplest and slightest sort — dots 
 and strokes — such as can be read and written with the utmost 
 ease, and printed with the utmost facility and distinctness. 
 These diacritical marks, as they are usually styled, are all 
 superscript or subscript, never lateral adjuncts, disturb- 
 ing the letter's perpendicular simplicity and obscuring its 
 outline. In Spitta, too, there was the sense of the artist as 
 well as the wisdom of the scholar and the cunning of the 
 craftsman — another essential for the profession of the alpha- 
 
 g, with the double backward and forward stroke under it, he may write for c gen 
 the combination gh; instead of s with the same subscript double stroke he may, 
 at his own sweet will, write sh. Again, if it does not please him to put two dots 
 under a t (to express id) he is allowed to put only one. But it is hardly worth while 
 to mention the other absurdities of this scheme, of which there are many. The 
 evident dissatisfaction with the report of the committee felt by that high Arabic author- 
 ity, Dr. Albert Socin, is not strange, although his expression of it seems not by 
 any means as critically severe as it might well have been — a forbearance which may 
 possibly have arisen from his personal relations to the committee. The same may 
 be said of the strictures upon the Geneva scheme in a more recent brochure, " Die 
 Transcription fremder Alphabete " (Leipzig, 1897) by Professor Ernst Kuhn and the 
 distinguished librarian, Hans Schnorr von Carolsfeld, of Munich. This little work is 
 intended particularly for the use of book-cataloguers, that is for calligraphic purposes. 
 Otherwise useful, it is perhaps marred by giving too little consideration to the exi- 
 gencies of typography. It seems to grant the impropriety of /=soft g, but decides to 
 use it; and it abandons, with reason, the " permissible " variants of the Geneva report. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 betist, if we may coin that term. No unseemly, outre, non- 
 homogeneous or non-accordant letters (like those with which 
 many who attempt to follow in the footsteps of Cadmus are 
 so apt to disfigure their text) break the neat uniformity of 
 the lines, paragraphs and pages which are written or printed 
 with these Egyptian characters. x ) 
 
 One marked instance of Spitta's scholarly, practical 
 sagacity- — unusual because both scholarly and practical in 
 an extreme degree — is his treatment of what may possibly 
 be styled the i-group. His employment of the/ — the 
 true consonantal i — for the sound expressed by the final 
 letter of the Old-Arabic alphabet is warranted on histor- 
 ical, philological and typographical grounds. It is sanc- 
 tioned also by general usage, since a considerable majority 
 of the peoples making use of the Latin alphabet in any form 
 have adopted it as the representative of that phonetic 
 element. In fact only the English, the French and Por- 
 tuguese, and the Spanish give to the j another value, and 
 those nationalities all differ from each other in the char- 
 acter of that value — the English sounding it like soft g, 
 the French and Portuguese like zh, and the Spanish like 
 the German guttural cJi. Spitta's employment of it for its 
 legitimate purpose enabled him to avail himself of the char- 
 acter y — another /-letter — for the rightful long sound 
 
 i) If any curious person desire to see a noteworthy example of alphabetical 
 uncouthness let him examine either of two works — one by an Austrian and the other 
 by an English professor. The first has little to do with the newer Egyptian speech, 
 is entitled " Die Transcription des Arabischen Alphabetes " (Wien, i860), and is by 
 Professor II. A. Barb. The other is " A Handbook of Modern Arabic " (Lon- 
 don, 1866), the author of which is Professor Francis W. Newman. Both are cu- 
 riosities, each in its own way. Of that class of works which attempts to reproduce 
 Egyptian sounds by the unaided use of the English alphabet there are no end of 
 specimens. The method they favor may be styled the dragomannic system of tran- 
 scription — for many of them are compiled by ambitious Syrian or Egyptian interpre- 
 ters. But whatever be the nationality of their compilers they are almost equally en- 
 tertaining to the orthographical student. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 of i (that is, of ie in shield). This selection proves how 
 carefully he had studied the typographical side of alpha- 
 bets. He comprehended the inevitable inconvenience, in 
 printing, of an accented i — the accent, after slight usage, 
 almost invariably breaking off from the thin and frail body, 
 or becoming so worn or battered that it is no longer 
 distinguishable from the ordinary dot of the letter. Even 
 a tyro in the art of printing would comprehend the utter 
 impracticability of adopting, in an alphabet for general 
 use, an accented i (whatever may be the form of the ac- 
 cent) to express any sound of very frequent recurrence. 
 Furthermore to accent an i — so far as printing is con- 
 cerned — is to deliberately disfigure it by removing one 
 of its essential features, since the dot must generally be 
 eliminated to make place for the accent. The adoption 
 of the / for the consonantal Arabic j'e, and of y for the 
 long /-sound (as in fiend), are of themselves sufficient to 
 demonstrate the study, the acumen and the broad discern- 
 ment brought by Spitta to the execution of his arduous 
 undertaking. 1 ) 
 
 i) One of the absurd phases of our wonted extreme Englishness — so often 
 satirized even by ourselves — is our demand that foreigners, in our intercourse with 
 them, adopt and use, for our especial comfort and convenience, English customs and 
 forms. If we do not succeed in bringing this about we cannot too severely censure 
 the outside world for thus failing to cut its cloth according to our measures — than 
 which we can imagine none better. Such a national habitude is not merely national 
 obstinacy. It is often, if we but knew it, an unwitting acknowledgment of our 
 own ignorance or backwardness in certain fields of life or activity ; or mayhap an 
 equally unintentional confession of slowness of comprehension beyond certain intel- 
 lectual limits. An example in point is the tardiness of the whole Anglo-saxon world 
 in accepting the metrical system — long since naturalized even among our sister Ger- 
 manic peoples. That this English trait is as striking in linguistic matters as elsewhere 
 the pages of Notes and Queries — to cite one particular witness — abundantly and 
 constantly testify; and everybody will recall the case of the American diplomatist 
 who thought that all foreign governments should pass strenuous laws forbidding their 
 subjects to speak any language but English. A student of almost any race but our 
 own, with the fine early training given in so many continental schools, can readily 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 Something must be said in this place of the four 
 semi-vowels to which Spitta had recourse in reducing- to 
 writing the spoken Egyptian, in order to express the more 
 obscure vocal articulations. These find no place in an al- 
 phabet for permanent practical and popular use. That it 
 is hardly the province of such an alphabet to indicate the 
 more delicate shades of sound Spitta was himself aware. 
 He expressly states that, in transcribing, he has largely 
 confined himself to the simple vowels, a, i, and v, instead 
 of always endeavouring to reproduce with exactness the ob- 
 scurer vowel-tones, " da einestheils solche feine Niiancen 
 doch wieder nur durch conventionelle Zeichen wiederge- 
 
 comprehend that no Latin character so fittingly represents the consonantal z'-sound 
 as does the letter /, but anybody who peruses the English philological literature of 
 the day will frequently have occasion to observe that even experienced English-speak- 
 ing writers on linguistic science cannot wholly rid themselves, in this respect, of 
 their intellectual insularity; while in the case of less learned people the prejudice 
 against the historical and true orthographic use of/ arises as much from a felt lack 
 of mental quickness, training or adaptability, as from any other sentiment. Nothing 
 seems simpler to the average foreigner, when he is authoritatively told that / is the 
 best representative of the Arabic je than to so use it ; but the average Anglo-saxon 
 will none of it. He says, or feels: — " Let the 'blamed furriner ' do what he pleases 
 with his js, I am going to stick to my vs. " But the same obstinate Englishman, 
 when he undertakes to learn German must of necessity acquiesce in the fact that our 
 r-sound is to be expressed by /. Why should he find it more difficult to utter the 
 Egyptian jd (oh!) than the German ja (yes) — the two being pronounced virtually 
 alike? On the other hand, in acquiring French, he must perforce be content to know 
 that /, in that language is pronounced like our z in azure, for he would hardly in- 
 sist that the French be obliged to write z'ai (instead of j'ai) to suit his English eye 
 and ear. In view of the differences in the orthography of the various modern tongues 
 which must be mastered in these days of international intercourse, it ought not to 
 require either a great brain or an extraordinary patience, to fix in one's mind the fact 
 that the learner must write, in the idiomof Egypt, jigy (not yigy),jitkallim (not yitkallim), 
 jom (not vom), c arabyje (not c arabyye or c arab/'ye). This letter/ is, in truth, one of the 
 many confusing elements in our hybrid English alphabet. W T e writz gem , gin and George, 
 but also jam, jelly and James. After the same fashion we articulate the initial con- 
 sonants of get and genial, of gipsy and girdle quite differently, while the two varying 
 orthographical forms, gaol and jail, are sounded exactly alike. The same is to be said 
 likewise of the character y. We treat it as a consonant in you, yellow, steelyard, 
 yonder, and as a vowel element in quay, key, stray, try, rely, while die and dye, 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 43 
 
 geben werden konnen, die das Transcriptionssystem sehr 
 complicirt machen wiirden, andererseits man bci richtiger 
 Articulation der Consonanten von selbst seiner Stimme 
 die Biegung giebt, welche der Aussprache am bequem- 
 sten ist. " Another writer has perhaps expressed the same 
 idea more forcibly by saying that " An alphabet intended 
 for practical purposes can never aim at giving, as it were, 
 a minute image of the varying sounds of language. Letters 
 are meant to indicate the sounds of words, and not to pho- 
 tograph every shade of sound, that occurs in spoken lan- 
 guages. " l ) Such characters as have been referred to are 
 naturally of utility in a dissertation markedly phonological in 
 
 like lie and lye, are as similar in pronunciation as they are diverse in orthography. 
 It is an alphabet like this which the unlettered — and some who style themselves 
 lettered — desire to offer to any still unwritten language in search of a literary me- 
 dium ! In reviewing the literature which concerns itself more or less intimately with 
 the current Egyptian speech it will be found that it is the product of two conflicting 
 classes of persons, all of whom, as friends of Egypt, are quite willing that the Egyp- 
 tians shall learn to read and write. But each class attaches to its good will its own 
 uncompromising condition. The first group consists of those who have passed safely 
 through the wearisome hours necessary to be spent in order to make one's self mas- 
 ter of the Old- Arabic alphabet ; they kindly wish to make the rest of the world 
 undergo the same ordeal; and they thus insist upon applying this antiquated and in- 
 commodious alphabet to everything that can possibly be styled, in any sense, Arabic. 
 It is not even sure that they would not be gratified to witness its extension to other 
 families of languages as well. In other words they say to the mass of the people of 
 Egypt: — "Spend all the school-time — all the intellectual labour — which you can af- 
 ford to spend, in the doubtful endeavour to familiarize yourself with this tedious al- 
 phabet — then go plough your fields, gather your crops, support your families, and 
 thank God all the rest of your lives that you know the Arabic alphabet when you 
 see it ! " Then there is the second class of Egypt's benefactors, which cannot conceive 
 of any alphabetical dress for the Egyptian speech other than that ungainly one so unfor- 
 tunately and so inconveniently worn by the English language. These benevolent 
 people declare that it is quite impossible to understand jiktib and jimsik, unless you 
 write them yiktib and yimsik, or to read jasmyn or jemyn unless you write them 
 yasmeen and yameen. Between these two classes the unhappy Egyptians, who stand 
 waiting, with the untiring patience bred of centuries, for the blessing of a broader 
 culture, may indeed feel that salvation lies only in getting rid of all their friends. 
 
 i) Outline Dictionary for the Use of Missionaries, Explorers and Students of 
 Language, by Max Mailer (London, 1S67), p. xxiv. 
 
TJic Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 its purpose. To retain them in journals and books designed 
 merely for general reading, or elementary instruction, would 
 be like attempting to employ, in writing our own language, 
 the multitude of signs, symbols and figures made use of by 
 Ellis in his invaluable scientific treatise on " English Pro- 
 nunciation; " or like trying to print one of the principal 
 Romance or Germanic tongues of Europe by means of 
 the " Standard Alphabet " of Lepsius. In the same way 
 it appears allowable, if not advisable, to abandon, in prac- 
 tical usage, the employment of Spitta's semi-vowels in their 
 character of " Zwischenvocale, " that is, with the object of 
 filling the hiatus (or cessation of utterance) caused by too 
 many sequent consonants. This hiatus, although certain- 
 ly more marked in the pronunciation of the Semitic dia- 
 lects, is also sufficiently noticeable in some of the Latin 
 languages, in which no expedient of avoiding it has ever 
 been generally adopted. In Italian, for instance, the rule 
 which requires Ispagna (instead of Spagna), after a preced- 
 ing consonant, is fast falling into disuse. In such forms 
 as " go over " and " wasps sting " in English, a similar 
 hiatus is observable. It must then be always remembered, 
 in studying the two important productions of Spitta, that 
 they are in a great degree pioneer works. He was en- 
 deavouring to put on record, for the first time in an intel- 
 ligible way, and at the same time in a final shape, the 
 principal phonetic peculiarities of the Cairene dialect. But 
 he never, in doing this, lost sight of the fact that his main 
 and greatest purpose w r as, as has been said, to provide 
 a proper means of writing that dialect, — -that it might be- 
 come an efficaceous instrument for the education of the 
 whole Egyptian community. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 The Alphabet. 
 
 It is to be noted first of all that the new Egyptian 
 alphabet has one feature in common with the old alphabet 
 of the written Arabic and with all other Oriental alpha- 
 bets — it knows nothing of capital letters. In this respect, 
 too, it fulfils the dream of the philologist — of men like 
 the founders of modern Germanic linguistic studies, the 
 brothers Grimm, in whose noble lexicological work cap- 
 itals have been discarded. The}-, as many other pro- 
 found students of language have done, looked forward to 
 the day when written and printed speech everywhere shall 
 be simplified by the total abolition of the uncial alphabet. 
 The continued use of capitals, after the exigencies of cur- 
 rent writing had led to the adoption of the smaller or 
 technically-styled " lower-case " letters, is a heritage from 
 the mediaeval scribes, who loved variety more than sim- 
 plicity, ornament more than utility, elaborate decoration 
 more than beauty unadorned. Without capitals — large 
 or small — the cost and toil of typography would be sen- 
 sibly diminished — not to speak of the economy of labour 
 effected in teaching and learning. In this latter regard, 
 it would be interesting to understand exactly the feelings 
 of a child, when, after convincing himself, through a pe- 
 riod of much distress, of the individuality and identity 
 of A, B, C, D, E, he finds himself confronted by another 
 long series of characters — a, b, c, d, e, — very different 
 in appearence, which he is told are positively the same 
 thing, having the same names and powers, although he 
 speedily finds that he has to begin to exercise all over 
 again his not vet very robust mental faculties before he 
 can fully complete his alphabetical knowledge. The Eg} p- 
 tian alphabet possessing no capitals, initial words ot sen- 
 
46 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 tences, as well as names of persons and places, begin with 
 the same kind of characters as all other words — as there 
 is indeed no reason why they should not — and so there 
 is one perplexing orthographical rule the less to learn and 
 apply. 
 
 Compared with the Old-Arabic alphabet the Egyptian 
 ABC has 34 characters instead of the 130 or more neces- 
 sary to represent by the former all the consonantal and 
 vocal elements. The so-called " chancery " Arabic — that 
 bar to Saracenic progress — in its journals and other pub- 
 lished works, is obliged to employ this huge Old-Arabic 
 conglomeration of alphabetical signs. Imagine a compos- 
 itor in an English, French or German printing-office con- 
 demned to handle 1 30 distinct types (which do not even 
 include any upper-case characters, nor any marks of punc- 
 tuation, nor any numerals)! But the evil does not end with 
 the printer. The reader likewise suffers; and, above all, edu- 
 cation suffers. Nobody can fail to be struck by the irreg- 
 ularity and distortion of the Arabic printing-alphabet, so 
 far removed, in that respect, from the graceful symmetry 
 and uprightness of the Kufic and other early forms of writ- 
 ing; while the eye is wearied by the indistinctness of the 
 finer lines, the minuteness of the vowel-marks, and the 
 imperspicuity of the various diacritical points and strokes, 
 — all of which are so liable to be shattered or mangled by 
 a little usage as often to make half a dozen words, in a 
 page or column, nearly illegible. No educational torture 
 can be more cruel than to subject the tender eyes of 
 children to such a typography. Many western scholars, 
 although commencing their Arabic studies in adult years, 
 can testify, by sad experience, to the injury inflicted by 
 the Arabic calligraphy upon human eye-sight; and the 
 typographical characters are even more hurtful, because 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 47 
 
 much smaller and less clear. To be concise it may be 
 said that the Old-Arabic alphabet, especially as it is used 
 in the press, seems designed to promote illegibility, and 
 to limit the spread of knowledge. With its continued 
 service, as the handmaid of speech, the highest stage of 
 general, or popular, enlightenment can never be attained 
 in the cast. But sober sense, uninfluenced by the fad 
 dishness of the scholastic specialist on the one hand, and 
 the sentimentalism of the religious bigot on the other, will 
 sooner or later bring about the substitution everywhere 
 of a better medium both for the pen and the press. 
 
 In the phonetic, as in the inflexional forms of the Egyp- 
 tian dialect there* are many deviations from the mother- 
 tongue. Just as in the case of the verb, the passive voice 
 and various modal peculiarities, as in the case of the noun, 
 the dual, the feminine plural and the case-endings have 
 dropped away, so in the pronunciation three sounds, once 
 expressed by the Old-Arabic letters o, 3 and -£?, have dis- 
 appeared, and, of course, require no written or printed rep- 
 resentatives. Three of the existing Egyptian consonant- 
 al elements (/, d and s) — and possibly a fourth (//) — are 
 not unlikely to follow, at a not very remote period, since 
 their enunciation, in some special words, at least, not in- 
 frequently goes over to the sounds of /, d, s and // re- 
 spectively. Moreover most of the attributes formerly 
 belonging to the first letter of the Old-Arabic alphabet 
 have ceased to be exercised; and its position, as a distinct 
 phonetic expression, has thus been greatly weakened. It 
 is for this reason that it seems not improper to give its 
 place to the vowel-group, which heads the living Egyptian 
 alphabet. 
 
 In this group the long vowels are indicated, except in 
 the case of the lone i, by the circumflex accent above the 
 
4 8 TJie Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 corresponding short-vowel character. If one carefully exam- 
 ine the reasons for the use of this diacritical sign, rather 
 than of the customary long-accent mark (as in a, for in- 
 stance), they will be found to be not altogether illogical. 
 In writing, the circumflex accent cannot interfere, so to 
 speak, with the preceding or the following letter. It can- 
 not well be prolonged in either direction, but must be 
 begun with the upward stroke and ended with the down- 
 ward ; it thus occupies only the space existing above the 
 letter, and included in the outline, or contour, of the char- 
 acter to which the sign is attached. The ordinary long- 
 accent sign, in the rapidity of calligraphy, is easily carried 
 too far. In printing, the circumflex has the advantage, as 
 every printer knows, over the slender long-accent line in 
 being less easily marred or broken; this is owing to its 
 shape, and to what is technically described as its greater 
 weight of metal. So much for this feature. The long 
 /-sound, as will be noticed, is an exception to the system 
 followed in portraying the other long-vowel sounds; instead 
 of a circumflex /, the letter y is employed to express this 
 sound, and some weighty reasons have already been given 
 for this variation in the graphic scheme of the long-vowel 
 elements. But there is an obscurer aspect — a more imag- 
 inative view — of this instance of discontinuity in the vowel 
 method, which is worthy of a word, even if that word must 
 be addressed only to minds of a certain sensitiveness of 
 observation. This view of the matter has reference to that 
 subtle law of orderly beauty, which makes a too symmetri- 
 cal symmetry, so to speak, repulsive ; and to that other law, 
 which proves an unbroken series of things to be less strik- 
 ing, and therefore less easily fixed in the memory, than an 
 interrupted series. In all the arts the mind shrinks from a 
 succession of unvaryingly similar objects; a list of words 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 49 
 
 all ending in -Hon is more difficult to acquire by heart than 
 if, now and then, words of different terminations intervene; 
 and an alphabet of letters all round, or all quadrangular, in 
 their external lines, would be neither attractive nor of 
 facile acquirement. But this digression is running too 
 near the boundary-line of fancy to be continued. 
 
 As to the consonants, the unusual, or non-Roman 
 characters are eight in number, representing sounds not 
 expressible by single letters of the Latin alphabet. Of 
 these, four, /, </, // and s are the graphic representatives of 
 sonant elements differing" merely in a slight degree from 
 those expressed by /, d, h and s respectively. This diver- 
 gence could not be denoted by diacritical marks above the 
 first three of these consonants because of their height, 
 which is so great as to occupy all the space above the 
 line; while, in the case of the s, that character, with a 
 superscript sign, has another office, that is, to designate 
 the English ^//-sound (s). The clot is the simplest form 
 of diacritical distinction, and is thus properly significant 
 of the slightest shade of vocal dissimilarity. Placed below 
 the Latin letters representing sounds of an analogous 
 character, it thus completes the additional characters re- 
 quired. Another letter, the //, describes an articulation 
 of the voice which the principal European alphabets are 
 able to portray only by the cumbersome device of a com- 
 bination of letters — as in the German by cli. Some of 
 the motives for the employment and position of the distin- 
 guishing subscript curved stroke are identical with those 
 alluded to in speaking of the circumflex long-vowel mark. 
 Its convenience, both in writing and printing, will be evi- 
 dent from a comparison with the other devices, in the 
 various transliteration schemes, for denoting the sound 
 in question. The letter syn (s) represents the English 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 jyfc-sound, or the German ^//-sound. Being" a pure sibilant 
 it was almost inevitable, in devising a proper character 
 for it, that its base should be the Latin s. The addition 
 of the customary acute-accent sign was a clever choice, 
 partly because of its ease in writing and simplicity in 
 form, partly because it is made use of nowhere else in 
 the Egyptian alphabet. The letter is, on this account, 
 immediately recognizable, and simple as is its distinguish- 
 ing adjunct it is plainly differentiated, being superscript, 
 from its near relative, the sad (s). It appears to be much 
 more appropriate, in every way, than the representatives of 
 the same sound in the Lepsius alphabet, and in some other 
 schemes. The two remaining alphabetical forms required 
 no little amount of reflection. They are the gen (g) and 
 the c cn ( c ). The former describes a sound, which, to some 
 ears, is nearer an r than a g, and for it, in some ot the 
 transcriptional methods, an r, with a diacritical mark, is 
 employed. But the highest linguistic authorities are unit- 
 ed in treating it as a guttural rather than a labial. The 
 Latin g was, therefore, preferred as the base-letter. The 
 shape of the g made the diacritical mark necessarily su- 
 perscript, and again the simplest one was chosen; again, 
 too, the superscript is in a certain respect unique, for no 
 other letter, representative of a non-Latin sound, bears 
 it. There are thus three dotted letters — the /', the g and 
 the /. The character used for the V//-sound is really a mod- 
 ification of the upper half of the Old-Arabic letter (c). 
 In the " Grammatik " of Spitta the German printers used 
 for it the inverted comma, which, though similar in form, 
 is too inconspicuous, but «in the " Contes Arabes " this 
 was replaced by a specially made and more distinctly 
 observable type. Dr. Spitta, as is known from his own 
 lips, did not accept this solution of the difficulty without 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 some reluctance. The marked dissimilarity of the z cn to 
 any Latin sound made the choice of a graphic represen- 
 tative a matter of embarassment. As usual it was desired 
 to pay heed to its typographical uniformity with its fel- 
 lows, but many suggestions to effect this purpose were one 
 after another rejected — all for important reasons. The 
 sound is the strongest of the vocal utterances made by 
 the almost unaided breath (faucal sounds, as they are 
 styled), and like all these breath-letters has something of 
 the character of a vowel. Holding thus a position half 
 way between a consonant and a vowel, it may be looked 
 at from the point of view of either as only half a letter, and, 
 as such, the type employed is not wholly inapt. Glan- 
 cing down the printed page the letter produces something 
 of the effect of the quotation-marks — it is however rarely 
 doubled — in European typography, and is therefore neither 
 anomalous, nor disagreeable to the European eye. It is 
 assuredly less offensive than the character used in its place 
 in some of the transliterating methods — a slightly conven- 
 tionalized but still wholly unlatinized form of the Old-Ara- 
 bic letter c en. 
 
 Of the remaining 16 letters there is little to be said. 
 They are each familiar to the eye — as their sounds are 
 known to the ear — of all who are accustomed to use the 
 Roman alphabet. The qdf (a) has in Egypt a double pro- 
 nunciation, differing in its value in different sections, but 
 these are only dialectic variations, and do not make two 
 separate characters at all essential. The k, with an un- 
 der-written clot, sometimes used to express this element, 
 as well as the other characters occasionally adopted for 
 this purpose, do not seem to be any better adapted for 
 the purpose than the a, which has, at any rate, the advan- 
 tage of being purely Roman. Of the ji we have spoken 
 
5^ 
 
 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 fully elsewhere. The Egyptian does not employ the Latin 
 c, which, even in many of the European alphabets, is re- 
 dundant ; it is replaced, in the transcription of foreign 
 proper nouns, by the syn (s) or the kef (k). Both the 
 /-sound and z'-sound of English speech are unfamiliar to 
 the Egyptian tongue; in writing foreign names containing 
 these letters recourse must be had to the other labials, be 
 (b) or fe (f). In the same way the foreign x is separated 
 into its two elements, and expressed by ks. 
 
 It should, finally, be understood that the order of 
 the alphabet, as given in these pages, is not the work 
 of Dr. Spitta. He wrote and treated the vowels apart, 
 as is usual in the case of the Old-Arabic vowel-signs, and 
 he gave the remaining letters in the order of the cor- 
 responding consonants in the earlier alphabet. For his 
 immediate purpose this was doubtless wise, but, if the 
 alphabet be generally used, and particularly if it be used 
 in the schools, a more rational grouping appears advis- 
 able; and there need be no hesitation in adopting such 
 an arrangement while the alphabet is still in the initiatory 
 stage of its existence. The order, as here printed, lays no 
 claim to perfection, but is merely an attempt to make the 
 alphabet a little more easy of acquisition to young learners, 
 and a little more convenient to all likely to familiarize them- 
 selves with it. It is not too much, perhaps, to hope that 
 the opponents of a simplified or reformed alphabet will re- 
 frain, on this point, from objections. For even in apply- 
 ing the Old-Arabic alphabet to the dialects derived from 
 the ancient tongue, certain changes would necessarily be 
 made, since some of its letters have become totally ob- 
 solete, and would naturally drop out. It is, in any case, 
 the letters of the new alphabet which are of importance — 
 and not the arrangement of them. 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 Conclusion. 
 
 Careful study of its details— especially if supplemented 
 by a short period of use — can hardly fail to convince the in- 
 vestigator that it would be difficult — to say the least — to 
 create an alphabet better adapted to its purpose than that 
 of Spitta ; in truth — as was stated in the first paragraph 
 of these observations — there are few if any existing forms 
 of speech, which possess one at once so complete and so 
 simple, so available for all the exigencies of writing and 
 printing. Its general application to the national dialect 
 of Egypt, would forthwith immensely facilitate the exten- 
 sion of knowledge, and inestimably lessen the task of the 
 teacher throughout all the Nilotic lands; and this may well 
 be brought about without, in any measure, affecting the 
 position of the Old-Arabic alphabet as the medium of the 
 venerated classical literature. Nor would such a step de- 
 tract from the sanctified character of that alphabet, with 
 which the sacred Koranic scriptures are written. The 
 Bible of the Russians is printed by means of the Cyrillic 
 alphabet, notably differing from that made use of in the 
 modern Russian. Our own English Bible, in its existing 
 version, has many verses and phrases which can hardly 
 be pronounced to be strictly modern English. The Cath- 
 olic church regards only the Latin vulgate scriptures as 
 authoritative, but the Catholic nations all have secular 
 literatures in their own vernacular. The Copts daily use 
 the Old-Arabic alphabet, and the " chancery " Arabic, in 
 their correspondence, while speaking the Egyptian idiom, 
 although their holy books are in the ancient Coptic, hav- 
 ing its own alphabet. There are other instances, even in 
 the east, of similar alphabetical and literary evolutions 
 
54 
 
 The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 and revolutions; and there seems no good reason why 
 these examples should not be followed to advantage by 
 nationalities of whatever race or creed. Religion in no 
 wise suffers thereby, while the progress of the people is 
 immeasurably accelerated. 
 
 With such a graphic medium as the Egyptian alpha- 
 bet there is little need of waiting for the new Dante, whose 
 advent Spitta, in the closing phrases of the preface to 
 his " Grammatik, " seems to hint at. Other efficient 
 forces are already at hand. Hundreds of young men are 
 now constantly receiving an excellent training- in the higher 
 schools of the Egyptian cities — schools which are yearly 
 growing better. These sons of Egypt are both intelligent 
 and patriotic. Let all these youth of the newer generation 
 put their shoulders to the wheel. Let them give their in- 
 fluence — great, if properly applied — to the development 
 of the popular tongue, and there will soon follow the un- 
 approachable blessing of universal education, with its inev- 
 itable result of a broad literature " for the people, of the 
 people and by the people. " The present government of 
 Egypt might well lend its aid — as it is at last in a position 
 to do — to such an effort. An American writer has charac- 
 terized the marvellous financial, commercial, agricultural 
 and moral transformation of Egypt, effected in these later 
 years, as " the most splendid Anglo-saxon achievement of 
 the century. " Why cannot the men who have been the 
 potent factor in bringing about this beneficent material 
 revolution, now open the gate, as well, to the spiritual de- 
 velopment of the people they rule so ably and so honestly? 
 There is but one path that passes through that gate, and 
 that path can be traversed only by a nation educated in 
 the language it understands. That language is already 
 the daily speech of social intercourse, of the family, the 
 
The Egyptian Alphabet 
 
 shop and the farm. Why should it not become the me- 
 dium of an education, destined not only to elevate the 
 nation which has its home under the palms of the Nile, 
 but perhaps to revive, under a nobler form, the ancient 
 glory of the whole Saracenic world? 
 
-eMeXsXi)- 
 
 hasan li fatme. 
 
 ag y lik min bety rakib husan min nar ; we asbaq er 
 ryh min kutr s6qy. : asan inn}' ahibbik inty bess mahabbe 
 md taunts ilia lamina cs saws tibrad, we en nugum 1/ a/f/'/n, 
 ive yjdm ed dunje tihlas. 
 
 bussy min sibbakik, we sufy hubby we c azaby! ana 
 raqid c alal ard maijit c asan innik ma bitisalys c aleje. ja 
 ret ryh el lei jiwassal lik hararet hubby, we jimaijil qalbik 
 c asan tisma : y hilfany bi inny ahibbik hubb md jcmnts ilia 
 lamma cs sams tibrad,we en nugum tiattim, we yjdm ed dunje 
 tihlas. 
 
 3- 
 
 rigleje tigry kull lele min kutr el harara elly fy qalby 
 li c and sibbakik, c asan asma c el kilme elly tifarrahny. iftahy 
 l^ab qalbik, we bab odtik, we ana aqul lik c an el hubb elly 
 c andy liky elly md jcmnts ilia lamma cs sams tibrad, we en 
 nugum tiattim, we yjdm ed dunje tihlas. 
 
 r< ••>-• 
 
 
es saijad we ibnoh 
 
 hikaje masryje 
 
 l)il lisan el masry 
 
 masr el qdhira 
 
 1316 
 
ma w > 
 
 
 3 t 
 
 2 ^ 
 
 c 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1* 
 
 
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 rrt 
 
 
 d 
 
 
 T; 
 
 X.- 
 
 
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 OJ 
 
 r^ 
 
 £ 
 
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 <rc! 
 
 
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 rt 
 
 
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 <rci 
 
 
 
 
 
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 ganfyjet tcflym kull wildd mas/-. 
 
 eg gainyjc di via tibattali Suglaka ilia 
 lamvia hull walad masry j'fraf jiqra we 
 jiktib el lis&n elly jitkallimoh. 
 
 ina§r — londora — fel&rensa. 
 
 el alifbe el masryje. 
 a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, u ( ' ), 
 b(v). t(o), t(-), g( g ), g(t), h(>)> 
 h( c ), b(^), d(o), d(^), r( J ), z(j), 
 s (u*), «(ufc), s M, c ( 5 ), f(- ; )> q(o)> 
 k(*), l(sJ), m( r ), n( ), w(*)» J (is)- 
 
 I HI 
 
 afandyna ismok ' ''abbas hi I my et tdtiy. huwa 
 ibn mehammad taitfyq, ibn ismayl bdsa auwil 
 "ivdhid ism oh fredewy viasr. huwa itwalla z ala 
 masrfy 18 gam ad tdny sanet ijog. rabbina 
 jedym Jin a hcdenyna! 
 
 D \ w< ), bioi, U \ JO), V \ ~ ) . V I = i- I I ■ n ■ 
 
 3^ 
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 £L P 
 
 p v; 
 
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 £L £L 
 
 
 fc>55<C^<»<<>^^ 
 
 el alifbe el masryje. 
 
 a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, ft (alif), 
 b f^J, t (7<?j, t f/rtj, g fevwj, g g'6v/J, h f//^, 
 h (#J, h f^J, d C^/), d (dad), r fr^J, z (ze), 
 s (\)v/ ; , s f/y/zj, s (sdd), c C**), f (f*)> q fr^>' 
 k f/^/), 1 (7tf7/*J, m f»iywj, n (nun), w (w«^, j 0*0- 
 
 ^^^c><>c ; < *><s>o>o^^ 
 
 -/ 5 
 
 7 c? 9 
 
"jekun min bahty iza kunt, bikitabaty di, aqdar 
 agyb li masr ashab gudad — masr el qadyme, we el 
 mahbube, we el munkasira, we el mahfyje, lfikin el 
 qawyje bi hararet narha el gCiwanyje — masr di elly mus 
 ma c rufe la c and ashab el amwcll wala c and es sijasijyn, 
 elly min aijam el farfi na li hadd dilwaqt fadlc zai ma 
 kanet we ma itgaijarets. " — siif " Contes Arabes " 
 sbitta be, wiss z aiara. 
 
 iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i 
 
 alifbe ahl masr, 
 
 a. a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, u ( t ), 
 b(v), t(o), 't(Jo), g( s ), *(£), h(.), 
 
 h( z ), h( t ), d(o), d(^), r( J ), z(j), 
 s (u»), s U), s H, c ( 5 ), f (o), q (j), 
 k(<d), 1(H m( r ), n( ), w( 3 ), jU. 
 
 1 ■ • 1 1 1 1 > 1 1 1 ■ 1 ■ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 > ■ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 > 1 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 
 
 el alifbe cl masryje betact es sab el masry. 
 
 USUI, IclKlIl clllcl ell L1K11 11111 Cl Kiuiu net jivvaii_y mil ci 
 
 lisan ed darig mus zai ma bijiftikru we inn loh qawa id 
 we usul, we inn basatet agrumyjetoh hyje elly tihallyh 
 naii c qawy. jatara et taljany kan ahsan min el masry 
 fy waqt ma dante katab as c aroh boh, we mus mumkin 
 inn gam c yje min c ulama masr jimkinhum ji c milu aktar 
 ketyr min elly c amaltoh ana el garyb? " — suf " agru- 
 myjet " sbitla be, wiss hamastdsar . 
 
p bj 
 
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"jekun min bahty iza kunt, bikitabaty di, aqdar 
 agyb li masr ashab gudad — masr el qadyme, we el 
 mahbube, we el munkasira, we el mahfyje, lakin el 
 qawyje bi hararet narha el guwanyje — -masr di elly mus 
 ma e rufe la c and ashab el amwal wala c and es sijasijyn, 
 elly min aijam el fara c na li hadd dilwaqt fadle zai ma 
 kanet we ma itgaijarets. " — suf " Contes Arabes " 
 sbitta be, wiss "asara. 
 
 es saijad we ibnoh 
 
 hikaje masryje 
 
 bil lisan el masty. 
 
 " biqidu inn el c araby eg gedyd ma jisahhis inn 
 jekun lisan maktiib c asan inn ma lohs qawa c id wala 
 usul, lfikin ana aftikir inn el kitab da jiwarry inn el 
 lisan ed darig mus zai ma bijiftikru we inn loh qawa c id 
 we usul, we inn basatet agrumyjetoh hyje elly tihallyh 
 nafi c qawy. jatara et taljany kan ahsan min el masry 
 fy waqt ma dante katab as c aroh boh, we mus mumkin 
 inn gam c yje min c ulama masr jimkinhum ji c milu aktar 
 ketyr min elly c amaltoh ana el garyb? " — suf " agru- 
 myjet " sbitia be, wiss framastdsar. 
 
felorensa 
 
 matba-et landy 
 
 1316-1898 
 
 7 2- - • 7 
 
 *"3 ' % A 
 
 r ERSITY j] 
 
 DIVERSITY 
 
kalam c alal hikaje. 
 
 el hikaje es sugaijara di, " es saijad we ibnoh, " 
 auwil myn taba c ha wilhelm sbitta be, muallif agrumyjet 
 el lisan el masry, el auwilanyje we el akbar ma jekvm, 
 fy kitaboh, " Contes Arabes modernes " (Jiikdjdt masryje), 
 el matbiV fy laiden, bi bilad el falamank, sanet 1883 
 myladyje. huwa taba c wajaha targimetha bil faransawy. 
 
 sbitta be kan c alim kebyr we jehibb masr qawy 
 qadd ma jehibb watanoh. huwa kan nazir el kutubhane 
 el hedewyje, we rattib el kutub el c azyme di; we c amal 
 kusufat bi asamyha kullaha ; we daras el kutub el hatt 
 jadd bi ma fyha nusah el qoran el mashura. er ragil 
 el c azym da inwalad fy sanet 1853 myladyje, we mcit 
 sanet 1883. huwa ihtara c el alifbe et taijibe elly el 
 hikaje di maktube biha, we iddaha li ahl masr; we el 
 masrijyn ma haddis fy zamanoh iddahum hedyje a c zam 
 min di, c asan inn ahsan ma c and ai sa c b min es su c ub 
 hCvwa alifbe sahle we mazbuta. 
 
 sbitta jehibb inn kull aulad we banat masr jiktibu 
 we jiqru el lis^n elly bijitkallimu boh, we bil taryqa 
 di ba c d suwaije jibqu nas mit c allimyn we aqwyje. 
 
 masr cl qdhira, sdbdn 1315. 
 
es saijad we ibnoh. 
 
 i. 
 
 kan fyh wahid saijad mitgauwiz wahde gamyle ; 
 we jinzil jistad es samak we jeby c oh, jadob haqqoh 
 jikaffyh c ala qadd akloh. qam ga j6m c iji. qamet im- 
 ratoh qalet loh : " taijib, inte en nahar da mus rah 
 tistM ? rahyn nakul min en? qfim, we ana asyl lak el 
 maqtaf, we es sabaka beta c et es sed ; walau nistad sa- 
 makten neby c hum nit c assa byhum. " fe salet el mara 
 es sabaka we el maqtaf; rahum c alal bahr bijistadum 
 taht sarajet el malik. kan el malik talil min es sibbak. 
 fe el malik saf el mara c isiqha ; fe nadah lil wazyr, we 
 qal loh: " ja wazyr! ana suft imrat es saijad, we c isiq- 
 taha, leinnaha gamyle; ma fys wahde zaijaha fy sara- 
 jety. " qam el wazyr qal loh : " rah ni c mil e, ja malik ? " 
 qam el malik qal loh : " lazim negyb es saijad we ne- 
 mauwitoh, we atgauwiz imratoh. " qam el wazyr qal 
 loh: "ma jisahhis timauwitoh min ger zamb. en nas 
 tihky fy haqqak bil battal, we jeqiilum ' el malik mauwit 
 wahid saijad c ala san mara. ' " el malik qal lil wazyr: 
 " ummal ni c mil e? " qam el wazyr qal loh: " ana abuje 
 c amal ly mandara tudha faddan, we c urdaha faddan ; 
 nutlub es saijad, we aqud loh : ' el malik c awiz jifris el 
 mandara busat, we jekGn hitte wahde; we in ma gibtohs 
 
nimauwitak. ' jibqa motoh bi sabab. " qam el malik 
 qal loh : "taijib!" qam el wazyr ba c at talab es saijad, 
 we hadoh we rah lil mandara, we qal loh : " el malik 
 c awiz tifris loh el mandara di busat, jekun hitte wahde ; 
 we el wi c de talat yjam ; we in ma gibtohs jihraqak fy 
 en nar ; we iktib we ihtim c ala kide. " qam es saijad 
 qal loh: " huwa ana beta busatat? utlub minny samak 
 alwcln we agnas we ana augidoh. " qam el wazyr qal 
 loh : " balas kutr kalam ! el malik hakam ala kide. " 
 (jam es saijad qal loh: "hod lak myt hitm, mus hitm 
 wahid! " 
 
 fe rah es saijad za c l§.n c and imratoh. qalet loh 
 imratoh : " ma lak za!lan? " qal laha : " uskuty ! qfimy 
 limmy suwaijet el c afs, we nitfas min el balad di. " 
 qalet loh : " le ? " qal laha: " ahsan el malik c awiz jimau- 
 witny ba c d talat yjam." qalet loh: "le?" qal laha: 
 " c awiz minny busat tuloh faddan we c urdoh faddan. " 
 qalet loh: " bass kide? " qi.1 laha: " aiwa. " qalet loh : 
 " taijib, nam ! we ana agyb lak el busat bukra es subh, 
 we tifris el mandara." qam qal laha: " inty kaman 
 magnune zai el wazyr? we ihna betu c busatat? " qamet 
 qalet loh : " inte c awizoh dilwaqt, we ana ab c atak tegy- 
 boh?" fe qal laha: "taijib, c ala s^.n attammin; " qalet 
 loh : " qum rCih nawahy subra tiltiqy sagara c 6ga, tah- 
 taha byr ; tetull fil byr we tequl : 'jafelane! uhtik fe- 
 lane bitsallim c aleky we bitqul lik haty el magzal elly 
 fatetoh c andik embareh ; ahsan c awizyn nifris 6da min- 
 
noh. ' fe rah henak c and el byr ; tall we qal: "ja 
 felane ! uhtik felane bitsallim c aleky, we bitqul lik haty 
 el magzal elly fatetoh c andik embareh ; ahsan c awizyn 
 nifris minnoh 6da. " elly fil byr raddet c aleh, we qalet 
 loh : "hod el magzal! ifris minnoh zai ma inte c awiz, 
 we hatoh tany hene. " fe es saijad had el magzal, we 
 hattoh fy geboh, we misy fy es sikke, baqa jequl li 
 nafsoh: " el mara di istagannetny. " fe misy rah henak 
 c and imratoh, we qal laha: "adyny! gibt el magzal." 
 qalet loh : " taijib ! ruh dilwaqt c and el wazyr, we qui 
 loh : ' hat musmar kebyr ! ' we duqqoh fy auwil el man- 
 dara, we urbut fyh fatlet el h£t beta c et el magzal, we 
 ifris zai ma inte c awiz. " qam es saijad qal li imratoh : 
 " inty biddik en nas jidhakum c ala °aqly ? hCiwa el magzal 
 da fyh busat? " qalet loh: " bass ruh zai ma quit lak ! " 
 fe misy es saijad we qal : " aho ! en nahar da ahir c umry. " 
 we rah qabil el malik huwa we el wazyr. auwil ma safuh 
 qalu loh: " inte gibt el busat, ja saijad? " qal luhum : 
 " aiwa. " qalu loh : " hCiwa fen? " qal luhum : " aliuwa 
 fy geby!" humma qalu loh: "huwa kora jithatt fil 
 geb? " qam qal luhum : " intu ma lukum ? qum, ja. wazyr, 
 hat ly musmar kebyr, we ana afris lak el 6da. " qam 
 el wazyr had el musmar, we nadah lil masa c ly, we qal 
 loh : " ja masaly ! tuqaf c ala b&b el mandara amma aruh 
 henak; in ma kans es saijad jifris el mandara, tishab 
 es sef we titaijar rasoh. " fe rah el wazyr huwa we 
 es saijad, we el masa c ly c and el mandara ; we dahal el 
 
 
 
wazyr huwa we es saijad guwa el mandara ; we daqq 
 el mus mar fil ard, we rabat fyh el fatle beta c et el mag- 
 zal, we sahaboh ; we misy baqa busat c azym mus fy 
 sarajet el malik zaijoh. fe lamma safoh kide el wazyr 
 ista c gib we qal loh : " c afarim c alOk, ja saijad ! lakin el 
 malik c awiz minnak kaman hciga. " qal loh: " haget e? " 
 qal loh: " c awiz minnak walad sugaijar, ibn tamant vjam, 
 jihky loh haddute tekun auwilha kidb, we clhirha kidb. " 
 qam es saijad (}al lil wazyr: " huwa fyh kaman wilad 
 tamant vjam ji c rafum jitkallimum, hatta iza kann wilad 
 es ^ajatyn ? " qam el wazyr qal loh : " mus hauga kalam ! 
 el malik c awiz jimassy rajoh c ala kide; we el wi c de wajak 
 gum c a tamant yj am ; .we iktib we ihtim c ala kide. " fe 
 qal loh es saijad: "hod! adi el hitm ; insallah tihtim 
 boh myt hitm, mus hitm wahid. " we el wazyr had el 
 hitm beta c oh, we hatam boh. 
 
 es saijad had el hitm beta c oh, w r e misy we rah c and 
 imratoh za c lan, we qal laha: "ana ma quit lik. jallah ! 
 nitfas min el balad di. " qalet loh: " le, c ala san e?" 
 qal laha: " c ala san c auzyn minny walad, ibn tamant 
 yjam, jitkallim hadduta kidb fy kidb, we hadu minny wi c de 
 tamant yjam. " qalet loh : " taijib ! ma tiz c als ! fe lamma 
 jefutu et tamant yjam fyha farag. " fe ba c d ma fatum 
 et tamant yjam es saijad qal li imratoh: " ahuwa en 
 nahar da aliir et tamant yjam; niniil ezzai baqa?" 
 qalet loh : " ruh li hadd el byr elly fy subra elly taht es 
 sagara el °6ga, we qui laha: 'ja felane! uhtik felane 
 
bitsallim c aleky, we bitqul lik haty el walad elly wi- 
 lidtyh embareh ; ahsan c awizynoh c ala san hikaje. ' ! q&m 
 es saijad qal li imratoh : " inty magnune walla c abyta 
 zai el wazyr? el wazyr qal ly ' hat el walad ibn tamant 
 yjeim, ' we inty tequly ly ibn jom?" qalet loh: " rfih 
 bass zai ma quit lak. " qal laha : " taijib ! aho ahir 
 c umry en nahar da min ed dinje. " fe misy es saijad 
 lamma rah li hadd el byr, we nada we qal: " ja felane! 
 uhtik felane bitsallim c aleky, we bitqul lik haty el walad 
 elly wilidtyh embareh. " fe maddet ydha, we nawi- 
 letoh el walad, we qalet loh: " sammy c aleh ! " fe samma 
 c aleh, we hadoh we misy, we qal loh : " kallimny, ja 
 walad! c ala san attammin iza kunt amut walla la. " fe 
 el walad c aijat zai el c ijal es sugaijaryn. fe es saijad 
 qal : " di el mara hyje we el wazyr mistiwijyn c ala 
 moty ; hyje fyha c ijal, Cilad tamant yjam, jitkallimum 
 walaujekCinu sajatyn? " fe lamma wisil es saijad li hadd 
 imratoh qal laha : " adyny, gibt el walad, lakin ma 
 bijitkallims. " qalet loh : " ruh byh c and el malik we 
 el wazyr, we huwa jitkallim ; w T e tutlub minhum talat 
 mehaddat we tehottoh fy wast ed dywan, we tisnidoh 
 bi mehadde min en nahje di, we bi mehadde min en 
 nahje et tanje, we bi mehadde min wara dahroh. " qal 
 laha: " taijib! " fe misy rah qabil el malik huwa we el 
 wazyr. we qalu loh : " inte gibt el walad ? " qal luhum : 
 " aiwa. " fe el wazyr qal loh: "ja walad!" c aijat we 
 qal : " wak. " fe el wazyr rah farhan c and el malik% 
 
 
Ave qal loh : " ana kallimt el walad, ma raddis alaije ; 
 c aijat ly we qal ly : " wak. " ahfiwa ahir iimr es saijad 
 en nahar da. lakin ma jikallimus el walad ilia lamma 
 jitgim c um el wuzara we el hukkam ; we niqra alrhum 
 es surut ; we ba'den nimauwitoh. " fe dahal el malik, 
 huwa we el wazyr guwa ed dywan ; we itgama c et el 
 wuzara we el hukkam ; we nadahum li es saijad, we 
 qalu loh : " hat el walad elly rah jitkallim! " qal luhum 
 es saijad: " hatum talat mehaddat, nisannid byhum el 
 walad! " fe gabu loh et talat mehaddat, we hattuhum 
 fy wast ed dywan, we hatt el walad hi arcl, we sanni- 
 doh bil mehaddat. we qam el malik qal li es saijad: 
 " huwa da el walad e*lly rah jihky lina el haddute ? " fe 
 radd c aleh el walad, we qal loh: " es salamu c alekum 
 qable, ja. malik! " fe el wuzara we el hukkam ista c gibu 
 c alal walad. fe radd c aleh es salam el malik, we qal 
 loh: " ihky, ja satir, el haddute elly kidb fy kidb. " 
 fe el walad radd c aleh, we qal loh : " ana fy izz 
 sabaje masy barra hi harr laqet wahid beta c battyh ; 
 qumt istaret minnoh battyha bi mahbiib ; we hadtaha 
 qata c t minha saqqa. qumt tall^t guwa el battyha, laq6t 
 fyha medyne bi sarajat; hattet rigly dahalt gCiwa el 
 battyha. tanny ma£y atfarrag c ala ahl el medyne elly 
 guwa el battyha. fidilt masy lamma baq^t min barra el 
 medyne fil hala; laqet nahle tarha balah el balaha tCil 
 dira c . qamet nafsy haffetny c alal balah ; tili c t foq en 
 nahle 'ala san agyb balaha akulha. ijumt laqet nas fal- 
 
lahyn bijizra c um foq en nahle, we bijiqla c um ; we en 
 nawarig dajire bitidris el qamh. qumt misyt suwaije, 
 laq£t wahid c amil gurn, gurn bed we bijidris fyh. tallet 
 laqet til c um katakyt; ed dijuk rahet fy nahje, we el 
 firah fy nahje. fidilt qa c id c anduhum lamma kibrum, we 
 gauwiztuhum li ba c d ; ba c den futtuhum we misyt. laqet 
 humar sajil kusbe ; qumt qata c t minnoh hitte kaltaha. 
 fe lamma kaltaha, tallet laqet nafsy barra el battyha. 
 we el battyha rig c et sihyhe zai ma kanet. " qam el 
 malik radd c aleh, we qal loh : "jahy qum ! ja. kadd^b, 
 inte setan min es sajatyn ! hyje el battyha tibqa guwaha 
 medyne, we el bed jiddiris jitla c katakyt? " qam el walad 
 radd c aleh, we qal loh: "ja malik! ummal inte we el 
 wazyr biddabbaru tadabyr c ala san mot er ragil el mas- 
 kyn, es saijad, c ala san mara ; raus c eb c alek, tibqa 
 malik we sultan, we ti c saq imrat wahid saijad? wallah! 
 in ma rigi c t c annoh ma hally ed dibban ji c raf lakum taryq 
 gubaryje intu el etnen. " fe es saijad sal el walad 
 we rah farhan c and imratoh. fe lamma safetoh imratoh 
 qalet loh : " ruh, waddy el walad matrah m^, gibtoh. " 
 fe rah es saijad waddah c and ummoh, we rigi c fy mat- 
 rahoh. 
 
2. 
 
 kan fy saijad mehallif walad ismoh es satir me- 
 hammad, we kan gamyl zai ummoh; we el malik mehallif 
 walad 16noh zai wilad el fallahyn ; we biriihu el etnrn 
 fy kuttab wahid. jequm ibn el malik, lamma jesitf ibn 
 es saijad, jequl loh : " sabah el her, ja ibn es saijad!" 
 jerudd c aleh ibn es saijad, we jequi loh: "jis c id sabahak, 
 ja ibn es sultan, ja elly wissak zai scr el qubqab!" 
 we qa c adu el etnen jigy sane hi kuttab waja ba c d, kull 
 jom jisabbahum c ala ba c d. qam ibn es sultan zi'il, we 
 rah qal li abuh : " i.bn es saijad, j a abuje, biqul ly 'ja 
 elly wissak zai ser el qubqab. ' " qam el malik nadah 
 HI fiqy, we qal loh: "J£i fiqy ! iza kunt timauwit ibn 
 es saijad, ana ahadyk bi hedyje kuwaijise we a c tyk 
 sarary we guwar byd. " q^m el fiqy qal loh ; " hMir, 
 ja malik! ana kull jom adraboh hatta jemCit min ed 
 darb. " qam ibn es saijad rah el kuttab es subh. auwil 
 ma safoh el fiqy qal lil wilad : " hatu el falaqa, we middu 
 ibn es saijad! " fe maddum ibn es saijad we hattu ri- 
 gleh fil falaqa, we fidil jidrab fyh el fiqy lamma harr 
 ed damm min rigleh. qam el walad harab we rah li 
 abuh, we li ummoh : " sufu el fiqy darabny lamma 
 mauwitny c ala san ibn es sultan, ana ma baqets ariih 
 ana rajih a c mil saijad zai abiije. " qam abuh qal loh 
 " taijib, ja ibny! " we c ata loh abuh sabaka we maqtaf 
 
we qal loh : "hod, adi c iddet es sed ; we bukra rub 
 istad, walau ti c mil bi aklak. " lamma tili" en nahar 
 rah es satir mehammad rama es sabaka fil bahr; til c et 
 loh samaka morgan, fe lamma hadha min es sabaka 
 qal: " amma aruh aswyha we aftar biha. " rah lamm 
 suwaijet qass min c ala satt el bahr, we walla num, we 
 rajih jehott es samaka fy en nar. qamet es samaka 
 radd£t c aleh qalet loh: "ma tihraqnys, ja mehammad, 
 ana malika min muluk el bahr ; ragga ny fil bahr zai 
 ma kunt, we ana anfa c ak fy jom ed dyqe. " rah rag- 
 gana fil bahr zai ma kanet. 
 
 qam el malik nadah lil fiqy, we qal loh: " inte 
 mauwitt mehammad ibn es saijad? " qam el fiqy qal 
 loh : " ana darabtoh auwil jom, qam rah qata" ; r amil 
 dilwaqt saijad zai abuh. " qam el wazyr radd c alal 
 malik we qal loh: " ana adabbar lak fy motoh. " qal 
 loh: " timauwitoh ezzai ? " qal loh: " fy bint gamyle, 
 bint sultan el ard el hadra, safar saba c sinyn min hene 
 li henak. fe nutluboh we nequl loh : ' ruh hat bint es 
 sultan beta c el arcl el hadra, ahsan el malik c awiz jiggau- 
 wizha ; ma haddis ji c raf jegybha g^rak. ' " qam el malik 
 qal loh: " taijib, utluboh! " fe ba c atu gabu mehammad 
 es saijad, we qalu loh: " ihna c awizyn bint es sultan 
 beta c el ard el hadra. " qam qctl luhum : " ana 6s c arrafny 
 es sikke di? " qalu loh: " lazim inte tegybha. " qS.m 
 nizil ji c aijat, we rah c and ummoh, we qa c ad za c lan. qamet 
 es samaka tili c et loh min el bahr, we raliet loh el bet. 
 
qalet loh : "ma lak zalan, ja satir mehammad? " qal 
 laha : " el wazyr qal ly : ' "awizyn minnak tegyb bint es 
 sultan beta'.el arc! el ljadra. ' qamet es samaka qalet 
 loh: " ruh qui lil malik : ' iza kuntu c awizyn agyb lukum 
 bint es sultan, iniilu ly dahabyje tekun dahab min fulus 
 el wazyr, we ana agybha lukum. ' " fe rah es satir me- 
 hammad qal lil malik zai ma qalet loh es samaka. 
 c amalu loh dahabyje min ed dahab min fulus el wazyr, 
 we hadha we safir. we es samaka masje quddamoh 
 bitdilloh 'ala es sikke lamma dar we wisil li hadd el 
 ard el hadra. we talla c menady fil balad qal: " kull 
 min kan, niswan walla rigal, jinzil jitfarrag c ala ed 
 dahabyje beta c et mehammad ibn es saijad. " nizlet 
 ahl el balad, niswan we rigal, itfarraget c ala ed daha- 
 byje. qa c adum tamant yjam jitfarragum. qamet bint 
 el malik hadet agaze min abuha : " ana kaman biddy 
 aruh atfarrag c ala ed dahabyje. " nada fil balad ma 
 jitla c us niswan we rigal min el bijut, ahsan bint el malik 
 nazle titfarrag c ala ed dahabyje ed dahab. fe rahet 
 bint el malik c and ed dahabyje. fe lamma safha es 
 satir mehammad dahalet guwa el maq c ad beta c ed daha- 
 byje, sal el watad, we qauwim ed dahabyje we safret. 
 ba c d ma hulset min el furge gaje tal c a qamet tallet 
 iltaqet ed dahabyje mesafre. qalet loh : " mewaddyny 
 fen, ja satir?" qal laha: "ana mewaddyky li wahid 
 malik c ala san jiggauwizik. " qalet loh : " ja ny huwa el 
 malik gamyl "annak?" qal laha: " dilwaqt terCihy we 
 
tesufyh. " qamet talla c et el hatim min suba c ha we rame- 
 toh fil bahr. hadetoh es samaka, saletoh fy hanakha. 
 lamma wislum li hadd el malik tili c mehammad es 
 saijad c and el malik, we qal loh: " adyny, gibt lak bint 
 es sultan beta c el ard el hadra; ma titla c s min ed daha- 
 byje ilia ma tifris laha haryr ahdar tibqa timsy c aleh ; 
 we tesufha we hyje masje w r e titmahtar. " qam el malik 
 qal loh: " taijib ! " fe amar el malik el haddamyn fa- 
 rasum el ard haryr. til c et es sitt min ed dahabyje. 
 fe lamma safha el malik c isiqha we ista c gib c alal gamal 
 betana. lamma dahalet es saraje el malik qal laha : 
 •' ana biddy aktib el kitab el lele di c aleky. " qamet 
 el bint qalet loh : " iza kan biddak tiggauwizny, ana wiqi c 
 minny hatim fil bahr, hatuh ly, we ba c den niktib el 
 kitab. " kanet es samaka iddet el hatim li es satir 
 mehammad es saijad. qam el malik tili" c and el wazyr, 
 we qal loh: "el hatim wiqi c min es sitt fil bahr; myn 
 jegyboh Una? " qal: " ma haddis jegyboh ger meham- 
 mad es saijad. " fe ba c atu talabuh. fe rah es satir me- 
 hammad qalu loh: " fyh hatim wiqi c min es sitt fil bahr; 
 ma haddis jegyboh gerak. " qal luhum : " hodu el hatim 
 ahuwa ! " fe lamma had el hatim el malik dahal c andaha 
 we qal laha: " body, adi el hatim beta c ik ahuwa; hal- 
 lyna niktib el kitab el lele di. " qalet loh : " ana aqul 
 lak c ala c adet baladna lamma tigy el wahde titgauwiz. " 
 qal laha : " taijib ! quly ly. " " titfihit tir c a min es saraje 
 li hadd el bahr, we titmily hasab rumy, we titqad fyh 
 
en nar; we el c arys elly : awiz jitgauwiz el wahide jinny 
 rdhoh guwa en nar, we jifdal masy fyha hatta jitla c 
 minha jibqa hi bahr; we jistahamma, we jigy jehuss 
 c alal c aruse dugry, adi katb el kitab beta balady. " 
 
 qam el malik amar bi faht et tir c a, we malaha hasab 
 we nadah lil wazyr, we qal loh : "ihna bukra neqyd 
 fyh en nar, we nirmy rohna fyha, ana we inte, we nitla c 
 min el bahr ; we agy dugry atgauwizha. " qam el 
 wazyr qal loh: " nihally mehammad es saijad jirmv 
 rohoh fyha el auwil, nesufoh iza kan jitla c taijib walla 
 jemut. iza kan jitla c taijib, nirmy rohna ihna kaman. " 
 ka.net es samaka rahet li es satir mehammad fil lei, we 
 qalet loh: "iza kan. el malik jutlubak, we jequl lak : 
 ' irmy ruhak fy en nar', ma tehafs ! sidd widanak, 
 we qui : ' bi ism allah er rahman er rahym ! ' we irmy 
 rohak dugry. " we el malik qad en nar fil hasab, we 
 nadahum li mehammad es saijad; qfilu loh: " irmy ru- 
 hak fy en nar, we imsy fyha li hadd el bahr!" qal 
 luhum : "hadir!" we sadd widanoh, we qal: " bi ism 
 allah er rahman er rahym ! " tili c min el bahr ahsan 
 ma kan. fe lamma safuh, el wazyr qal lil malik : " indah 
 li ibnak kaman jirmy rohoh w T ajana gftwa en nar c ala 
 san jitla c gamyl zai es satir mehammad. " we nadahu 
 li ibn el malik, we hattu ydehum fy ba c d et talate, we 
 ramum rdhhum fy en nar; baqum kom turab. 
 
 we rah es satir mehammad es saijad c and es sitt, 
 bint es sultan beta c el ard el hadra ; katab el kitab 
 
i6 
 
 c aleha we itgauwizha. we qa c ad c alal kursy beta/ el 
 mamlake, c amal malik we sultan, we nadah li abiih we 
 li ummoh ; we qa c adu wajah fy es earaje fil kamal. 
 
 qita c mitfarraqa. 
 
 min 1328 sane taqryban inwalad fy makka el mu- 
 karrama en naby mehammad rasul allah. el muminyn 
 boh kitru qawam hatta innoh ba c d motoh bi tisa c sinyn 
 g£s c araby zafir dahal iskenderyje we tammim fath 
 masr. fy es sarq min masr ges el islam dahal barr es sara 
 fy sanet 14 we nasar dijanethum fy bilad el c agam 
 qabl sanet 21. we ba c daha, sanet 55 higryje taqryban, 
 intasar ed dyn el islamy fy bilad el magarbe kullaha 
 we dahaletha c asakiroh ; we fy sanet 89 dahalu gabal 
 tariq we assisu mamlake fy isbanje damet aktar min 
 sub c umyt sane ; ba c den misju min c ala eg gibal we 
 dahalu faransa fy sanet 114, we bil taryqe dy intasar 
 ism we dyn en naby mehammad c aleh es salam fil bilad 
 el was c a dy ba c d motoh bi 80 sane bass ; we intasaret 
 ahbar intisarat el c asakir el c arabyje fy kull el bilad el 
 was c a ben faransa we el hind. ba c d el intisarat el c azyme 
 di kan el c arab it c allimu kull el c ulum, we banu sa- 
 rajat we gawami c muftahara fy isbanje we kull el bilad 
 el islamyje ; we es su c ara we el muarrihyn el c arab katabu 
 
kitabat ma titnisys, we ed dinje kullaha c irfet hikajat 
 kuttab el c arab zai ma c irfet es sijuf elly min dimi§q. 
 — fy masr el qadyme kan fyh etnasar malik ismuhum 
 ramsys, lakin el ma c rufyn aktar min g§rhum humma 
 ramsys et tany we ramsys et talit, lakin ramsys et 
 tan)-, elly ismoh ramsys ek kebyr, huwa el mashur 
 aktar min kull muluk masr el qudama. hCiwa kan ibn 
 el malik sety el auwil elly kan jehibb el harb. ram- 
 sys et tany kisib waq c eten kubar fy es sam, we bana 
 hajakil ketyre kuwaijisa fy abu simbel, we luqsor, we 
 karnak, we abydos, we manfys, we hakam c ala masr 
 1 7 sane, huwa kan madfun fy byban el muluk qusad 
 luqsor fil barr el g"^ r bv, lakin gittetoh we gittet abuh 
 sety maugudyn fy antyhanet eg gyze. ramsys et talit 
 hakam c ala masr talata we talatyn sane, huwa galab 
 fy hurub ketyre, lakin hukmoh kan aktaroh salam. 
 huwa bana binajat ketyre kuwaijisa zai hekal medynet 
 habu elly qurb luqsor. huwa kan madfun fy byban 
 el muluk qurb el hajakil elly banaha, lakin gittetoh fy 
 antyhanet eg gyze. fy aijam el maliken dol taht el 
 mamlaka kan fy luqsor c ala eg ganben, we kan ismaha 
 bil lisan el masry el qadym weset jany " el balad. " 
 
 - wahid min mustahdimyn el bosta qal innoh 
 saf kilmet asjut maktube bi sittasar taryqe isiout, assiouf r 
 siufj asiut, siytit, siyoot, assyuf, seeotif, essout, ass/oof, 
 ashout, we g£r dol). el ahsan kitabetha tamally bi 
 taryqa wahide c ala san innaha balad masryje we ismaha 
 
lazim jinkitib bi et taryqa el masryja we bi huruf mas- 
 ryje. fy bilad el ingelyz kull en nas jiktibu mausister 
 bi et taryqa el ingelyzyje we bi huruf ingelyzyje. asamy 
 el mahallat fy masr we barra masr tinkitib ahjanan bi 
 et taryqa el faransawyje, we ahjanan bi et taryqa el 
 ingelyzyje, we ahjanan bi et taryqa er rumyje, we 
 ahjanan bi et taryqa et taljanyje. jatara el ingelyz 
 we el faransawijyn c umruhum katabu asamy mahallat 
 biladhum bi et taryqa el masryje? 
 
 — el hukume el masryje ba c d ma tisyl el antykat 
 min sarajet eg gyze jimkin ti'milha antyhanet et taryh 
 et taby c y ba c d ma tisallahha. et taryh et taby c y huwa 
 c ilm el insan, we el hywanat, we es samak, we et tijCir, 
 we es sagar, we en nabatat, we el higara ; ja : ny huwa 
 c ilm maudu'oh el ard we kull ma fyha, ja c ny elly yd^n 
 en nas ma ti c miluhs. genenet eg gyze hyje dilwaqt 
 min akbar magmu c at el asgar we ez zuhur, we fyha 
 hywanat ketyr. el antyhana di jekun laha ahammyje 
 kebyra fy masr. 
 
 — suft fy genenet eg gyze sab" kebyr, sultan el 
 hywanat; we talat nimura luhum gild miqallim bijilma"; 
 we arba c fuhuda minaqqatyn; we arba c hanazyr gabalyje 
 luhum sinan wihsa ; we dibben luhum sa : r tawyl ; we 
 arba c tasar qird li c abyje. baqa kam hywan suft fy ge- 
 nenet eg gyze? 
 
 — fy balad qadyme c and el baljana ismaha bil lisan 
 el masry el qadym ebot, we bil qibty abrfii, we bi er 
 
riimy abudos, lakin mus iadil minha dilwaqt ilia harabat 
 hrkalen we suwaijet turab. el hekal ek kebyr banah 
 el malik sety el auwil qabl el nigra bi alfen sane; we 
 el hekal et tan)' banah ibnoh el mashur, ramsys et 
 tany. : ala hytan el hekal ek kebyr maktub asamy kull 
 muluk masr bil kitabe el masryje el qadyme. 
 
 — el alifbe el masryje ma jimkinhas abadan tahud 
 matrah el alifbe el : arabyje; we el alifbe el : arabyje 
 el qadyme tifdal c asan kitabet nusah el qoran, we tab 
 kutub c ulum, we a.s'ar, we tawaryh el lisan el c araby 
 el qadym. di alifbe ed dyn el islamy, we lazim tibqa 
 kide ; lakin el alifbe el masryje hyje "asan el hagat el 
 gedyde — asan et tigara, we eg garanyl, we kitabet 
 el asje elly malhas ta c alluq bi ed dyn. el lisan el mak- 
 tub boh el qoran, we il lisan elly bijitkallimuh ahl 
 masr en nahar da humma lisanen mus zai ba c d we la- 
 zim inn jekun li kull wahid minhum alifbe mahsusa. 
 
 — auwil myn qara ek kitabe el masryje el qadyme 
 samboljon {Champollioii) el faransawy min hamse we 
 sab c yn sane. we fil waqt da c alim ingelyzy ibtada 
 jifham ek kitabe el masryje di. ed dinje qa'adet alien 
 sane ma hyjas "arife tiqra ek kitabe el qadyme di ma c 
 inn me c allimyn ketyr igtahadu jiqruha. samboljon saf 
 inn bad el huruf fy kull ek kitabat "ala hytan el haja- 
 kil we c alal qubur, we el misallat hawaleha hatt; qam 
 ga c ala baloh inn el huruf di elly guwa el hatt hyje 
 asamy muluk; we kan tahmynoh da fy mahalloh. we 
 
lamma c irif ba c d el huruf qidir fil ahir jiqraha kullaha. 
 dilwaqt kull taryh masr el qadyme ma c ruf, c asan inn 
 el masrijyn hafaruh c ala hytan el binajat el qadyme. 
 kutubhum min hagar. 
 
 — el manzar min eg giha el qiblyje min eg gezyre 
 qusad qasr ed dubara fy masr kuwaijis qawy. c ala 
 es simal sarajat we ganajin we gezyret er roda el latyfe, 
 we c alal jemyn sari c eg gezyre elly fyh min en nahjeten 
 sagar el labah el ahdar, we sarajet we balad eg gyze, 
 we bi c yd suwaije ahram eg gyze el c alje elly hyje akbar 
 c agajib ed dinje. el hukume c amalet taijib elly c amalet 
 hene genene c umiimyje c asan kull en nas jiqdaru jeruhu 
 jesufu el manzar ek kuwaijis da. 
 
 guwa masr el qahira. 
 
 asdmy dad mahalldt, ive saivdri, ive kawdry, we 
 mabdny mashura, ive gaivdmi, we kandjis fy masr. — el 
 antyhana; el azbakyje; el ismaVlyje; el barquqyje. bab 
 el hesenyje ; bab zuwele ; bab el futiih ; bab en nasr ; 
 bet el qady. et taufyqyje; el gamalyje. eg gami c el 
 azhar; gami c ibn tulCin ; gami c ibn qalailn ; gami c el 
 gury; gami c er rifa c y ; gami c es saijide zenab ; gami c 
 es sultan hasan ; gami c qajid be ; gami c el muaijad; gami c 
 mehammad c aly. gezyret bulaq; gezyret er roda, haret 
 ahmad nafi c ; haret eljas susa; haret el bab es sarqy ; 
 
haret girgis farag ; haret h6s cr rubat ; haret er rum ; 
 haret ez zaTarany ; haret es saqqajyn ; haret qattawy 
 be; haret en nasara. han el halyly. darb abu bakr ; 
 darb el unsyje; darb el gamamyz; darb ed duhdera; 
 darb es samsy. der abu sefen ; der bablun. sebyl umm 
 ismayl basa; sebyl c abd er rahman. sarajet ibrahym 
 basa; sarajet eg gezyre; sarajet c abdyn; sarajet el 
 qubbe; sarajet mansur basa. es sikke el gedyde; sikket 
 byr el miss; sikket rahabet c abdyn ; sikket saqq et 
 ti c ban ; sikket suq ez zalat ; sikket zar c en nawa; sikket 
 es seh. suq el gohargyje; suq el hamzawy ; suq es 
 sudan; suq es sijag; suq el c attaryn ; suq en nahhasyn. 
 sari c bulaq; sfiri c tahir ; sari c el gury ; sari c el hamzawy 
 es sugaijar; sari c el hilmyje; sari c el hedewy; sari c ed 
 dawawyn ; sari c es seh ryhan ; sari c c abd el c azyz ; sari c 
 c abdyn ; sari c el faggala; sari c kamil; sari c ja c qub. el 
 c abbasyje. c atfet islam; r atfet ismayl kasif; c atfet el 
 hikr ; c atfet es surbagy; c atfet qarn el gazal; c atfet el 
 qulaly; c atfet mabruk; c atfet el mezaijin. fumm el halyg. 
 qasr ed dubara; el qasr el c eny ; qasr en nyl; qasr 
 en nuzha. el qal c a. kubry qasr en nyl ; kubry el la- 
 mun. el kutubhane el hedewyje. masr c atyqa. el 
 miqjas. mydan el azhar ; mydan bab el luq ; mydan 
 taufyq; mydan et tijatro; mydan ragab aga ; mydan 
 c abdyn ; mydan el c ataba el hadra; mydan mehammad 
 c aly. el musky, muristan qalaun. — di ba c d asamy gi- 
 hat fy akbar balad beta/et watan el masrijyn. 
 
hadyt c an alifbe ahl masr. 
 
 hdmid. — ti'raf, ja ahmad, tequl ly se c an alifbe 
 ahl masr? 
 
 ahmad. — a c raf ketyr c anha c asan inny kunt bat- 
 E allimha en nahar da es subh, we it c allimtaha taijib. 
 
 hdmid. — it/allimtaha fy subhyje wahde ? 
 
 ahmad. — malum, di basyta we hafyfe, iza itam- 
 milt fyha taijib suwaije sugaijara tifhamha qawam. 
 
 hdmid. — kam harf fyha? 
 
 ahmad. — fyha 34 harf, el c asara el auwalanijyn 
 minha huruf laha s6t. 
 
 hdmid. — jany e huruf laha sot? 
 
 ahmad. — huruf laha sot jany huruf tequm maqam 
 aswat min g6r misa c det harf tany. 
 
 hdmid. — we baqyjet el huruf ismaha e? 
 
 ahmad. — ismaha huruf bala sot, we lazim jigy 
 wajaha harf loh sot c asan ma innaha titnitiq. masalan 
 harf be, iza kunt c awiz tintaq sot b min ger harf c ma 
 tiqdars, lakin iza saijibt el b tiqdar tintaq el c (zai el 
 habar ef). 
 
 hdmid. — lakin ana sajif inn ba c d el huruf di zai ba d? 
 
 ahmad. — aiwa. fy c asar hnruf laha sot maqsuma 
 qismen : qism qasyra we qism tawyla. el qasyra a, e, 
 i, 0, u; we el tawyla d, c, y, 6, u. el qasyra tibqa 
 tawyla lamma tigy c aleha el c alama (zai a we a). 
 
— 23 — 
 
 kdmid. — el huruf elly laha s6t ismaha 6? 
 
 ahmad,— ismaha, alif ah, alij a, alii eh, alij e, 
 ila ahiroh, asan innaha gat matrah barf alij el c araby 
 el qadym. 
 
 hdinid. i'mil ma'ruf tassar ly el huruf elly ma 
 lahas s6l ? 
 
 ah uiad. - -el huruf elly mil lahas sot auwilha b 
 elly ismaha 3<?, we nutqaha tamally zai ma fil kilmat: 
 /'/>//, /^//;, /;/;//. ha dru jigy harfrn taqryban zai ba c d, 
 auwilhum / (te) we nutqaha zai ma fil kilmat: tult, tyn, 
 tdny, we ha dru t (ta) we nutqaha zai ma til kilmat ter, 
 tyn, quit. ba'den jigy harfen zai ba c d we humma g (gym) 
 we/ (g^n). tiqdar tiraf lafz el harfen dol iza basset fil 
 kilmat di : gab, gum > a, mog ; we gab, luga, get. ha drn fy 
 talat huruf zai ba c d, we humma h (he), h (ha), // (ha), el 
 // nutqaha zai ma til kilmat: hat, laha. boh; we el // zai 
 ma fil kilmat: harb, ryh, has an ; we el // zai ma fil kil- 
 mat: hrt, habat, syh. miu el huruf di, el ha hyje el 
 harf el saba tasar, baqa dilwaqt hallasna nuss huruf 
 alifhe tamam. ba'den fy harfen kaman zai had we 
 humma el d (cUU) we el d (clad), el d zai ma fil kilmat: 
 dyk, dukkdn, 'yd, dugry ; we el d zai ma fil kilmat: 
 dahr, day/', ard. amma el harf el etnen we c esryn 
 huwa el z (zv) we nutqoh zai ma fil kilmat : zit, zawdt, 
 izz. haden jegyna talat huruf muhimma zai ba c d we 
 humma s (syn), s (syn), \ (sad); el s tigy fy kilmat 
 zai : syh, sane, seryr ; el s tigy fil kilmat: subra, sains. 
 
-4 
 
 c asam, c es; e\ s tigy fil kilmat : sef, subh, c asdjc. ba c d£n 
 jigyna asgar harf fil alifbe we ismoh c ( c en) we huwa 
 jiban zai nuss harf; huwa el harf es sitte we c esryn, 
 we huwa musta c mal fil kilmat : c eb, z igl, gdmi. el harf 
 elly jigy ba c d el c huwa el / (fe) we jitnitiq zai ma fil 
 kilmat: fuldn, fulus, sef. ba c den fy harfen ismuhum 
 taqryban zai ba c d, we humma el q (qaf) we el k (kef). 
 we el harfen dol nelaqyhum maugudyn fil kilmat, el 
 q tigy fy: qalb, qadam, buldq ; lakin nutquhum mus wa- 
 hid fy kull masr c asan innaha fy es se c yd titnitiq zai g; 
 we el k tigy fil kilmat : kitdb, kursy, sdhibak. ba c d£n fy 
 harf / (lam) ; buss lil kilmat : l&kin, lele, gama/, jetull 
 we ente tifham nutq el harf da. ba c den tegy el m 
 (mym); da harf muhimm qawy. fy kilmat auwilha ;// 
 aktar min gerha min huruf alifbe. el kilmat di fyha 
 harf m: mchammad, maije, mamluk, muslim. dilwaqt 
 jigyna harf zai el m fy es sikl we hiiwa harf el n (nun), 
 nutqoh zai ma fil kilmat : nuty^ nusrdny, min, my)/. 
 ba c d^n fy harf el w (wau) we jitnitiq zai ma. fil kilmat : 
 wa/ad, widn, wihvdt, wiqi . we ahir harf huwa el / (j£) 
 we hCiwa el harf el arba c a we c esryn min el huruf elly 
 ma lahas sot, ja ny el harf el rabi c we talatyn min huruf 
 alifbe kullaha, we jigy fy kilmat ketyra zai : jd, jemyn, 
 jam, aijdm. 
 
 Mm id. — ana sajif inn tartyb el huruf di mus zai 
 tartyb el huruf elly a c rafha? 
 
 ahmad. — kalfimak fy mahalloh, lakin hene el huriif 
 
— 25 — 
 
 elly zai ba c daha tigy sawa c asan jekun hifdaha sahl. 
 u c a tinsa inn fy sitt huruf kull etnen minha zai ba e d we 
 humma el / we el /, el g we el g; el d we el d ; we 
 sitt huruf tanijyn kull talate zai ba c d we humma el // 
 we el // we el //, we el s we el s we el s. hally balak 
 kaman inn el huruf i we g we / c alchum kull wahid 
 nuqta, we kaman inn el huruf t we h we d, we s taht 
 kull wahid minhum nuqta c asan timaijizha c an el / we 
 el // we el d we el s. 
 
 hdmid. — we tiqdar tiktib we titba c kull el kalam 
 el masry bil arba c a we talatyn harf dol? 
 
 ahmad. — ma c lum aqdar aktib we atba c kull kilme 
 bi sihdle we zabt, we iza kunt tiqabil el alifbe di bil 
 alifbe el faransawyje walla el ingelyzyje tilaqyha ahsan 
 we ashal. kaman inte ti c raf inn fy et tab c el alifbe el 
 c araby jilzamha 134 harf matba c a, am ma el alifbe di 
 ma jilzamhas ilia 34 harf bass. 
 
 hdmid. — ala kide azunn el wilad jibqu jehibbu 
 el madrase aktar min zaman? 
 
 ahmad. — ma fys sakk inn el alifbe di mufyde 
 balis li es subban el masrijyn we li kull es sa c b el masr}'. 
 dilwaqt jishal c alehum jekunu met : allimyn, we bi et 
 taryqa di jekunu aqwyje. 
 
 DIVERSITY 
 
md baqas lizum li ahtdm! Jjally hull masry jiktib 
 ismoh bi ydoh. el fall ah loh haqq jifallim zai el bdsa. 
 Idkin kull en nds via jinikinhums jif allium min ger alifbe 
 qusaijara, basyla, we sahle zai alifbe ahl masr. 
 
 el alifbe el masryje. 
 
 a 
 
 alif 
 
 all 
 
 
 h 
 
 Ijd 
 
 <c> 
 
 a 
 
 alif 
 
 a 
 
 
 d 
 
 rial 
 
 ( a ) 
 
 e 
 
 alif 
 
 eli 
 
 
 d 
 
 dad 
 
 (■o») 
 
 e 
 
 alif 
 
 e 
 
 
 r 
 
 re 
 
 (j ) 
 
 i 
 
 alif 
 
 Hi 
 
 ( ' ) 
 
 z 
 
 zen 
 
 ( ■> ) 
 
 y 
 
 alif 
 
 y 
 
 s 
 
 syn 
 
 (o~) 
 
 o 
 
 alif 
 
 oh 
 
 
 s 
 
 Syn 
 
 ( U" ) 
 
 6 
 
 alif 
 
 6 
 
 
 s 
 
 sad 
 
 ( O" ) 
 
 u 
 
 alif 
 
 uh 
 
 
 c 
 
 z en 
 
 (e ) 
 
 u 
 
 alif 
 
 u 
 
 
 f 
 
 fe 
 
 (o) 
 
 b 
 
 
 be 
 
 ( V ) 
 
 <* 
 
 qdf 
 
 (o) 
 
 t 
 
 
 ti 
 
 ( ° ) 
 
 k 
 
 kef 
 
 ( «> ) 
 
 t 
 
 
 td 
 
 ( ^ ) 
 
 1 
 
 lam 
 
 ( J) 
 
 g 
 
 
 gym 
 
 ^ <Z ' 
 
 m 
 
 viyni 
 
 ( f ) 
 
 g 
 
 
 gen 
 
 ( i ) 
 
 n 
 
 nun 
 
 (a) 
 
 h 
 
 
 he 
 
 ( s ) 
 
 w 
 
 wau 
 
 ( » ) 
 
 h 
 
 
 hd 
 
 ^ Z i 
 
 j 
 
 je 
 
 (is) 
 
 el Jiarfen ai jigu sawa zve jibqa minhum sot wdkid 
 {zai md fy ek kilnidt aiwa, taijib, sugaijar); we lamnia 
 jinkitbu sawa jibqa ismukum solen magmuyn. el harfen 
 et tdnjyn humnia au {zai md fy ek kilmdt gau, tauwa, 
 auwil). md fys solen magmuyn ger do/ //I lisdu el masry. 
 
elly fy ek kitab. 
 
 1. kalam c alal hikaje wiss 3 
 
 2. es saijad we ibnoh 4 
 
 3. qita c mitfarraqa 16 
 
 4. gCiwa masr el qahira 20 
 
 5. hadyt c an alifbe ahl masr 22 
 
 6. el alifbe el masryje 26 
 

 el alifbe el masryje. 
 
 a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, ft (W//), 
 b (be), t (#J, t (td), g (gym), g (gen), h (he), 
 h (#«), 1) (b&), d (V«/), d (V<^)> r (re), z (zen), 
 s (syn), £ (sy?i), s (W), c ( c en), f £#), q (qdf), 
 k f /£<?/), 1 (7aw), m (mym), n (nun),vi(wau),] (je). 
 
 matbu c at gam c yjet ta c lym kull wilad masr. 
 
 lHIMliiiniiiliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiliiilliiiiiiiili 
 
 iniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii" 
 
 alifbe" ahl masr. 
 
 a, a, e, e, i, y, o, 6, u, u ( I ), 
 b( v ), t(o), t(-fc), g( g ), g( d ), h(>), 
 h( c ), b(^), d(o), (J(o,), r( J ), i(j), 
 s(u-), *(ufc), ?M, c (e), f(^), q(o)« 
 k(4), 1(H m(,), n( ), w( 5 ), j(yr)- 
 
 rm 1 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 n 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 iiniiiiiHiiminii mi it iiiniiiiti mini 11 in minium mm.