nfr

See also: NFR

Egyptian
FWOTD – 13 January 2016

Etymology

Possibly from Proto-Afroasiatic *fir- (“to be good”) with an additional *nV- prefix.[1] Compare also Tamahaq ⵉⴼⵔⴰⵔ (ifrar, “best”) and Saho feer (“good”).

Pronunciation
 
  • (adjective): (reconstructed) IPA(key): /ˈnaːfiɾ/ → /ˈnaːfiʔ/ → /ˈnaːfa/ → /ˈnoːfə/

Verb
nfrf
r

 3-lit.

  1. (intransitive) to be(come) of superior or admirable quality, to be(come) fine, good, or wonderful
    • 12th Dynasty, coffin of Nakhtankh, British Museum EA 35285:
      q Z1
      r      		 st
      Q6      		 nfrf&r&t miizspr
      f      		 nfrf
      r
      n
      R50
      […] qrst nfrt m jz.f nfr n ẖrt-nṯr […]
      […] a good burial in his wonderful tomb of the necropolis […]
  2. (intransitive) to be(come) pleasant or gratifying to the senses
    1. (intransitive) to be(come) beautiful or fair, to look good
    2. (intransitive, of scents and flowers) to smell good
    3. (intransitive, of food and drinks) to taste good
  3. (intransitive, of periods of time) to be(come) pleasant or enjoyable to live through
  4. (intransitive, of people) to acquire or have good or pleasant qualities, to be capable, agreeable, or benevolent
  5. (intransitive, of work) to be done well or competently
  6. (intransitive, of medicine) to be(come) effective
  7. (intransitive, of names) to acquire or have a good reputation

Inflection
Conjugation of nfr (triliteral / 3-lit. / 3rad.) — base stem: nfr, geminated stem: nfrr
infinitival forms imperative
infinitive negatival complement complementary infinitive1 singular plural
nfr
 nfrw, nfr
 nfrt
 nfr
 nfr
‘pseudoverbal’ forms
stative stem periphrastic imperfective2 periphrastic prospective2
nfr
 ḥr nfr
 m nfr
 r nfr
suffix conjugation
aspect / mood active contingent
aspect / mood active
perfect nfr.n
 consecutive nfr.jn
terminative nfrt
perfective3 nfr
 obligative1 nfr.ḫr
imperfective nfr
prospective3 nfr
 potentialis1 nfr.kꜣ
subjunctive nfr
verbal adjectives
aspect / mood relative (incl. nominal / emphatic) forms participles
active active passive
perfect nfr.n
 — —
perfective nfr
 nfr
 nfr, nfrw5, nfry5
imperfective nfr, nfry, nfrw5
 nfr, nfrj6, nfry6
 nfr, nfrw5
prospective nfr, nfrtj7
 nfrtj4, nfrt4
  1. Used in Old Egyptian; archaic by Middle Egyptian.
  2. Used mostly since Middle Egyptian.
  3. Archaic or greatly restricted in usage by Middle Egyptian. The perfect has mostly taken over the functions of the perfective, and the subjunctive and periphrastic prospective have mostly replaced the prospective.
  4. Declines using third-person suffix pronouns instead of adjectival endings: masculine .f/.fj, feminine .s/.sj, dual .sn/.snj, plural .sn.
  5. Only in the masculine singular.
  6. Only in the masculine.
  7. Only in the feminine.

Alternative forms
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of nfr  
nfr
nfr

Derived terms

Adjective
nfrf
r
  1. perfective active participle of nfr: fine, beautiful, pleasant, etc.

Inflection
Declension of nfr (perfective active participle)
masculine feminine
singular nfr
 nfrt
dual nfrwj
 nfrtj
plural nfrw
 nfrwt1, nfrt2
  1. Archaic in Middle Egyptian when modifying a noun.
  2. From Middle Egyptian, this feminine singular form was generally used for the plural.
    In Late Egyptian, the masculine singular form was used with all nouns.

Along with bjn and ꜥꜣ, nfr is one of the few Egyptian adjectives that continued to show remnants of gender and number inflection into Late Egyptian (and beyond).[3]

Alternative forms

See the ‘Alternative forms’ section under the verb above.

Derived terms

See the ‘Derived terms’ under the verb above.

Descendants
  • Demotic: nfr

Noun
nfrf
r

 m

  1. fine or good person
  2. (with following genitive) benefactor (of someone), welldoer
  3. (with following plural genitive) the best (person) among…, the best one of…

Inflection
Declension of nfr (masculine)
singular nfr
dual nfrwj
plural nfrw

Alternative forms

See the ‘Alternative forms’ section under the verb above.

Noun
nfrf
r

 m

  1. good, goodness, pleasingness (in opposition to bjn)
  2. good qualities or deeds (of a person)
  3. something fine, good, beautiful, pleasing

Alternative forms
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of nfr  
nfr
nfrf
r		 Y1V
nfr nfr
[New Kingdom]

Interjection
nfrf
r
  1. good, sure, fine
  2. correct, that’s right

Adverb
nfrf
r
  1. well

Alternative forms

See the ‘Alternative forms’ section under the verb above.

Particle
nfrf
r

 proclitic

  1. not even, not at all

Usage notes

In Middle Egyptian, this particle is found only in the constructions nfr pw, nfr n, and nfr ꜣ.

Alternative forms
Alternative hieroglyphic writings of nfr  
nfr
nfr

Derived terms
  • nfrw (“depletion, deficiency, zero”)

References
  1. Orel, Vladimir E., Stolbova, Olga V. (1995) “*fir-”, in Hamito-Semitic Etymological Dictionary: Materials for a Reconstruction (Handbuch der Orientalistik; I.18), Leiden, New York, Köln: E.J. Brill
  2. Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 39, 56
  3. Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 66
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