Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures

The problem of the phenomenon referred to as égyptien de tradition (Traditional Egyptian) derives from a basic and long-made observation: a great many texts from ancient Egypt implement an obviously anachronistic and partly artificial language, reflecting elements of earlier stages of Egyptian in varying proportions and degrees while also reflecting elements of the contemporary language. Texts continued to be written in égyptien de tradition, either on easy-to-handle supports such as papyri, tablets, and ostraca, or on durable objects and monuments, until the end of Pharaonic civilization.