PHONETIC VALUE OF THE SIGN

As is well known, tlie sign often takes the place of

in the Royal titles, from whence it was concluded, that its sound was that of viz. mer and mà, mai, the final letter r having afterwards fallen ofï. The reading mà was adopted by the late M. Chabas, in his translation of the Ist Anastasi papyrus1 2, for groups in which the sign t=t enters as a phonetic value. But in 18743 M. Brugsch proposed the reading (| , (j and applied it to a great many expressions compound with However strong were the

proofs of this value, brought forward by the learned Egyptologist, they did not appear conclusive to some scholars, although others4 adhered to the new reading. It is true, that these eminent authorities cite instances of having apparently the value old reading test will be seen, absolutely certain.

In addition to the already known variant furnished by the

but on the otlier hand, the on a much firmer basis and is, as

1. Publié dans les Proceedings of the Society of Biblical Archœology, mars 1894.