# i-Type Infinitives

It is believed the i-Type vocalization originated as an adjective-verbal marker in the earlier phases of the language. G. Fecht and C. Peust note the three verbs (as shown in the below table) are those originally containing the i-Type with stress on the final syllable and equate to Templatic Class I: Form 4.

## Original i-Type Form

| Egyptian Verb | Meaning | Notes |
| sinīd | fearing | ⲤⲚⲀⲦ$^S$ |
| ḫitīm | thing shutting; shut; to be closed; gate | ϢⲦⲞⲘ$^S$ - (noun) thing shutting; shut; gate ϢⲦⲀⲘ$^{SO}$ - to shut ϢⲦⲀⲘⲈ$^S$ - shutting ϢⲰⲦⲘ - (infinitive) to shut; shutting ϪⲒⲚϢⲐ$^B$ - closing [ḫtm$^{Pyr}$ - to close] |
| qinīd | become enraged; angry | ϬⲚⲀⲦ$^S$ / ϬⲚⲈⲦ $^F$ - to be angry (as a state) ϬⲰⲚⲦ - (infinitive) to be angry ϪⲒⲚϮ$^F$ / ϪⲈⲚϮ$^F$ - (noun) wrath qnṱ$^{Dem}$ - anger [qnyt$^{LEg}$ - yellow (color) (vocalic -y-), ḳVn$^{PAA}$ - be white, yellow] |
* Some more examples of possible original i-Type vocalizations:
ⲘⲔⲀϨ$^{SAB}$, ⲘⲔⲈϨ$^F$ - (infinitive/noun) be painful [ⲘⲞⲨⲔϨ$^{SA}$ - (infinitive) offlict, oppress] ⲘⲢⲞϢ$^S$ / ⲘⲢⲀϢ$^S$ - be red/yellow [ⲘⲎⲢϢ$^{SBF}$ / ⲘⲈⲢϢ$^{SF}$ - (adj.) red/ruddy]

## Modified i-Type Forms

It appears that this vocalization was also adopted to other infinitival forms which consisted of roots with a with final -j/y, causing either an umlaut, emphasis spreading, or vowel harmony due to the proximity of some kind of semi-vocalic glide represented by the Egyptian hieroglyphic letter j.
The infinitival/nominal vocalization may have always been constructed using the a-Type Form 1, there is indirect evidence in the pronominal and qualitative forms of ultimae weak verbs which no longer utilized < j > and instead either replaced it with /t/ or simply inherited the /a/ vowel. Those vocalizations consisting of an i-Type vocalization seem to be largely predictable from the third consonant the verb had in Egyptian, though exceptions remain. The following paradigms equate to Templatic Class I: Form 3:
| Root Class | Formula | Example |
| 2-lit | AǐB | ǐ(j) [ⲈⲒ$^{SAA2F}$, Ⲓ$^{BFA2}$, ⲈⲒⲨ$^S$] - coming |
| 3ae inf. | AīBit AīBjit | šīnit - to seek/ask [ϢⲒⲚⲈ] mīrjit - loving [ⲘⲈ(Ⲓ)$^S$, ⲘⲈⲒⲈ$^A$, ⲘⲀⲈⲒⲈ$^{A2}$, Ⲙ(Ⲏ)Ⲓ$^F$] |
| 4ae inf. | AīBCit | ḥīmsit - sitting [ϨⲈⲘⲤⲒ$^B$ / ϨⲘⲞⲞⲤ$^{SF}$, ϨⲘⲈⲤⲦ-ϨⲘⲀⲤⲦ-ϨⲘⲈⲤ$^{AA2}$] |
* List of Egyptian ultimae-j/y roots in Coptic:
ⲢⲒⲔⲈ / rqj - tending ⲠⲒⲤⲈ / psj - cooking ⲞⲨⲈⲒⲤⲈ / wsj - sawing ϩⲒⲤⲈ / hsj - tormenting ⲘⲒⲤⲈ / msj/msy - bringing forth, bear [ma/ič$^{PAA}$ - child, small boy, ms$^{Pyr}$ - child ... ⲘⲀⲤ/ⲘⲈⲤ - (noun) young (mostly of animal), ⲘⲀⲤⲈ / ⲘⲈⲤⲈ - young animal especially calf, ⲘⲈⲤⲒⲰ / ⲘⲈⲤⲈⲒOⲨ- nurse] ⲢⲒⲘⲈ / rmy - weep [ⲢⲘⲈⲒⲎ, ⲢⲘⲈⲒⲈ- tear ~ rmyt ... ⲢⲘⲈⲒⲞⲞⲨⲈ - tears]
* But there are a handful of Egyptian ultimae -j verbs in Coptic which show the a-vocalization - it is possible these verbs did not have originally have < j >, the verb simply ended in a vowel from a consonant that was not pronounced at the end of the verb:
ⲔⲰⲦⲈ - turning / qd(y) - go round ϤⲰⲦⲈ - wiping away / ft(t) - obliterate; fdj$^{Pyr/MEg}$-remove [fVtˌ$^{PAA}$ - pull out, take out] ⲚⲞⲨϪ(Ⲉ) - throwing / ndr ⲘOⲤⲦⲈ - hating/ msdj$^{MEg}$ - only shows a slightly different vocalization in its nominal forms: ⲘⲈⲤⲦⲈ, ⲘⲈⲤⲦⲎ, ⲘⲈⲤⲦOⲨ, whereas its pronominal and construct forms follow the a-Type.
* Some time between the Middle Kingdom and the Late Kingdom (in the 2nd Intermediate Period), the sound of ɜ conflated with the sound of j and thus the contamination of the ultimae j/y weak root i-Type vocalization began to be used for ultimae ɜ roots Also notice how these patterns follow 'Form 4':
| Root Class | Formula | Example |
| 2-lit ɜ | Aāɜ$^{MEg}$ Aīj$^{LEg}$ | wīj [wy$^{MEg}$, wɜy$^{LEg}$, ⲞⲨⲈ$^S$, ⲞⲨⲈⲒ$^B$ ⲞⲨⲈⲒⲈ$^{AA2}$, ⲞⲨⲒⲈ$^{A2}$] - to be distant |
| 3-lit ɜ | AaBāɜ$^{MEg}$ AiBīj$^{LEg}$ | ꜥišīj - to become many [ⲀϢⲀⲒ$^{SB}$] |
* Examples of ultimae ɜ roots where the consonant ɜ fell out of pronunciation (or a change from ɜ = j) and shows the possible original a-vocalization - it is possible that these verbs lost their < ɜ > attribute at an early stage (probably before the 2nd Intermediate Period, in effect because of the loss of < ɜ > the vowels were not affected:
ḫǎɜ - placing [ⲔⲰ$^{SA2F}$, ⲔⲰⲈ$^{A2}$, ⲔⲞⲨ$^{AA2F}$] [ḫɜm$^{MEg}$ - possess, hold (vocalic |ɜ|]), kam$^{PAA}$ - hold, grasp] bǎlaɜ - loosing [ⲂⲰⲖ, blɜ$^{Dem}$] darāɜ - become strong, firm, victorious [ϪⲢⲞ, ϪⲰⲰⲢⲈ (infinitive) - strength/be strong ~ dr$^{Dem}$] sǎmaɜ - uniting [ⲤⲰⲘ - subduing; pressing; pounding] pǎḫaɜ - tearing [ⲠⲰϨ] tǎkaɜ - lighting [ⲦⲰⲔ] pǎgaɜ - breaking [ⲠⲰϬⲈ] dǎgaɜ - planting [ⲦⲰϬⲈ ]
Note: ⲔⲒⲘ - moving ~ qmɜ$^{MEg}$, qm$^{MEg}$, shows some peculiarities in Coptic as not only has the consonant ɜ fallen away but the letter -t emerges from nowhere once a pronominal suffix is attached: ⲔⲈⲘⲦ = (Construct form ⲔⲈⲘⲦ - is identical in spelling) This may not only be a perfect example of ɜ = j => i-vocalization but also how here the verb is treated exactly as if it was ultimae-j. So, we have a qǎmaɜ$^{MEg}$ construction and a qǐm(it)$^{LEg}$ renovated construction.
* Should also be noted that the following group of verbs are frequently used in Egyptian and all follow an irregular set of rules governed by changing the vowel a ~ i as well as ɜ ~ j and shows abridged versions:
dījt (original: radǎjat or dǎjat ~ dājt) - giving [†$^{copt}$ TI$^{copt}$ †EI$^{s.copt}$ TEI$^{s.copt}$] tījt (original: jatǎjat or tǎjat ~ tājt) - taking [†I$^{copt}$ ϪI$^{s.a.a.f.copt}$ ϪEI$^{copt}$ ϪIEI/ϪE$^{s.copt}$ ϬI$^{b.copt}$] ḫījt (original: ḫǎɜat ~ ḫǎjat ~ ḫājt) - measuring [ϢI$^{copt}$, ϢⲈI$^S$] fījt (original: fǎɜat ~ fǎjat ~fājt) - carrying [ϤI$^{s.a.a.b.f.copt}$ ϤEI$^{s.copt}$ BI$^{a.2copt}$ ϤAI$^{b.copt}$] ḥījt (original: ḥǎwat ~ ḥǎjat ~ ḥājt) - beating/threshing [ϩI$^{copt}$]

# a>i Vowel Replacement in Coptic Nouns

Original short stressed |i| and |u| merged into short |e| in all dialects and then in Bohairic/Sahiric Coptic it merged into |Ⲁ| unless followed by a glottal stop; second millennium BC. Here's some examples which possibly were perfective active participles in the ancient language and assimilated into nouns in Coptic:
zǐ [CⲀ$^{copt}$] - man ꜥǐḫ [ⲀϢ$^{copt}$] - originally brazier; later furnace, oven sǐd [CⲀⲦ, CⲈⲦ$^{A.A2.B.}$, CⲎⲦ$^{S.SfB.}$ ] - tail sǐf [CⲀϤ$^{S.B.}$, CⲎϤ$^{SA}$, CⲈϤ$^{A.F.}$ ] - yesterday qǐs [KⲀC$^{copt}$ / KⲈⲈC] - bone lǐs[λΑC$^{copt}$] - tongue rǐn[PⲀN$^{copt}$] - name rǐm(at) [PⲀMⲈ$^{copt}$] - fish (by Coptic was also used for talapia) qǐm(aɜ) [ϬⲀM$^{S.}$] - bull hǐp [ϩⲀΠ$^{S.B.O.}$, ϩⲈΠ$^{A.A2F.}$ - judgement, inquest] - law, right, justice
rǐd [PⲀⲦ$^{S.B.}$, PⲀⲦ$^{SaA2A.F.O.}$] - foot hǐh [ⳊⲀⳊ $^{b.copt}$] - neck ḥǐs [ϩⲀC$^{copt}$] - dung (of animals) tǐp [ⲦⲀΠ$^{copt}$] - horn kǐp [ϬⲀΠ$^{copt}$] - sole of foot; foot nǐw [NⲀY$^{copt}$] - time (by Demotic/Pre-Coptic also meant hour) šǐw [ϢⲀY$^{copt}$ - trunk, stump, piece] - piece, remainder hǐy [ϩⲀI$^{copt}$] - husband bǐɜ [BⲀI$^{copt}$] - originally a type of bird which took on the meaning soul; soon came to mean also a night-raven or screech-owl in Demotic and Coptic
bǐḥsat [BAϩCE$^{copt}$] - heifer, (fem) form of bḥs - calf
nǐpraj [NⲀΠPE$^{copt}$] - grain; seed nǐdḥat [NⲀϪϩE$^{copt}$] - tooth rǐhdat [PⲀϩⲦE$^{copt}$] - cauldron
sǐdat [CⲀⲦE$^{copt}$] - fire
* Dubious vowel formations... It is not quite known if there was an original [i] in the spelling of the below words.. These words may have been loan-words thus utilizing | Ⲁ$^{Copt}$] following the typical usage of Coptic A irregular rules in Coptic orthography:
βαρις$^{greek}$ - boat BⲀⲖ$^{copt}$ - eye

# Peculiarities

These groups of verbs follow orthographic rules in Coptic:
nǐw(iꜢ) - seeing [ⲚⲀⲨ$^{S.B.}$, ⲚⲈⲨ$^{A2F.}$, ⲚO$^{A.A2}$, ⲚⲰ$^{Sa}$ ] ϪAK$^{copt}$ - clapping (no Middle Egyptian equivalent) rāšaw - rejoicing [PAϢE$^{copt}$] - ršw$^{ME}$ ršy$^{dem}$ šāfat - swelling [ϢAϤE$^{copt}$, ϢEϤE, ϢHϤE, ϢIϤE] ḫāꜥ(at) - rising (of sun) [ϢA$^{copt}$, ϢAIE$^{a.coptic}$, ϢE(E)I$^{f.coptic}$] - Note: it appears like the entire ending vanished.

# Notes

There are two types of i-Type verbs:
* The original adjectival verb which must have originally followed the typical Afro-Asiatic CaCiC adjectival pattern then as the language progressed they eventually began to pattern themselves CiCiC due to relocation of stress. It's unclear (at least to me), why most Afro-Asiatic adjectives from the mother proto-language did not conform to this pattern in Coptic, as this paradigm only seemed to affect some verbal forms as shown in Coptic.
* A modified version only used with verbs that officially ended in < j > or a vowel.
          If a verb ended in a vowel due to a reduction of /a vowel/ + /a (weak) consonant/ it most likely continued to use the a-Type vocalization but there are a small number of verbs which eventually conformed and were treated as if they were an i-Type due to the renovated modification in the latest stages of the language.
In modern day Egyptian Arabic there is a distribution of a-types and i-types. The Western Delta prefers the a-type with certain Arabic roots, whereas the i-type is common in the eastern and central parts: šarab, faham, rakab, sama’, etc., versus širib, fihim, rikib, simi'.
* ↑ G. Fecht, Die i-Klasse bei den anfangsbetonten koptischen Infinitiven starker dreiradikaliger Verben pg 289
* ↑ Carsten Peust, Egyptian Phonology: An Introduction to the Phonology of a Dead Language pg 247
* ↑ Ultimae-j weak roots may have also followed the a-vocalization Form 1 and once the New Kingdom's reorganization of pronunciation began the ultimae-j roots began to pattern themselves identical to ultimae- ɜ, both methods appearing simultaneously. This is merely a hypothesis based upon those roots which contained ɜ and j/y which did not follow i-vocalizations. This sound change between a=i/i=a exists sometimes unpredictably within the colloquial Arabic spoken in modern Egypt.
* ↑ Carsten Peust, Egyptian Phonology: An Introduction to the Phonology of a Dead Language pg 247
* ↑ Final -t of the weak root modification was not pronounced unless a pronominal suffix was added or a word beginning with a vowel followed it.
* ↑ It is not quite clear whether the suspected 'j' was present in the infinitive or not - C. Peust, Egyptian Phonology: An Introduction to the Phonology of a Dead Language pg 247
* ↑ 4ae inf. infinitival verbs in Coptic are quite irregular in terms of vowel quality in the stressed syllable- a majority of the the time there appears to have been an original 'short-i' in the 1st syllable except for a few verbs which will be discussed in a later section.
* ↑ http://www.suscopts.org/deacons/coptic/introductory-Sahidic-Coptic-Grammar_John-Martin-Plumley-1948.pdf .......... pg 25 (top pf page)
* ↑ Middle Egyptian qd - go round... Prot-Afro-Asiatic: q$^w$ad... Egyptian apparently used the root qd(y) in two different ways- ⲔⲰⲦ (qd) - to build, to create [stemming from the original Proto-Afro-Asiatic meaning 'to pot'] and ⲔⲰⲦⲈ (qd(y)) - to go around [stemming from the making of a pot by coiling it and turning it around].... https://books.google.com/books?id=G8Ltdr2rg04C&pg=PA354&lpg=PA354&dq=Egyptian+qd+-+go+round&source=bl&ots=klnzanLQ-R&sig=rHW_NCPH7p4x2yOaqZuqIskw7HA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwizlZySgsjZAhXjzVkKHY95CgkQ6AEISDAK#v=onepage&q=Egyptian%20qd%20-%20go%20round&f=false
* ↑ This change from ɜ to j also affected some syllables ending in r, t and to a lesser extent ꜥ; in other roots containing these consonants the entire syllable vanished altogether. Even though this 'i-Type' did not originally affect the actual inflectional pronunciation of ultimae ɜ roots (or r, t and ꜥ) it is still useful to recognize the renovation within Coptic. It is important to acknowledge the separation of vocalizations between the Old/Middle Egyptian forms and the Late Egyptian/Demotic/Coptic forms
* ↑ Peust Carsten pg 247.
* ↑ Remember that the -t ending is not pronounced unless in the pronominal form or if a vowel follows the -t and the combination Vj may actually be pronounced Vˤ where ʕ merged into the vowel and was colloquially regarded as a semi-vowel compliment to the preceding vowel not a semi-consonant: dīˤ - giving => dīˤti - I am giving; šīˤ - measuring => šīˤtaf - he is measuring... ect...
* ↑ This is a 1-lit root but still follows the 2-lit. form.
* ↑ May show an optional |i| vowel due to proximity of an original q = [KⲀC $^{s.b.copt}$, KⲈⲈC$^{s.a.copt}$,KHC / KIC$^{s.copt}$].
* ↑ In Middle Egyptian hieroglyphics spelled ns, eventually spelled ls in Demotic also spelled ls in Semitic languages.
* ↑ May show an optional |i| vocalization due to instability of Egyptian liquid |l| [ⲖⲀC$^{s.b.o.copt}$, λⲈC$^{a.f.copt}$]- in Afroasiatic languages ls - tongue tends to utilize |i|.
* ↑ Exhibits a possible |i| vocalization due to the proximity of unstable |r| and/or nasal |n| [PⲀN$^{s.b.o.copt}$, PIN$^{s.copt}$, PⲈN$^{f.copt}$].
* ↑ Appears to be a 2-lit fem root by the time of Coptic but is not shown with -t ending in hieroglyphs. May have ultimately added the reduced feminine ending in colloquial speech after the Middle Kingdom.
* ↑ According to Crumm's dictionary this word is a bit obscure.
* ↑ Explained in Peust Carsten's book in more detail pg 239.
* ↑ http://journals.openedition.org/ema/1952