# nfr
## Translingual
### Symbol

nfr
* (international standards) ISO 639-3 language code for Nafaanra.

### See also

* Wiktionary's coverage of Nafaanra terms

## Egyptian
### Etymology

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

### Pronunciation

* (adjective): (reconstructed) IPA: /ˈnaːfiɾ/ → /ˈnaːfiʔ/ → /ˈnaːfa/ → /ˈnoːfə/
* (adjective): (Old Egyptian, c. 2500 BCE) IPA: /ˈnaːfiɾ/
* (adjective): (Middle Egyptian, c. 1700 BCE) IPA: /ˈnaːfiʔ/
* (adjective): (Amarna-period Late Egyptian, c. 1350 BCE) IPA: /ˈnaːfa/; compare the Akkadian transcription 𒈾𒀀𒉺 (na-a-pa)
* (adjective): (latest Late Egyptian, c. 800 BCE) IPA: /ˈnoːfə/
* (modern Egyptological) IPA: /nɛfɛr/
** Conventional anglicization: nefer

### Verb

3-lit.
* (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:
    […] qrst nfrt m jz.f nfr n ẖrt-nṯr […][…] a good burial in his wonderful tomb of the necropolis […]
* (intransitive) to be(come) pleasant or gratifying to the senses
** (intransitive) to be(come) beautiful or fair, to look good
** (intransitive, of scents and flowers) to smell good
** (intransitive, of food and drinks) to taste good
* (intransitive, of periods of time) to be(come) pleasant or enjoyable to live through
* (intransitive, of people) to acquire or have good or pleasant qualities, to be capable, agreeable, or benevolent
* (intransitive, of work) to be done well or competently
* (intransitive, of medicine) to be(come) effective
* (intransitive, of names) to acquire or have a good reputation

#### Alternative forms

nfr :

#### Derived terms

* ꜣst-nfrt
* jnr ḥḏ nfr n rwḏt
* wnn-nfr
* bw nfr
* pr nfr
* mwt-nfr.t
* mdwt nfrt
* nfr.f-rꜥ
* nfrw
* nfr-mꜣꜥt
* nfr-ḥtp.s
* nfrt
* nfr-tm
* nṯr-nfr
* rn nfr
* snfr

### Adjective

* perfective active participle of nfr: fine, beautiful, pleasant, etc.

#### Inflection

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).

#### Alternative forms

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

#### Derived terms

See the ‘Derived terms’ under the verb above.

#### Descendants

* Demotic: nfr
** Akhmimic Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ (noufe)
** Bohairic Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲓ (noufi)
** Fayyumic Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲓ (noufi)
** Lycopolitan Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ (noufe)
** Sahidic Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ (noufe)
** Old Coptic: ⲛⲟⲩϥⲉ (noufe)

### Noun

m
* fine or good person
* (with following genitive) benefactor (of someone), welldoer
* (with following plural genitive) the best (person) among…, the best one of…

#### Alternative forms

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

#### Derived terms

* nfr-jr-kꜣ-rꜥ
* nfr-nfrw-jtn
* nfr-nfrw-rꜥ
* nfr-ḥtp
* nfr-kꜣ-rꜥ

### Noun

m
* good, goodness, pleasingness (in opposition to bjn)
* good qualities or deeds (of a person)
* something fine, good, beautiful, pleasing

#### Alternative forms

| nfr | nfr |
| | [New Kingdom] |

#### Derived terms

* nfr-jb

### Interjection

* good, sure, fine
* correct, that’s right

### Adverb

* well

#### Alternative forms

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

### Particle

proclitic
* 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

nfr :

#### Derived terms

* nfr ꜣ
* nfr pw
* nfr n

#### Related terms

* nfrw (“depletion, deficiency, zero”)

### References

* Erman, Adolf, Grapow, Hermann (1928) Wörterbuch der ägyptischen Sprache‎, volume 2, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, →ISBN, pages 253.1–256.15, 257.12–257.15, 258.11–258.17
* James P[eter] Allen (2010) Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs, 2nd edition, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 94–95, 194–195.
* Hoch, James (1997) Middle Egyptian Grammar, Mississauga: Benben Publications, →ISBN, page 42
* ↑ 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
* 1 2 Loprieno, Antonio (1995) Ancient Egyptian: A Linguistic Introduction, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, pages 39, 56
* ↑ Junge, Friedrich (2005) Late Egyptian Grammar: An Introduction, second English edition, Oxford: Griffith Institute, page 66