* Note, I have a bias towards books written in english because that is the only language I know well.
References relating to the Westcar papyrus
de Buck, A. 'Egyptian Readingbook. Exercises and Middle EgyptianTexts.' Ares, Chicago. [ISBN 0-89005-213-1]
This is a handy, relatively easily obtained book of hieroglyphic exercises, meant to be used as a student text, and begins with simple exercises ('alphabetic signs', 2-lit, 3-lit, words, phrases) and progresses through to substantial pieces of text. Not really designed for self-learning, and has a major problem: the signs are handwritten and can be very difficult to interpret if you are used to the typeset signs of Gardiner or other textbooks.
Faulkner, R.O., E.F. Wente, W.K. Simpson, 'The literature of ancient egypt'. Yale University Press, 1973.
Not sure if this is still in print. I found a copy in a local egyptological library and it has a number of translations of important hieroglyphic texts. Not as comprehensive as Lichtheim but looks a useful source.
Lichtheim, M., 'Ancient Egyptian Literature', 3 vols., University of California Press, Berkeley 1973-1980.
This is a standard source of translations of egyptian texts. Readily available from most egyptology book sources.
Blackman, A. M. 'The Story of King Kheops and the Magicians' J. V. Books, 1988 edition.
This includes a hieroglyphic transcription and a photograph of the papyrus. The first tale (which is a bit damaged), can be found there, while it was omitted in De Buck. [Comments kindly supplied by Serge Rosmorduc]
Lefebvre Romans et contes, pp. 70 - 90:
Good translations of classical egyptian texts, quite well written, in french and latin (for the spicy parts :-)). Lefebvfre grammar was pre-Polotskian, so the translation can be improved. [Comments kindly supplied by Serge Rosmorduc]
The publications below by Erman are very old and I have not read them. If anyone has had some experience with them then please tell me and I can add your comments.
A. Erman, 'Die Marchen des Papyrus Westcar', in 'Mittheilungen aus den Orientalischen Sammlungen', Heft v. vi. Berlin, 1890.
A. Erman, The ancient egyptians, pp. xxiv, lxviii - lxix, 36 - 49.
Gardiner's 'Egyptian Grammar' has a fairly good dictionary at the end of the book so is a very useful text to have on the shelves.
R.O. Faulkner. A concise dictionary of Middle Egyptian. Griffith Inst. 1988. [ISBN 0900416327].
This is the next most useful book to have, particularly if you don't know German. Reasonably priced and quite extensive. Note it hasn't been updated since 1962, and the hieroglyphs are handwritten. Has references to Gardiner, which is very useful.
R. Hannig. Die Sprache der Pharaonen: Grosses Handworterbuch. Agyptisch-Deutsch. Kulturgeschichte der Antiken Welt. 1995. von Zabern. [ISBN 3805317719]
The latest dictionary to be published. It was well reviewed and I have only heard glowing reports. Unfortunately (for english speakers) it is in German. Why isn't there an english version, and a CD version? This may happen if you complain to the publishers! I am trying to get a copy at the moment (1997) and am having difficulty as I believe stocks have run out. The publisher also has no fax, e-mail or web-page (-1997)!!
A. Erman and H. Grapow,'Worterbuch der agyptischen Sprache'
The ultimate academic dictionary. It is enormous, old, well and truly out of print, in German, and just generally unavailable. A CD/electronic version is planned but if you are over 40, don't expect it to appear in your lifetime.
An amazingly comprehensive and useful book that is still widely used to teach the language. Essential reading and reference text. While there are criticisms of this book, mainly due to progress in the understanding of egyptian grammar, there is much that is still useful. Why hasn't it been updated since 1957? It should have been, but take a look at it and ask yourself how much time and effort would be involved to update it. No person or group nowdays is willing to take up the challenge. Incidentally, the 'answers' to the exercises of the first 8 chapters are available from the Griffiths Inst., click here.
Hoch, J. 'Middle Egyptian Grammar. Mississaugua: Benben Publications; 1995.
(SSEA Publication; v. 15). [ISBN: 0-920168-12-4]
This is a very recent and well organised grammar and is aimed at teaching beginners (at university level). It can be used for private study. Contact James Hoch for details about purchasing a copy (at a very reasonable price). Very good and modern ('Polotsky-plus') treatment of middle egyptian. The details below were obtained from a recent post to the ANE discussion list (August 1997):
The cost is: 1 copy $50 (U.S.) ($60 Canadian--for Canadian orders)
2-3 copies--20% discount
4 or more copies--40% discount
Dr. James Hoch
223 Glebeholme Blvd.
Toronto, Ontario M4J 1S8
Canada
e-mail: james_hoch@campuslife.utoronto.ca
http://www.utoronto.ca/gsunion/hoch/
Loprieno, A. 'Ancient Egyptian. A linguistic approach.' Cambridge University Press, 1995. [ISBN 0521448492]
A recent and very thorough treatment of ancient egyptian from a modern linguistic viewpoint. You will need to be a serious amateur as it uses a lot of linguistic jargon and expects some familiarity with modern linguistics eg. phonology, morphology, syntax etc. If the latter words mean nothing to you then you are in for a rough time and should read a general linguistics book beforehand. If you are willing to overcome the jargon, it is very worthwhile. It delves into the way the language was spoken, which is the only account in english that I have come accross. It spans the full time period of the egyptian language, from old egyptian to coptic. While not a grammar (and not intended to be), I use it as one. Using the contents and indexes you can find words and grammatical constructions fairly easily. This is the only textbook that I have come across which treats egyptian grammar in a modern linguistic manner, as compared to the 'standard theory' based on the ideas of Polotsky.
Englund, Gertie. 'Middle Egyptian: An Introduction.' 2nd ed. Uppsala: Uppsala University,
Department of Egyptology; 1988, 1995. [ISBN: 91-506-1114-3]
A recent and very compact book. Truly one that you can carry around with you anywhere. I found it a bit too condensed for self learning. It was designed as a class text.
[Below is an extract from ANE discussion list, 28 Aug, 1997]
Here is the guilty conscience from Sweden speaking. Yes, Gertie's little, now bright, yellow book is probably the closest thing to portable Middle Egyptian you are going to get. The new edition (1995) is slightly different, but not enough to notice. (We are not as happy with the layout as we might be.) I am working on two workbooks, with more extensive explanations, to bridge the gap for those linguistically challenged among our students, diagramming of the examples, and exercises (with a separate key) to use with it. They will be used (photocopy form)this term. I am not ready to make the workbooks available yet (they are among the reasons that I haven't got back to the list about arch & hist - but I will get back to it), but we sell the grammar directly from here, cheaper than ordering via the bookstore. Roughly 20$ plus postage. If anyone out there wants a copy, just send a note to this address. And I will get send it out ASAP. And for those who "need to know" - note the new fax number for Uppsala.
Regards, Lana
Lana Troy, Fil dr.
(Assoc. prof., Egyptology)
Uppsala University
Dept. of Archaeology and Ancient History
S:t Eriks torg 5
S-753 10 Uppsala /SWEDEN
Tel. 46-18-471 2079
Fax. 46-18-471 7560
Fischer, Henry George. Ancient Egyptian Calligraphy. A Beginner's Guide to Writing Hieroglyphs.
New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art; 1979, 1983. [ISBN: 0-87099-337-2]
BOOK IN PRESS !!
Collier, Mark has just sent to press an introductory grammar of Egyptian that is intended to enable amateurs in
particular to read simple monumental texts but does not pretend to cover the language completely. It will be in a relatively (but maybe not absolutely) small format. It is to be published by British Museum Press in 1998 and no doubt also by a US publisher. This will be a work by a leading contemporary linguist of Egyptian that will give a short introduction. We shall probably have to wait rather longer for a full Egyptian grammar for the general user to set alongside Gardiner.
[communicated by John Baines to the ANE discussion list 3/9/97]
OTHER Sites with useful bibliographies
Serge Rosmorduc has a very nice page full of information about egyptology books and publications, many with his comments about them.