HOTEP
Etymology and meaning
THE KISWAHILI-BANTU RESEARCH UNIT
FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE ANCIENT EGYPTIAN
LANGUAGE
HUTUAPO 'HOTEP'
Ancient Egyptian: HTP: Be at peace; be peaceful, to rest, to be happy, to become content, to repose
Kiswahili-Bantu meaning: HUTUAPO 'Always be in a state of peace wherever you are'
Researched by FERG SOMO © May 2007
I hope this research into the Ancient Egyptian word HOTEP will be of interest and at the very least stimulate discussion. This is an addition to my paper which analysed Ancient Egyptian and Bantu cognates. The word cognate derives from the Latin cognatus 'born together'. Therefore cognates are those words that derive from a single earlier common ancestor or original form of language. These words have diversified into similar forms in contemporary languages. My research will demonstrate the sound and meaning relationships between the two languages thus establishing a linguistic link. This will add to the evidence that the Ancient Egyptians language originated in Africa and linguistically should be reclassified as forming part of the Niger Congo group of languages as opposed to the Afro-Asiatic grouping.
The above, Kiswahili-Bantu word 'HUTUAPO' is an example of a common word whose etymology needs to be explained. It stands for the Ancient Egyptian skeletal consonants HTP. This is usually spoken as 'HOTEP' by wrongly inserting the vowels O and E. The Ancient Egyptians used consonants in their scripts and researchers have failed to identify the correct vowels that were omitted. Here for the first time one can pronounce the Ancient Egyptian word correctly.
I have analysed the word 'HOTEP' by using Bantu and Kiswahili-Bantu grammar and have found that the correct vowels should be U, UA and O. This is the closest linguistic match and once the correct vowels are inserted the full extent in pronunciation and meaning of the word in the Kiswahili-Bantu language will be realised.
The Kiswahili-Bantu word 'HUTUAPO' consists of the important verb, TUA which is hidden. The verb TUA, have the following Kiswahili-Bantu meanings shown below. The component parts of the word may be de-agglutinated as follows:
HU + TUA + PO
HU is an unchangeable verb prefix signifying 'habitual' or 'customary action': always, usually, generally.
TUA is the verb which means: to go down, to sink of the sun, to rest, to be in a settled state, to be in a state of peace, security, safety, calmness, quietness, composure.
PO is a particle of locality and time, 'where', 'when', 'while'. It is a place indicator as, 'there'
By the process of agglutination one arrives at the true meaning of the word shown below.
Therefore HTP
=
HUTUAPO (to be pronounced phonetically)
HUTUAPO means 'Always be in a state of peace wherever you are'
The Kiswahili-Bantu word 'HUTUAPO' may be compared to the ChiBemba greeting word, 'MWAPOLENIPO', MWA+POLENI + PO, derived from the verb POLA, to be in good health, to be well or better. PO means just there, at that special place.
Feel free to communicate your thoughts.
HOTEP
HUTUAPO
MWAPOLENIPO
© May 2007