Editing Egyptian language (section)

===Vowels===
Here is the vowel system reconstructed for earlier Egyptian:
{|class="wikitable"
|+Earlier Egyptian vowel system{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=35}}
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| align=center | {{IPA|i iː}}
| align=center | {{IPA|u uː}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| {{IPA|a aː}}
|}
Vowels are always short in unstressed syllables ({{angbr|tpj}} = {{IPA|*/taˈpij/}} 'first') and long in open stressed syllables ({{angbr|rmṯ}} = {{IPA|*/ˈraːmac/}} 'man'), but they can be either short or long in closed stressed syllables ({{angbr|jnn}} = {{IPA|*/jaˈnan/}} 'we', {{angbr|mn}} = {{IPA|*/maːn/}} 'to stay').{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=36}}

In the Late [[New Kingdom of Egypt|New Kingdom]], after [[Ramses II]], around 1200 BC, {{IPA|*/ˈaː/}} changes to {{IPA|*/ˈoː/}} (like the [[Canaanite shift]]), {{angbr|ḥrw}} '(the god) Horus' {{IPA|*/ħaːra/}} > {{IPA|*/ħoːrə/}} (Akkadian transcription: {{Transliteration|akk|-ḫuru}}).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=38}}{{sfn|Allen|2013}} {{IPA|*/uː/}}, therefore, changes to {{IPA|*/eː/}}: {{angbr|šnj}} 'tree' {{IPA|*/ʃuːn(?)j/}} > {{IPA|*/ʃeːnə/}} (Akkadian transcription: {{Transliteration|akk|-sini}}).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=38}}

In the Early New Kingdom, short stressed {{IPA|*/ˈi/}} changes to {{IPA|*/ˈe/}}: {{angbr|mnj}} "[[Menes]]" {{IPA|*/maˈnij/}} > {{IPA|*/maˈneʔ/}} (Akkadian transcription: {{Transliteration|akk|ma-né-e}}).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=38}} Later, probably 1000–800 BC, a short stressed {{IPA|*/ˈu/}} changes to {{IPA|*/ˈe/}}: {{angbr|ḏꜥn.t}} "[[Tanis]]" {{IPA|*/ˈɟuʕnat/}} was borrowed into Hebrew as *ṣuʕn but would become transcribed as {{angbr|ṣe-e'-nu/ṣa-a'-nu}} during the [[Neo-Assyrian Empire]].{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=39}}

Unstressed vowels, especially after a stress, become {{IPA|*/ə/}}: {{angbr|nfr}} 'good' {{IPA|*/ˈnaːfir/}} > {{IPA|*/ˈnaːfə/}} (Akkadian transcription {{Transliteration|akk|-na-a-pa}}).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=39}} {{IPA|*/iː/}} changes to {{IPA|*/eː/}} next to {{IPA|/ʕ/}} and {{IPA|/j/}}: {{angbr|wꜥw}} 'soldier' {{IPA|*/wiːʕiw/}} > {{IPA|*/weːʕə/}} (earlier Akkadian transcription: {{Transliteration|akk|ú-i-ú}}, later: {{Transliteration|akk|ú-e-eḫ}}).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=39}}

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Egyptian vowel system {{circa|1000 BC}}{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=39}}
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA|iː}}
|
|
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA|e eː}}
| {{IPA|ə}}
| {{IPA|oː}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="3"| {{IPA|a}}
|}

In Sahidic and Bohairic Coptic, Late Egyptian stressed {{IPA|*/ˈa/}} becomes {{IPA|*/ˈo/}} and {{IPA|*/ˈe/}} becomes {{IPA|/ˈa/}}, but are unchanged in the other dialects:
* {{angbr|sn}} {{IPA|*/san/}} 'brother'
*: Sahidic and Bohairic {{angbr|son}}
*: Akhmimic, Lycopolitan and Fayyumic {{angbr|san}}
* {{angbr|rn}} 'name' {{IPA|*/rin/}} > {{IPA|*/ren/}}
*: Sahidic and Bohairic {{angbr|ran}}
*: Akhmimic, Lycopolitan and Fayyumic {{angbr|ren}}{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=46}}

However, in the presence of guttural fricatives, Sahidic and Bohairic preserve {{IPA|*/ˈa/}}, and Fayyumic renders it as {{angbr|e}}:
* {{angbr|ḏbꜥ}} 'ten thousand' {{IPA|*/ˈbaʕ/}}
*: Sahidic, Akhmimic and Lycopolitan {{angbr|tba}}
*: Bohairic {{angbr|tʰba}}
*: Fayyumic {{angbr|tbe}}

In Akhmimic and Lycopolitan, {{IPA|*/ˈa/}} becomes {{IPA|/ˈo/}} before etymological {{IPA|/ʕ, ʔ/}}:
* {{angbr|jtrw}} 'river' {{IPA|*/ˈjatraw/}} > {{IPA|*/jaʔr(ə)/}}
*: Sahidic {{angbr|eioor(e)}}
*: Bohairic {{angbr|ior}}
*: Akhmimic {{angbr|ioore, iôôre}}
*: Fayyumic {{angbr|iaal, iaar}}

Similarly, the diphthongs {{IPA|*/ˈaj/}}, {{IPA|*/ˈaw/}}, which normally have reflexes {{IPA|/ˈoj/}}, {{IPA|/ˈow/}} in Sahidic and are preserved in other dialects, are in Bohairic {{angbr|ôi}} (in non-final position) and {{angbr|ôou}} respectively:
* "to me, to them"
*: Sahidic {{angbr|eroi, eroou}}
*: Akhmimic and Lycopolitan {{angbr|arai, arau}}
*: Fayyumic {{angbr|elai, elau}}
*: Bohairic {{angbr|eroi, erôou}}

Sahidic and Bohairic preserve {{IPA|*/ˈe/}} before {{IPA|/ʔ/}} (etymological or from lenited {{IPA|/t r j/}} or tonic-syllable coda {{IPA|/w/}}),: Sahidic and Bohairic {{angbr|ne}} {{IPA|/neʔ/}} 'to you (fem.)' < {{IPA|*/ˈnet/}} < {{IPA|*/ˈnic/}}. {{IPA|*/e/}} may also have different reflexes before [[sonorant]]s, near [[sibilant]]s and in diphthongs.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=47}}

Old {{IPA|*/aː/}} surfaces as {{IPA|/uː/}} after nasals and occasionally other consonants: {{angbr|nṯr}} 'god' {{IPA|*/ˈnaːcar/}} > {{IPA|/ˈnuːte/}} {{angbr|noute}}{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|pp=47–48}} {{IPA|/uː/}} has acquired phonemic status, as is evidenced by minimal pairs like 'to approach' {{angbr|hôn}} {{IPA|/hoːn/}} < {{IPA|*/ˈçaːnan/}} ẖnn vs. 'inside' {{angbr|houn}} {{IPA|/huːn/}} < {{IPA|*/ˈçaːnaw/}} ẖnw.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=48}} An etymological {{IPA|*/uː/}} > {{IPA|*/eː/}} often surfaces as {{IPA|/iː/}} next to {{IPA|/r/}} and after etymological pharyngeals: {{angbr|hir}} < {{IPA|*/χuːr/}} 'street' (Semitic loan).{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=48}}

Most Coptic dialects have two phonemic vowels in unstressed position. Unstressed vowels generally became {{IPA|/ə/}}, written as {{angbr|e}} or null ({{angbr|i}} in Bohairic and Fayyumic word-finally), but pretonic unstressed /a/ occurs as a reflex of earlier unstressed {{IPA|*/e/}} near an etymological pharyngeal, velar or sonorant ('to become many' {{angbr|ašai}} < ꜥšꜣ {{IPA|*/ʕiˈʃiʀ/}}) or an unstressed {{IPA|*/a/}}. Pretonic [i] is underlyingly {{IPA|/əj/}}: Sahidic 'ibis' {{angbr|hibôi}} < h(j)bj.w {{IPA|*/hijˈbaːj?w/}}.{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=48}}

Thus, the following is the Sahidic vowel system c. AD 400:

{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+Sahidic vowel system {{circa|400 AD}}{{sfn|Loprieno|1995|p=46}}
!
! colspan="2" | Stressed
! Unstressed
|-
!
! [[Front vowel|Front]]
! [[Back vowel|Back]]
! [[Central vowel|Central]]
|-
! [[Close vowel|Close]]
| {{IPA|iː}}
| {{IPA|uː}}
|
|-
! [[Mid vowel|Mid]]
| {{IPA|e eː}}
| {{IPA|o oː}}
| {{IPA|ə}}
|-
! [[Open vowel|Open]]
| colspan="3"| {{IPA|a}}
|}