The ancient Egyptian perception of placenames and their phonological development: a toponymic journey to Upper Egypt

Placenames are intimately linked to the natural circumstances and the history of the geographical spot which they denote. When a toponym evolves throughout time and its original meaning is lost, speculations on its origin arise, in modern as in ancient societies. In Egypt, explicit statements on the alleged etymology of toponyms are not attested until the 1st millennium BC. However, a systematic survey of older sources shows that they also provide significant implicit evidence for the emic point of view on placenames.
Based on an extensive study of the toponymy of the nine southernmost provinces of Egypt, the present talk gives an overview on the different processes which guided the evolution of ancient Egyptian placenames from the 3rd to the beginning of the 1st millennium BC. Several case studies (Abydos, Armant, Dendera etc.) will illustrate the dynamics between phonological development and the local religious topography which finally lead to etymological re-interpretations.