Motion verbs and power balance in Ancient Egyptian texts

Repeated motions with shifts in the deictic center (back-and-forth dynamics) have at least two main functions in structuring the narrative: they highlight key-moments of the story and they also make explicit the power balance between the different main protagonists, as well as the evolution of these interactions. Centripetal motion (e.g. jy.t “to come”) is usually associated with the position of relative inferiority of the protagonists performing the action in respect to the other(s), while centrifugal motion (e.g. šm “to go”, hȝb “to send”) is a marker of a position of superiority. In texts belonging to the ideological discourse, the power balance is naturally pictured in favor of the Egyptians, receiving respect and submission from the foreign “enemies”. However, several counter examples of inverted dynamics can be shown in fictional literary texts (e.g. Wenamun, Sinuhe) as well as in wisdom texts, letters and miscellanies. The study of motion verb usage in interpersonal interactions thus offers a good complement to the one of dialogues in shaping the narrative structure