Daughter of Sekhmet

Instead of the classical and more contemporary terms for deities, places, and other aspects of ancient Egypt, I use terms derived from the ancient Egyptian language. Proper nouns are capitalized and not italicized; all other Egyptian words are italicized.

Akhet: Season of Flood, approximately August through November.
Ammit: Monster with the head of a crocodile, forelegs of a lion, and backside of a hippopotamus. She devours hearts that Anpu/Anubis finds to be heavier than the feather of Ma’at and therefore heavy with misdeeds.
Amun: Chief god of royalty, known as the “Hidden One.”
Ankh, Udja, Seneb: “Life, Prosperity, Health.” Originally used as a benediction for kings, the phrase also became a way to say goodbye or farewell as well as a general blessing of good tidings.
Anpu: Anubis, jackal-headed god of death and the afterlife.
Apep: Apophis, the Chaos Serpent, embodying disorder and darkness. One of Re’s greatest enemies.
Astarte: Canaanite goddess who became relatively popular in Ramesside Egypt.
Ba: An aspect of the human soul, often depicted as a bird with a human head.
Benret: Sweet, used here to mean “sweetheart,” “dear.”
Bes: Protective deity for households, mothers, and children.
Bitbit: Honey, used here as term of endearment.
The Black Land: Ancient Egypt; the fertile land along the Nile. Also called Kemet.
Deben: Measure of weight used to determine value of bartered items.
Desher: Red, evil. Feminine Deshret can refer to the “Red Lands” beyond the fertile riverbanks. Plural desheru.
Djehuty: Thoth, ibis-headed god of writing who balances the scales in the afterlife.
Duat: The underworld the deceased must pass through to reach the Field of Reeds.
Field of Reeds: The afterlife. Also called Aaru.
Geb: God of the Earth.
Good God: Title for the king, pharaoh.
Hapiu Bull: Apis Bull, sacred animal worshipped in Memphis.
Hat-hor: Hathor, cow-headed goddess of love. Counterpart of Sekhmet (see below).
Heka: Magic.
Hes: Excrement, used here as an equivalent to “shit.”
Hiyu: Monster, beast. Feminine hiyut. Interestingly, the hieroglyph spelling of this word includes the determinative sign for “foreign.”
Horu: Horus, falcon-headed son of Iset/Isis and Wasir/Osiris.
Ibib / Ibty: Sweetheart, dear. From ib, meaning “heart.”
Idet: Vulva, womb, used here as derogatory.
Imyr: Sir, commander, overseer.
Ipet-Nesew: Women’s quarters in the palace, a bit like an Ottoman harem.
Iset: Isis, wife of Wasir/Osiris, mother of Horu/Horus.
Isfet: Chaos, evil. The opposite of ma’at.
Iteru: “The River;” the Nile. Literally, it means “blue.”
Iti: Father.
Ka: Somewhat equivalent to the soul, which leaves the body upon someone’s death.
Ka’t: Vagina, used here as derogatory.
Kemet: Egypt. Literally, “black,” and refers to the black fertile soil on the banks of the Nile, and not necessarily the lands beyond the Nile valley also under pharaonic rule. Depending on the context, I use this term interchangeably with “the Two Lands,” as the ancient Egyptians did.
Khonsu: God of the moon, son of Amun and Mut.
Khopesh: The sickle-shaped sword used by New Kingdom soldiers.
Kerbetu: Bitches. Singular kerbet. (I admit I took liberties with this one, particularly because it’s so similar to the Arabic word for dog: kalb.)
Ma’at: Truth and justice as a concept and guide for living a good life, symbolized by an ostrich feather.
Ma’at: Goddess of truth and justice. Note that ma’at as a concept is italicized, while the goddess’ name is not.
Mawat: Mother.
Medjay: Once a nomadic Nubian group, by the New Kingdom, the name no longer referred to an ethnic group, but to the king’s elite police and protective forces.
Mehen: Ancient Egyptian board game in the shape of a coiled snake.
Men-nefer: The ancient city of Memphis. Literally, “Enduring and Beautiful.”
Mheti: Northern/northerner. Feminine mehtet. Plural mhetyu.
Min: God of fertility, depicted as a man with an erect phallus.
Nebet: Lady, “ma’am.”
Nebet-het: Nephthys, daughter of Geb and Nuit, sister of Iset/Isis.
Nefer: Goodness, perfection.
Nefertem: Son of Sekhmet and Ptah associated with the blue water lily.
Nu: Primordial darkness from which the rest of creation rose.
Nuit: Goddess of the night sky.
Per-Ramesses: “House of Ramesses.” The capital city in the eastern delta of the Nile.
Peret: Season of Emergence/Growth, approximately December through March.
Ptah: Creator god, consort of Sekhmet, father of Nefertem. Sometimes called the “Beautiful Face.”
Puhuyt: Anus, used as derogatory.
Punt: Ancient kingdom in the Horn of Africa that exported gold, incense, ebony, ivory, and other valuable commodities to ancient Egypt.
Ribu: Ancient Egyptian name for Libya.
Re: Falcon-headed god of the sun.
Rekhyt: Collective term for the common people under the pharaoh’s rule.
Rem: Fish god who fertilizes the land with his tears.
Retenu: Greater Canaan; the wider Syrian region.
Sa: A symbol of protection.
Satet: Satis, goddess from southern Egypt associated with the annual Nile flood, war, and hunting. Her name means “to shoot” or “to pour forth.”
Sekhmet: Lioness-headed goddess of war, plagues, and healing, also known as the Powerful One. Sometimes manifests as the Eye of Re who defends the king against his enemies.
Shema’: Disease demon, foreigner, used as derogatory. Feminine shema’t.
Shemu: Season of Harvest, approximately April through July.
Shendyt: The linen kilt worn by men of all social status in New Kingdom Egypt. Plural shendytu.
Senet: Ancient Egyptian board game.
Shuyit: The shadow aspect of a living person. Sometimes used to refer to statues of people and deities. Plural shuyitu.
Sopdet: Sothis, goddess of the star we call Sirius.
Sutekh: Set (Seth) brother of Osiris. God of the deserts and storms, but also protector of the king.
Tanehsi: Nubian.
Tanehsu: Ancient Nubia.
Tawaret: Hippopotamus goddess who protects women and children.
The Two Lands: United Upper and Lower Egypt, the Nile Valley from the delta to Nubia. Depending on the context, I use this term interchangeably with “Kemet,” as the ancient Egyptians often did.
Tjati: Vizier, the king’s second in command.
Wasir: Osiris, god of fertility, death, and resurrection. Sometimes referred to as Wennefer, meaning “the Beautiful One.”
Wabuir: Priest, used as honorific. For the purposes of this book, I combined wab and imyr, which, coincidentally is similar to Egyptological Wbr, meaning “Apep as a hostile serpent.”
Wadjet: Cobra goddess of northern Egypt, associated with the Eye of Re.
Waset: Ancient Thebes, in current-day Luxor. Literally, “City of the Scepter.”
Wepet Renpet: New Year. Literally, “Opening of the Year.”