IFAO

It is well known that the ancient Egyptian lexicon shows structural patterns very close to those of Semitic languages, at least as much as derivation processes (prefixation, suffixation, -reduplication) are concerned. A specific type of reduplication (ABCC) has been used in Egyptian to build a significant number of animal names, as pȝgg.t, frog, ḥfrr, tadpole, ḥdqq.w, rats, or ḫprr, beetle. Gathering about thirty attestations of this specific pattern, which conveys a diminutive / pejorative meaning, we can get arguments to rebuild the vocalic structure as AaBCáC-aw (masc.), AaBCáC.at (fem.). For this Egyptian pattern, the Accadian ’dmm, wasp, or kulbābu, ant, offer convincing Semitic counterparts.