Can we trace the ancient Egyptian concept of home through language?
This seminar explores how language and domestic space shaped Egyptian identity. Discover how the use of loan words and architectural shifts reveal how Egyptians perceived and adapted to new environments in Nubia and the Levant.
The 'Being Egyptian' project investigates how identity was forged within the 'habitus'—the social environment materialised through architecture, objects, and landscapes. During the New Kingdom, as Egyptians lived more extensively in Nubia and the Levant, researchers ask whether their way of life was exported, embraced, or rejected in these new territories.
The seminar examines the linguistic dimension of this experience, specifically looking at the words used to describe houses and the adoption of loan words. By studying domestic spaces—which functioned as porous arenas for work, play, and social display—scholars like Julien Cooper, Gaiment Chantrain, and Marwan Kilani explore whether Egyptian identity was maintained through shared practices or altered by local socio-economic and physical environments.
Source: Being Egyptian - Expressing home 03
