[NTLK] Ma'at

From: Mike O'Brien (mikeobrien_at_spamcop.net)
Date: Tue Mar 23 2004 - 23:19:48 PST


> Do you even *know* that the word
> "mathematics" comes from the word "ma'at" (meaning balance), an African
> word??

        I'd be surprised if "mathematics" and "ma'at" share a common
root, but I wouldn't swallow my teeth if it turned out to be so.

        But calling "ma'at" an African word in this context, while
formally true, is biased, loaded, incredibly misleading and just plain
ridiculous. "Ma'at", meaning "balance" or "truth" is a Middle Egyptian
word. That's the language of the hieroglyphs, a proto-Semitic language,
and the people who spoke it weren't notably dark-skinned.

        And, no, I don't buy off on the whole "black Athena" nonsense.

Mike O'Brien
Jackleg Egyptologist and Newton user
Oh well, could be worse, could be poutine

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