Ancient
Egyptian title for the supreme ruler. In
English, it has since become the standard term for any Egyptian
monarch. The Egyptian (
linguistic notation pr-'3) however is a
euphemism meaning 'great house', referring to the palace, and to the monarch only by
metonymy.
The actual title by which the king is reffered varies. Most often he is the ni-sw.t, or 'he of the sedge-plant', the designation of the king of upper Egypt, or 'ni-sw.t bity', he of the sedge and the bee, king of upper and lower Egypt. He is also, in the titulary, the sa-ra, son of re. As commander, he is 'ity', the sovereign and military leader. Otherwise, he is simply hm//f, 'his majesty'.