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It should be kept in mind, however, that the results and conclusions regarding the
diversity of the writing forms of the words wb3 and wdpw depend to a major extent on the
random occurrence of the different types of sources that have remained, thus they represent
only the current state of research, which might be changed as new evidence emerges that
either supports or contradicts the observations.
1.2. THE APPEARANCE AND USAGE OF THE WORDS wb3 AND wdpw
FROM THE EARLIEST ATTESTATIONS UNTIL THE NEW KINGDOM?
1.2.1. Archaic Period and Old Kingdom
According to Schott, a possible reading of the label consisting of a flower and a vessel above
the man standing behind the ruler on the Narmer-palette, carrying sandals in one of his
hands and some sort of pot in the other, as well as on the mace-head assigned to the same
ruler, might be either wdpw hrw or hm hrw,* a title referring to a function or profession.
However, according to Jones, the reading of this sign group might also be wn nw, with a
similarly uncertain meaning.* Another, more unambiguous example of the title appears
on a funerary stele dated to the 1* dynasty, containing the following: smr prw nsw wtp.w
Tjtk3 ‘friend of the king’s house, the cupbearer Titka’.* It is also worth noting that accord¬
ing to Kahl, the female form wdpw.t was already used as a personal name during the o-3¢
dynasties.” He provides two examples to support this statement, both of which are pos¬
sibly from the reign of Djer: a funerary stela* and a stone vessel,” on which the vessel sign
used for describing the word wdpw appears.
During the Old Kingdom, wdpw is mainly attested in the decoration of tomb walls. All
the examined examples show the wdpw as a manservant. In the examined corpus, there
was only one example from Upper Egypt, from Deir el-Gebrawi in the 12" nome dated to
% The main basis of the corpus of the examination were the attestations collected by Hannig, 2003,
391-392, and 2006, 647-648, 750-752.
4 Schott, 1951, 79, 97; Kahl, 2002, 127.
® Jones, 2000, 380, NO. 1490.
55 Petrie, 1900b, 27, pls. 31, no. 40; Kahl, 2002, 127.
57 Kahl, 2002, 127.
® Petrie, W. M. F. 1901. The royal tombs of the earliest dynasties, 1901, part II. London, pls. 26, 88.
» Kaplony, P. 1963. Die Inschriften der ägyptischen Frühzeit III. Ägyptologische Abhandlungen 8, Wies¬
baden, Abb. 860.