What does ka mean?
Ka has three established English uses. Most commonly, it is the spoken name of the letter K, the eleventh letter of the English alphabet. In discussions of ancient Egyptian religion, a ka was a person's vital essence or life force. It was believed to remain distinct from the body after death and to require sustenance through food and drink offerings placed in tombs. Ancient Egypt also used ka as a unit of time, equal to one-twelfth of a day, or roughly two modern hours. Although the spelling is simple, pronunciation changes with meaning: the letter is normally pronounced /keɪ/, while the historical Egyptian senses are commonly given as /kɑː/. In ordinary contemporary writing, “K” is more natural than “ka” when referring to the character itself, while “ka” is most often encountered in museum labels, translations of ancient texts, and historical studies.
nounKa may name the eleventh letter of the English alphabet, the vital essence or life force of a person in ancient Egyptian belief, or an ancient Egyptian unit of time equal to one-twelfth of a day.
- The name of the eleventh letter of the English alphabet.
- In ancient Egyptian religion, the vital essence or life force that continued to exist after a person's death.
- An ancient Egyptian unit of time equal to one-twelfth of a day, approximately two modern hours.
"The papyrus described the deceased's ka as a spirit that would continue to receive offerings in the afterlife."
"The name of the eleventh letter is pronounced like the word “day.”"
"The royal tomb was decorated with scenes showing the deceased's ka being sustained by offerings."
The plural is kas, although “letter K” is often clearer when referring to the written character.
"The two kas appeared at the beginning of the list."
Ancient Egyptians believed that the ka needed food and drink, so the living continued to leave offerings for the dead.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does ka come from?
As the name of the letter K, the word comes through the Latin alphabet from Greek kappa, which in turn was borrowed from the Phoenician letter kaph. The ancient Egyptian term was written in transliteration as ka and designated the enduring life force associated with a person. English use of ka as a time unit likewise reflects terminology reconstructed from ancient Egyptian calendrical texts. The letter-name tradition and the Egyptian religious sense are historically distinct despite sharing the same modern spelling.
How ka is actually used
The standard pronunciation is /keɪ/ when referring to the letter. Ancient Egyptian religious and calendrical senses are usually pronounced /kɑː/ in modern English. The spelling is capitalized when it names the written letter.