Hotep (ḥtp; also rendered hetep[1]) is an Egyptian word that roughly translates as "to be satisfied, at peace". The word also refers to an "offering" ritually presented to a deity or a dead person, hence "be pleased, be gracious, be at peace". It is rendered in Egyptian hieroglyphs as an altar(Gardiner sign R4). The noun ḥtp.w means "peace, contentment".[2] Davies (2018) interprets the concept of ḥtp as "the result of action in accord with maat [the proper order of the universe]".[3]
The so-called offering formula begins with ḥtp-dj-nsw "an offering given by the king".[4]
Egyptian ḥtp became Copticϩⲁⲧⲡ/ϩⲟⲧⲡhatp/hotp "be content" and ϩⲱⲧⲡhōtp "be reconciled".[5][6]
Hotep as part of ancient Egyptian names, such as Hotepsekhemwy (ḥr ḥtp-sḫm.wj "the two powers are at peace"), the first ruler of the Second Dynasty of Egypt.[7]
^Faulkner, William (1991). Middle Egyptian. Griffith. ISBN0-900416-32-7.: p 179 htp = "altar, offering, boon which the king grants, be pleased, be happy, be gracious, pardon, be at peace, be peaceful, become calm"; p 180 "rest, satisfy, make content, htpw peace, contentment, good pleasure, make peace, htpt peace, contentment. To put to rest disputes, and settle the complaints of petitioners be peaceful, calm, make peace".
^Davies, Vanessa (2018). Peace in Ancient Egypt. Harvard Egyptological Series. Brill. p. 2. ISBN978-90-04-38021-9. (p. 86, and passim).
^Gardiner, Alan. (1957). Egyptian Grammar, Third Edition, p. 170. Griffith Institute, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. ISBN0-900416-35-1.
