Words for Childhood. At least six different words are used in Egyptian to mean child. In English, different words—such as infant, toddler, boy or girl, and adolescent —refer to stages of childhood. In Egyptian the variety of words used do not seem to have such specific meanings. For example, scholars Rosalind and Jacobus Janssen observe that khenu, meaning child, derives from the root that means "to wean." Yet, this word is not limited in use to children who have recently been weaned. The High Priest Bekenkhons, who lived in the reign of Ramesses II (circa 1279-1213 B.C.E.), used this word to describe his entire childhood. Thus, it seems unlikely that the Egyptians recognized the stages of childhood as distinct. All of childhood was a period of preparation for taking on adult responsibilities.

Nurture and Nature. Few differences...