The word "console" seems to have some special technical meaning in the context of Egyptology which I cannot figure out. Here is an example sentence:

Toutefois, d’après le numéro de console, cette stèle appartiendrait à la XXVIIe dynastie.

What does "console" mean in this context?

Note that the usage is a technical term in Egyptology having to do with the features of steles, so it is possible that to answer correctly may require expert knowledge of Egyptology as it is practiced in France.

  • 1
    The context of the quote is insufficient to know what the console is in this quote. Where did you read that? (Book ? Museum?) Can you link to a picture? In a context related to archeology/museum a console could be two things that are also named console in English (1. piece of furniture in a museum where displayed objects are numbered; 6. an architectural ornement). – Laure Jan 3 '17 at 8:50
  • A console in French in architecture is a plinth in English. The stele is sitting on a base or plinth. You can can the CNTRL for the French meaning. First entry. I am just not sure whether a museum supplied it or it "came" like that, with a base. – Lambie Jan 31 '17 at 17:26
  • Sorry, in the CNTRL are two definitions: one is for architecture but the other means a support or base for something, like a statue or stele. – Lambie Jan 31 '17 at 17:32
  • @Lambie I see, that is useful information. Based on that I suspect that what this is referring to is a location number written by the archaeologist on the underside of the stele. The type of stele in question has a flat bottom and I am guessing the excavators would write notations on this surface, so by "console number", they mean numbers written on the base (underside) of the stele. – Doogie Drusard Jan 31 '17 at 17:49
  • @Doogie Drusard Yes, that makes sense to me. :) – Lambie Jan 31 '17 at 18:32

A console can either be a piece of furniture or an architectural term and is not reserved to Egyptology.

Until you can give further information to precise the context of where you read this sentence (or even better can link to a picture) I presume this could refer to the piece of furniture. In museums pieces are sometimes displayed on a console (same word in English) and information about the pieces are often given on the console itself.

  • As it says in the quote, the object is a stele, not a piece of furniture. Did you read the quote? – Doogie Drusard Jan 1 '17 at 19:32
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    Yes, of course I read it. Did you read my answer? Your quote lacks context so you can't expect a precise answer, when you quote you must at least say where the quote is from. Your quote does not say that the stèle and the console are the same objects, does it? As far as I understand it the stèle is on the console. A console can also be a piece of architecture (you can easily find that on the internet and the word is the same in English, and Egyptian architecture had consoles). – Laure Jan 1 '17 at 21:12

I would surmise that console here is a technical term in the museum business, maybe museums stores their artifacts in "consoles" in their rooms. But that is only a guess on my part.


In the context of your question "console" appears to be a technical term used in architecture.

Generally, the technical and scientific terms keep their meaning in any language.

English: console

French: console

German: konsole

So, it has no special meaning:

However, according to the console number, this stele belongs to the XXVIIth dynasty.

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