Category: Reading Hieroglyphs

“Given Life 𓏙𓋹”

Happy 800 𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲𓏲 posts to @ancientegyptblog (on Instagram)! I honestly can’t believe how much I’ve written, but what’s even more unbelievable is how many people have read what I’ve written! I’m not going to lie; I’m so proud!

“Given Life 𓏙𓋹” is such a simple and easy phrase to learn when you’re starting on your hieroglyph 𓊹𓌃 journey. While  “Given Life 𓏙𓋹” is a super common phrase to see in inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥, it is also super meaningful in ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 – that’s why it appeared everywhere! A lot of inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 either started or ended with “Given Life 𓏙𓋹.” Usually, these inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 were meant to preserve the name 𓂋𓈖 of the deceased, so their soul 𓂓𓏺 could continue to live on. 

You all have “Given Life 𓏙𓋹” to not only my posts, but more importantly, to my memories about my Nonno and also his knowledge 𓂋𓐍𓏏𓏜 that he shared with me. This account started as a memorial for my Nonno, and it always will be. Thank you 𓋴𓏏𓍯𓄿𓀢 guys!!

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Let’s break down these two 𓏻 symbols and take a closer look at what they mean:

The “bread mold 𓏙” symbol is functions as a phonogram for “d” or “ḏj” and also as “rdj” in the word for “give.” The most common use for this symbol is as the word “give.” 

The “sandal strap 𓋹” more commonly known as the “Ankh,” is a triliteral phonogram that has the sound “ˁnḫ” which would sound like “ankh.” While it can also be an ideogram for “sandal strap” and “mirror,” the “sandal strap 𓋹” is much more commonly seen as the word for “Life.” 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳 we looked at one word for “Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛” and today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the other word for “Eternity – 𓆖.”

“Time” is such a complex concept; in our modern view, time is linear with the past at one end and the future at the other end. The present time is viewed as in between the past and future. In ancient Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖, time was viewed as both linear and cyclical. 

Here’s how “eternity” was expressed in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪: 

𓆖 – Eternity (linear)

𓎛𓇳𓎛 – Eternity (cyclical)

Linear eternity, represented by 𓆖, is the concept which represents that all of the things that came about at the time of creation (sky 𓊪𓏏𓇯 is above the land 𓇾𓇾, Nile 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺 flowing South 𓇔𓅱𓏏 to North 𓎔𓏏, sun 𓇳𓏺 rising in the East 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 and setting in the West 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, etc) would continue on as is for all 𓎟 eternity 𓆖. Cyclical Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛, showed that all of the natural cycles like birth and death, the yearly seasons, would continue on for all 𓎟 eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛. 

Let’s break down the symbols for Eternity 𓆖 (pronounced like “ḏt”):

The “cobra 𓆓” is a phonogram, which means that it is a symbol that represents sounds, and is usually part of a larger word! The cobra 𓆓 is a uniliteral sign, so it represents just one consonant. It represents the sound “ḏ” which would almost sound like a “j” when pronounced.

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.” It also functions as the ideogram for the word “bread 𓏏𓏺.”

The “strip of land 𓇿/𓇾” symbols can both be used to write “Eternity 𓆖.” While both symbols have different meaning when not used as a determinative, in the case of “Eternity 𓆖” it is used as one! “𓇾” pronounced like “tah/t3” is an ideogram for land, earth and world and is a determining for “Eternity 𓆖.”  “𓇿” is also a determinative for “Eternity 𓆖” but also for desert and foreign land. It’s an ideogram for “island” and would be pronounced like “jw.”

You can read Part 1 of this post here!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the word for “Eternity – 𓎛𓇳𓎛” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛 was a concept central to ancient Egyptian religion and culture. Did you know that the ancient Egyptians 𓆎𓏏𓀀𓁐𓏪 actually invented the concept of eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛/infinity?

This way to write “eternity 𓎛𓇳𓎛” is technically a measure of cyclical time. The proper way to write the word for eternity would actually be “𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳” or “𓎛𓎛𓇳,” with the sun disc acting as the determinative. This means that the sun disc symbol would not be pronounced! However, 𓎛𓇳𓎛 is more aesthetically pleasing, so that is how the word is written in most inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥. Technically, 𓎛𓇳𓎛 would be pronounced like “nḥḥ” and is actually an abbreviation of “𓈖𓅘𓎛𓎛𓇳 / 𓎛𓎛𓇳.”

There are two 𓏻 very common ways to write “Eternity” – 𓎛𓇳𓎛 and 𓆖. The words for eternity (𓆖 & 𓎛𓇳𓎛) appear frequently in so many inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 – if you can recognize the words, you will be able to pick them out in any museum you visit! They do have slightly different meanings that I will highlight in a future post! Languages are so cool – the two words can mean the same thing when translated into English, but can be different in Middle Egyptian!

Let’s take a closer look at the hieroglyphic symbols! 

The “wick 𓎛” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram which means that it only represents one sound. The sound that it represents is “ḥ.” 

The “sun disc 𓇳” symbol is usually seen as an ideogram for “Ra.” The symbol “𓇳 – sun” can also be a determinative for sun, day, and time.

You can read Part 2 of this post here!

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost without permission.