Month: November 2023

Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at the Middle Egyptian word that we translate as “hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏬!” The word “hieroglyph” is a modern word and is not what the ancient Egyptians called their writing system/language. Today we are going to learn the special meaning behind the real name for the ancient Egyptian language!

Before we break down the meaning, are some common ways to write “hieroglyphs” in hieroglyphs: 

𓊹𓌃𓏪

𓊹𓌃𓏬

𓊹𓌃𓌃𓌃

Let’s take a closer look at each of the symbols! This will help us to understand the meaning better! 

The “cloth on a pole 𓊹“ hieroglyph is an ideogram for the word god. 𓊹 is also a triliteral phonogram, and represents the letters “ntr” which may have been pronounced like “neter.” 𓊹 Is also a determinative for “god.” So the “cloth on a pole 𓊹“ symbol can function as all three types of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. If you see this symbol, you are most likely looking at a word that has to do with the gods 𓊹𓊹𓊹!

The “staff or walking stick 𓌃” functions as both a phonogram (in this word) and as an ideogram (for the word “ staff 𓌃𓏺”). 𓌃 is a triliteral phonogram symbol and represents the sound “mdw” or it can be a biliteral phonogram for “md” in certain cases. This symbol is used in a lot of words that have to do with speech (for example, “Words Spoken By 𓆓𓌃𓇋𓈖”). 

The “three strokes 𓏥,” “three grains of sand 𓏬” and the “three repeated staffs 𓌃𓌃𓌃” symbols are what makes “words/speech” plural in the word! The plural is associated with the sound “w.” Now what’s interesting is that the “staff or walking stick 𓌃” symbol is already “mdw” so this is a case of a phonetic complement too! 

So what does “𓊹𓌃𓏪” actually mean? While we translate it as “hieroglyphs,” the actual phrase in Middle Egyptian is better translated as “God’s Words,” “Divine Speech,” or “God’s Speech.” This makes sense since the god 𓊹 Thoth 𓅝𓏏𓏭𓀭 was said to have invented hieroglyphs! 

The word “𓊹𓌃𓏪” would have been pronounced like “mdw ntr” even though “ntr 𓊹” was written first due to honorific transposition! Usually the possessing noun (god’s) is written second, but out of respect for the gods, it was written first but then pronounced second! It’s like how we say “ten dollars ($10)” instead of “dollars ten.”

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at the significance of the epithet “Upon His Hill/Mountain.” 

An epithet is almost like a title, except it comes after a name 𓂋𓈖 instead of before it! The epithet ““Upon His Hill” or “Upon His Mountain” will commonly follow the name 𓂋𓈖 of the god 𓊹 Anubis 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 in inscriptions! This phrase is representative of Anubis’ 𓇋𓈖𓊪𓅱𓃣 role as protector 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜 of the dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱; he was always standing watch on tombs/cemeteries from above! 

Here are some variants of the phrase: 

𓁶𓈋𓆑𓏺

𓁶𓊪𓈋𓆑𓏺

𓁶𓊪𓈋𓏺𓆑

Let’s break down the sentence! 

𓁶/𓁶𓊪 – Upon “tp”

𓈋 – Hill “ḏw”

𓆑 – His “f”

Let’s take a closer look at each of the symbols! 

The “head 𓁶” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound “tp.” It can also be used as an ideogram and determinative for the word “head.” In this case it is a phonogram. 

The “stool 𓊪” symbol is a uniliteral phonogram for the sound “p.” In this phrase, it is acting as a phonetic complement, which means it is emphasizing the “p” sound in the “𓁶𓊪” part of the phrase. 

The “mountain 𓈋” symbol is a biliteral phonogram that represents the sound “ḏw.” It also functions as an ideogram for the words “mountain” and “hill.” 

The “horned viper 𓆑” functions as a uniliteral phonogram and represents the sound “f.” In this case, the singular symbol represents the word “his,” which has a sound of just “f.” In Middle Egyptian, the pronoun comes after the word it is describing. 

The “stroke 𓏺” has many different uses but here it is used for aesthetic purposes! The “stroke 𓏺” is used to fill up that extra space as needed and can almost be thought of as punctuation! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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Let’s read some Hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to be looking at the significance of the “west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊.” 

The sun 𓇳𓏺 rising in the east 𓋁𓃀𓏏𓏭 and setting in the west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 is a natural phenomenon that has occurred since the Earth formed over 4.5 billion years ago. The illusion of the sun 𓇳𓏺 rising and setting is caused by the Earth rotating on its axis, and this motion causes us to have night 𓎼𓂋𓎛𓄛 and day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳. 

The ancient Egyptians observed this phenomenon and not only developed the concept of the 24 hour day, but centered one of the biggest parts of their religion around it! Since the sun sets in the west 𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊, the west 𓋀𓏏𓈊 was determined to be the land of the dead. It’s no coincidence that tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 are located on the western 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 banks of the Nile River 𓇋𓏏𓂋𓅱𓈗𓈘𓈇𓏺! 

Here are some of the popular ways to write “west” in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! These are only three of the popular variants, but there are many others! 

𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊 

𓋀𓏏𓈊

𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊

Let’s break down the symbols! 

The “feather on a standard 𓋀/𓊿” symbols are actually variants of each other and function the same way in inscriptions! This is an ideogram for the word “west” and is associated with the sound “jmnt.” 

The “flat loaf of bread 𓏏” is a uniliteral phonogram used to represent the sound “t.”

The “mountain range 𓈊” symbol is both an ideogram and a determinative. It is associated with the sound “ḫ3st” and means “desert cliffs” or “foreign land.”

So whichever way you write “west 𓋀𓏏𓏏𓈊, 𓋀𓏏𓈊, 𓊿𓏏𓏏𓈊,” it would be pronounced as “jmnt” and any extra “𓏏” symbols function as a phonetic complement! 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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